KEMARO Pre-Closes $5M Series B for U.S. Expansion

Jan de Vries · 2026-04-27

Swiss robotics company KEMARO just took a big step forward. They've secured $5 million in an early pre-closing of their Series B funding round. The goal? Speed up their international growth, especially in the United States, and build out their product lineup. This pre-closing was led by Spicehaus Partner AG. KEMARO is aiming for a total of $20 million for the full Series B round. They plan to deploy 10,000 robots across Europe and the U.S. in the next few years. ### Why the U.S. Matters Now "The U.S. is no longer an experiment; it is our next major revenue engine," the company said. KEMARO has a unique edge in the American market: their "Privacy by Design" approach. Their robots don't collect visual data or use 360-degree cameras. That directly tackles industrial espionage fears that plague competitors. ### The Bigger Robotics Funding Picture in 2026 KEMARO's funding isn't happening in a vacuum. 2026 has been a big year for robotics and industrial automation funding across Europe. Here's a quick look at some other notable rounds: - **Germany:** Sereact raised $110 million in Series B for physical AI in warehouses and manufacturing. Nature Robots secured $4.7 million for modular autonomy software in agriculture. - **Norway/U.S.:** Trener Robotics got $30.7 million to expand its AI robot skills platform for manufacturing. - **Poland:** Nomagic raised $9.8 million to scale warehouse robotics in the U.S. - **UK:** Dexory added $11.6 million to its Series C for autonomous warehouse-scanning tech. - **Hungary:** Allonic raised $7.1 million for a robotic body manufacturing platform. - **Italy:** Mirai Robotics raised $4.2 million for autonomous maritime systems. Together, these disclosed 2026 robotics and physical AI rounds total over $177 million. KEMARO's financing fits right into this trend of heavy investment in applied automation for warehouses, factories, logistics, and agriculture. ### KEMARO's Track Record and Tech Founded in 2016, KEMARO focuses on autonomous industrial floor cleaning. Their flagship robot, the K900, is built for tough environments like logistics centers and manufacturing plants. It handles high-debris areas better than traditional systems. They've already sold over 1,500 robots to more than 600 industrial clients worldwide. That includes big names like Unilever, Nestle, BMW, and Amazon. ### The U.S. Game Plan A key part of this Series B round is aggressive expansion into North America. Co-founder Thomas Oberholzer is moving to the U.S. to lead the go-to-market strategy personally. KEMARO has officially set up its U.S. subsidiary, KEMARO Inc., and opened its first U.S. office in Atlanta. That office will handle sales, customer success, and market development across the continent. ### What's Next: The K700 Launch KEMARO is also launching a new model: the K700. It's a compact design made for tighter industrial spaces and lower ceilings. This should open up new markets and use cases for their cleaning technology. With fresh funding, a clear U.S. strategy, and a new product on the way, KEMARO is positioning itself as a serious player in the industrial robotics space.