Theker Robotics is a Barcelona-based robotics company building adaptive industrial robots that combine 3D vision, real-time control, and large language models. Unlike traditional industrial robots that require explicit programming for each task, Theker's systems can be instructed in natural language and adapt on the fly to unstructured environments such as warehouses, fashion logistics, and small-batch manufacturing.
The company's stack integrates advanced perception, motion control, and LLM-based reasoning, enabling flexible behavior without long teach-pendant programming sessions. Theker operates a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model, allowing customers to deploy intelligent automation through a subscription rather than a large upfront capital purchase.
Theker was founded in 2023 by engineers Jiaqiang Ye Zhu and Carla Gómez Cano, with an explicit ambition to make Barcelona a global hub for robotics and AI. Inditex, the global fashion group behind Zara and Massimo Dutti, is both a strategic investor and an early customer, deploying Theker's robots to automate historically difficult factory operations in its apparel logistics network.
In July 2025 Theker closed an €18 million (~$21 million) seed round — reportedly the largest ever for a Spanish startup — led by Kibo Ventures with participation from Kfund's Leadwind fund, Inditex, JME, Itnig, Mission, and s16vc. Proceeds will be used to scale manufacturing, grow the team, and expand internationally.
Theker's differentiator is the integration of LLM-based instruction with industrial-grade vision and control, deployed via a service model that lowers the barrier to adoption — a particularly attractive combination for retail, logistics, and small-batch manufacturers that have historically been underserved by traditional fixed-cell automation.