Defense startup Arx Robotics raises 31 million euros

Ukraine is one of the Munich-based startup's largest customers. Arx Robotics now plans to expand its production.

Arx Robotics

The Munich-based startup Arx Robotics secured €31 million in a Series A round led by renowned early-stage investor HV Capital. Omnes Capital, the NATO Innovation Fund, and Project A also participated in the round. Founded only in 2022, the company has quickly established itself as one of the leading providers of unmanned ground vehicles in Europe. The defense tech startup's robot platforms are deployed in six European armies, including Germany, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Ukraine, in particular, relies heavily on the Munich-based technology – Arx Robotics delivered the largest Western UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) fleet to the war zone to date.

Arx Robotics was founded by Marc Wietfeld, Maximilian Wied, and Stefan Roebel – all former Bundeswehr officers. The company's business model centers on AI-assisted unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) with payloads of up to 500 kilograms for both military and civilian deployment scenarios. These systems can perform high-risk tasks ranging from mine clearance to the evacuation of wounded soldiers from combat zones.

Arx Robotics also developed the Mithra OS operating system, which enables the retrofitting of existing vehicle fleets with AI-supported autonomy. ARX Robotics transforms conventional vehicles into intelligent, networked units that can act as "wingmen" in teams with manned vehicles or conduct independent reconnaissance missions. Beyond the military sector, the startup is targeting disaster relief applications— for example, in the event of floods or tsunamis —where autonomous systems can secure critical infrastructure and support relief efforts.

Initially, the search for financing proved to be a rocky road for ARX founder Marc Wietfeld. In an interview with Gründerszene in the summer of 2022, he reported on the significant reluctance of potential investors toward his defense tech startup. Many financial institutions avoided the defense and armaments sector entirely, the founder and CEO explained at the time. Even finding a bank where he could open an account for his company was not easy. Wietfeld therefore had to dig deep into his own pockets and invested tens of thousands of euros of his personal assets to get his robotics startup on track.

Things have been looking up for Arx Robotics, especially since the "turning point" ushered in by Chancellor Scholz, which brought about a rethinking of German politics and thus also of investors regarding defense tech and war investments in Europe . In mid-2023, the startup raised around one million euros from the renowned venture capital firm Planet A. One year later, in the summer of 2024 , the founders successfully closed a nine-million-euro round.

With the €31 million from the Series A round, ARX Robotics now plans to expand its production capacities and further strengthen its AI-assisted defense capabilities. The startup will also continue to invest in leading European AI talent and develop Mithra OS as the backbone of autonomous defense, the company said.