AILOS Robotics secures 3.5 million euros in seed financing

The Belgian robotics start-up AILOS Robotics has raised 3.5 million euros in a seed financing round to bring a new class of robot drives into industrial applications. The technology is intended to enable lighter, more energy-efficient and safer robots that are designed for direct use in human environments.

Financing round unites Belgian and German deep tech investors

The round is led by the Belgian fund QBIC and the German High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF). Wallonie Entreprendre and finance&invest.brussels are also participating, which means that both Flemish and Walloon investors are represented.

The financing underscores Europe's strategic interest in developing and producing key hardware components for robotic systems in its own region.

R2poweR gearbox to solve key hurdle of modern robotics

AILOS Robotics is a spin-off of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and its BruBotics research cluster. The technology is based on over ten years of research, supported by innovation funders such as VLAIO (Flanders) and Innoviris (Brussels).

The minimum viable product, the R2poweR gearbox, is designed to address key challenges of modern robotics. The architecture combines the reversibility of quasi-direct drives with the high torque density of advanced gearbox designs.

The most important features include

• High torque density for heavily loaded joints,
• particularly smooth interaction in human-robot collaboration,
• lower energy consumption and reduced weight,
• quiet operation and scalable and cost-efficient production.

AILOS is therefore aimed in particular at manufacturers of humanoid robots, collaborative robot systems (cobots), exoskeletons and assistive prostheses.

AILOS is looking for pilot partners

The company intends to use the new capital to make the transition from academic research to industrial production. To this end, AILOS is specifically looking for

• Robot manufacturers for initial pilot projects,
• industrial partners for joint production,
• Investors who want to support European hard-tech initiatives in the robotics sector.

According to the company, the technology is highly scalable, making it suitable for series production and industrial applications.

Europe is working on its own value chain for robotics hardware

The investors emphasize the strategic importance of the project.

AILOS addresses one of the biggest bottlenecks in humanoid and collaborative robotics. Europe needs strong hardware manufacturers - and this team brings IP, technology and a clear industrial vision.

Cédric Van Nevel, Partner at QBIC

HTGF also sees potential for a European technology champion. Investment Manager Anne Umbach emphasizes the rare combination of mechanical properties that could significantly improve production and development processes in the robotics market. With the growing development of humanoid robots, advanced cobots and exoskeletons, a market is emerging for which reliable, safe and energy-efficient drives are a key requirement.

AILOS Robotics aims to play a key role in this value chain with its patented gearbox approach. The company is already working on scalable supply chains and plans to further advance the industrialization of R2poweR technology in 2026.

With the successful conclusion of the seed round, AILOS Robotics is positioning itself as a promising European provider in the field of robotic drive technology. The combination of many years of research, a strong IP base and industrial scalability could make the start-up a relevant technology partner in the expanding market for humanoid and collaborative robotics.