Robots and the Swiss Tradition of Customer Focus

For Swiss robotics start-ups, customer success and investor success go hand in hand. In addition to outstanding technology, this requires a high degree of customer orientation, which has a long tradition in Switzerland.

After the cars have been assembled at the BMW plant in Dingolfing, Bavaria, they are driven to the finishing area, more than a kilometre away. Recently, the BMW 5 and 7 Series have been moving through the factory autonomously. After extensive testing and CE certification, automated driving went into series operation this winter and is now being rolled out to other production sites. The introduction would not have been possible without Swiss start-up Embotech: its Automated Vehicle Marshalling (AVM) solution is the first system of its kind to meet all relevant safety standards for automated driving on factory premises and in vehicle logistics centres.

Following this success, Embotech’s next financing round was not long in coming. In mid-December, the start-up closed a series B round of USD 26.5 million in order to scale its solution worldwide. The lead investors included Emerald Ventures, one of the most prominent European VCs when it comes to investment in start-ups with sustainable industrial innovations.

On the same day in December, a second Swiss robotics start-up, ANYbotics, also announced the conclusion of a financing round. The manufacturer of four-legged robots for industrial inspections secured USD 60 million, with Qualcomm Ventures as the lead investor. The funds will be used for global expansion with ANYbotics able to build on an existing customer base that includes companies such as BP, Petrobras and Novelis.

The ability to attract industrial customers has not happened by chance. The Swiss mechanical and electrical engineering industry is traditionally very strong; every year goods worth more than USD 70 billion are exported. Start-ups can build on the culture that underpins this success and they also benefit from an ecosystem of suppliers, talent, universities and research institutions.

The landscape of many established technology companies also creates opportunities for collaboration or exit. Last year, for example, the largest Swiss company in this sector, ABB, acquired robotics start-up Sevensense, a provider of AI-enabled 3D vision navigation technology for autonomous mobile robots.

The favourable conditions for robotics start-ups are also leading to great interest in younger start-ups. For example, Jeff Bezos, with Bezos Expeditions, was the lead investor in RIVR’s latest financing round. The company has trained its wheeled, quadrupedal robots to walk, drive, stand upright on two legs and handle packages, thus addressing the two challenges of mobility and manipulation.

In line with the sector’s growth, a new industry association, the Swiss Robotics Association, was founded in November 2024. The board includes renowned researchers, start-up founders and representatives of established companies. The association aims to support innovation, education and collaboration across the robotics ecosystem in Switzerland.

The activities include the creation of a map showing the players in the sector. Shortly after the start, the map already features a three-digit number of robotics companies and more than 50 research institutions.

The best opportunity to meet the entrepreneurs and researchers is the Swiss Robotics Day. The next edition is due to take place in November 2025.

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