We previously reported in December 2025 on the startup’s previous round of around 20 million euros, led by IQ Capital and Zacua Ventures, with participation from Pear VC, Sunna Ventures, Armada Investment, and Holcim. In this round, however, SoftBank is the sole investor! According to Bloomberg, one reason for this could be that SoftBank originally even considered a multi-stage acquisition of Gravis, bringing in fresh capital over a longer period of time. So, could this Series A be less of a classic financing round with multiple VCs/investors and more of a first building block toward a closer bond between the two companies or an acquisition? Whether that ultimately turns out to be good or bad for Gravis depends: A ticket of this size is obviously massive for a European startup, but it also makes them heavily dependent on a single investor.
What makes Gravis so interesting? It is asset-light in an asset-heavy industry. Instead of building completely new machinery, Gravis retrofits existing excavators. The core product is the “Gravis Rack,” a kit consisting of sensors, computing hardware, and software, complemented by the “Copilot,” which supports machine operators or takes over tasks fully autonomously. According to the company, the system already runs on machines from several major manufacturers, including Caterpillar, John Deere, and Volvo. Customers and partners include Holcim, Taylor Woodrow, and HD Hyundai, among others. In the UK, Gravis is also leading a government-funded CAM Pathfinder project worth 6.8 million euros alongside Flannery Plant Hire, in which six excavators are being retrofitted. According to its own figures, Gravis achieves productivity increases of up to 30 percent with it.
For SoftBank, the investment fits into its broader robotics strategy. The group bundles around 20 robotics holdings in the Robo HD holding company, is acquiring ABB’s industrial robotics division for around 4.6 billion euros, and is planning Roze, a new AI and robotics company to be listed on the US stock exchange.
From our last news with a 20M funding to the current funding and unicorn status (in USD) in eight months. Respect and congratulations to the entire team at Gravis Robotics! We wish them continued success and will stay tuned.
