Insight

New DKK 18.4M fund for robotics start-ups established by the Danish robotics industry

Insight

New DKK 18.4M fund for robotics start-ups established by the Danish robotics industry

Robotics start-ups can struggle to get the funding needed to turn great ideas into successful tech businesses. That’s why leading investors and companies from Denmark’s robotics industry and prominent commercial foundations have joined forces to establish a fund that will provide robotics and drone start-ups with the support they need – for generations to come. 

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Improved access to capital, unique sector knowledge and a strong incubation environment. That’s what a new commercial fund, Odense Robotics Startup Fund, will offer generations of robotics and drone start-ups from Denmark and abroad.

The fund’s DKK 18.4M capital is made up of donations from some of Denmark’s most influential robotics investors and companies as well as prominent commercial foundations behind some of the country’s largest industrial companies. Several founders have played a key role in putting Denmark’s robotics industry on the world map. And for them, the new fund is about realising the industry’s potential. By donating capital from their successful careers to the new fund, the founders can help generations of robotics and drone start-ups. 

“We have donated to Odense Robotics StartUp Fund because we want to contribute towards the continued growth of the robotics environment in Odense and Denmark. It’s about giving robotics entrepreneurs better access to loan capital, professional support and good facilities. By joining forces with other strong players, we hope to make a difference for generations of robotic start-ups in the future. The robotics community here has given us so such, so we feel we want to give something back.”

Enrico Krog Iversen

CEO of OnRobot and former CEO of Universal Robots

Helping generations of start-ups

The fund’s capital of DKK 18.4M will be invested directly in at least 30 start-ups over the next six years. The investment takes place in the form of a loan, which start-ups repay over time. Start-ups make an additional payment if they are acquired. Payments generate returns, which the fund then uses to support new start-ups. This way, the fund is a long-term model creating a continual flow of start-ups for many years to come.

“The vision behind Odense Robotics StartUp Fund is to create Denmark’s future robot successes. The fund provides promising robotic startups with access to capital, unique specialist knowledge and an internationally acclaimed incubator at Danish Technological Institute. And because successful startups pay back to the fund, which in turn reinvests in new startups, the fund will help create generations of robot startups over the coming decades. It’s a completely new model that we’ve not seen before in Denmark.” 

Mikkel Christoffersen

CEO of Odense Robotics

The fund is open to applications from robotic and drone start-ups from Denmark and abroad. 

Aside from receiving a loan, start-ups are part of the world-class incubator at Danish Technological Institute in Odense offering office space and advanced technical equipment in an innovative environment focused on hardware development.

Start-ups also gain unique access to cutting-edge robotic know-how from a group of experts. Some of the Fund’s founders act as mentors for start-ups, offering trusted advice based on their deep sector knowledge and extensive industry experience. In addition, technical experts from the Danish Technological Institute advise start-ups on tech development, while coaches from Odense Robotics advise start-ups on business development.

Odense Robotics StartUp Fund will now start screening start-ups from Denmark and abroad. 

Donations from robotics leaders 

To name some of the business leaders, who have donated their own capital to the new fund, are Niels Jul Jacobsen, CEO of Capra Robotics and Founder of Mobile Industrial Robots, Ralf Astrup, investor and former CEO and Co-owner of Cabinplant, and Thomas Visti, CEO & Founder of Visti Unlimited and former CCO of Universal Robots and CEO of Mobile Industrial Robots.

To name some of the business leaders, who have donated their own capital to the new fund, are Niels Jul Jacobsen, CEO of Capra Robotics and Founder of Mobile Industrial Robots, Ralf Astrup, investor and former CEO and Co-owner of Cabinplant, and Thomas Visti, CEO & Founder of Visti Unlimited and former CCO of Universal Robots and CEO of Mobile Industrial Robots.

Universal Robots is also amongst the founders along with C.N.N. Holding and a series of prominent Danish commercial foundations: Bitten & Mads Clausen's Foundation, Den Faberske Fond, Entreprenør Marius Pedersens Fond and the Grundfos Foundation. The Novo Nordisk Foundation has also made a donation to Odense Robotics StartUp Fund.


“For us, it’s about giving back to the community we come from. We have a truly unique robotics cluster here in Odense with a world-class university, enormous support from the municipality and local ecosystem, and hundreds of robotic companies of various sizes spanning a huge range of expertise. But we’re not done yet with making Odense the world’s best robot city. There’s still lots of potential waiting to be realised. That’s why we are contributing to Odense Robotics StartUp Fund – so we can support future startups, not just financially but also through dialogue and mentoring.” 

Kim Povlsen 

President of Universal Robots

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