Sitegeist receives € 4 million in pre-seed financing

The Munich-based startup Sitegeist has closed a pre-seed financing round of €4 million. The round was led by b2venture and OpenOcean and also includes business angels such as Verena Pausder, Lea-Sophie Cramer and Alexander Schwörer as well as other strategic investors from the construction and robotics industry. The capital will be used in particular to build up the team and accelerate the introduction of robotic systems on construction sites.

Robotics to solve bottlenecks in the repair of critical infrastructure

Europe is facing enormous challenges when it comes to renovating bridges, tunnels, parking garages and public buildings. According to KfW, the investment backlog in Germany alone amounts to several hundred billion euros. At the same time, there is a shortage of skilled workers, while central tasks such as concrete renovation have so far mainly been carried out manually and are hardly scalable.

The company is developing automated, AI-supported robot systems that are specially designed for concrete refurbishment. The aim is to significantly increase productivity and process reliability in a highly labor-intensive market.

Use directly on real construction sites

In contrast to traditional automation solutions, the systems do not require fully digitized buildings or standardized environments. With the help of sensors and artificial intelligence, the robots analyze their environment independently and adapt their working methods to complex geometries and different material conditions. This means they can be used directly on existing construction sites.

Among other things, the technology automates the precise removal of damaged concrete - a demanding process that previously required a great deal of experience, high physical exertion and constant monitoring to avoid damaging load-bearing structures.

Modular system with scaling potential

The robotic solution has a modular structure and is intended to gradually cover further renovation steps. Even at an early stage, Sitegeist works closely with specialized construction companies directly on construction sites. This should enable construction companies to work faster, reduce safety risks and plan projects more reliably.

Spin-off from TUM with a strong background in robotics research

Sitegeist is a spin-off from the Technical University of Munich and was created in the field of robotics research under the direction of Prof. Matthias Althoff. The company was founded by Dr. Lena-Marie Pätzmann, Claus Carste, Julian Hoffmann and Nicola Kolb.

The investors see great potential in the combination of robotics expertise and practical understanding of construction sites in particular. In view of ageing infrastructures and an increasing shortage of skilled workers, automated construction robotics could become a key component in the refurbishment of critical facilities.