NEOintralogistics raises EUR €3m for warehouse robots

NEOintralogistics has raised €3 million in seed funding as it scales a robotics-as-a-service model for warehouse picking that uses a pay-per-pick pricing approach.

The German company said the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund and Cetus Holding co-led the round. It said it will use the funding for customer acquisition, product development, team expansion and international growth.

NEOintralogistics sells a modular robotic picking system for warehouse operations. It said the system integrates with existing warehouse shelving in six to eight weeks. The company said customers do not need to make an upfront investment.

The funding arrives as warehouse operators weigh automation against capital costs and deployment timeframes. NEOintralogistics said many warehouses still run manual processes.

Cost barrier

The company cited industry data that points to potential operational cost reductions from automation of up to 65%. It also cited figures that it said show 80% of global warehouses still operate manually, which it attributed to the upfront investment required for traditional automation.

NEOintralogistics said its service model shifts warehouse automation from capital expenditure to a performance-based approach. It said the pay-per-pick pricing aligns costs with throughput.

The company said its system reduces manual labour by up to 70%. It said the system works in both brownfield and greenfield sites.

Dr. Michael Drodofsky is Co-Founder of NEOintralogistics.

"We're removing the barriers that have historically made warehouse automation unattainable for most businesses," said Michael Drodofsky, Co-Founder, NEOintralogistics. "Our RaaS model eliminates the need for costly infrastructure or warehouse redesigns. Customers can integrate our system into their existing shelving and realize immediate efficiency gains."

Partners named

NEOintralogistics said it is working with several partners. It named Magazino, which is part of Jungheinrich, alongside parcel delivery firm GLS and storage and intralogistics supplier BITO.

The company did not disclose revenue figures or the number of customer sites running commercial deployments. It described the new funding as backing for scaling deployments and expanding engineering work.

The investment also puts a spotlight on the warehouse automation market segment that sits between manual operations and large-scale automated facilities. Many automation deployments require changes to racking layouts, conveyor systems, warehouse management software or building infrastructure. NEOintralogistics said its product fits into existing shelving and runs on a modular design.

Investor view

Tim Hos is an Associate at APEX Ventures.

"NEOintralogistics has cracked the code on scaling automation for the underserved majority. By converting a massive CapEx and integration barrier into a highly scalable, recurring RaaS model, they are not just entering a market; they are fundamentally redefining the unit economics in intralogistics," said Hos. "NEOintralogistics has the potential to be a category-defining venture with the potential for explosive market adoption and a clear path to becoming the dominant infrastructure layer for warehouse automation globally."

Expansion plans

NEOintralogistics said it has a ten-person team working across Düsseldorf, Berlin and Hamburg. It said it plans to grow headcount with a focus on engineering and operations.

The company said the funding will also support international growth. It said it plans expansion across Europe and beyond as it scales commercial deployments.