Munich-based robotics company RobCo reached a valuation of more than $1 billion on October 5. The share transaction doubled its valuation in nine months and gave some employees a chance to sell part of their holdings.

CEO Roman Hölzl has also relocated to the United States, which RobCo describes as its fastest-growing market.

The deal pairs a higher valuation with two different kinds of transactions: new investment and employee share sales.

What the deal includes

Existing and new investors took part in the transaction, alongside sales of shares by employees, Reuters reported. RobCo did not disclose the full terms.

The milestone follows RobCo’s $100 million fundraising round in January. Reuters reported that the latest transaction expanded that financing by $40 million, mainly through new shares and some shares already issued.

A company’s valuation is not the same as the amount of money it raises. Some of this deal gave employees a chance to sell shares, while investors also supplied fresh capital.

RobCo named Sequoia, Lightspeed, Greenfield, Kindred, Lingotto and Promus Ventures among its existing investors. Cherry Ventures and European Tech Collective were among the new investors, the company said.

Why the US move matters

Hölzl’s relocation brings RobCo’s leadership closer to the market the company says is growing fastest. RobCo reports customer operations in more than a dozen US states, manufacturing and assembly in Austin, Texas, and a lab in San Francisco.

Founded in Munich in 2020, RobCo builds robots for industrial work. Its $100 million round in January was intended to support product development and expansion, including in the United States.

The next test is whether investment and a larger US presence lead to wider factory deployments. RobCo plans to launch its Alfie autonomous industrial robot commercially at a Munich event on March 4, 2027, according to the company.