R3 Robotics, a Luxembourg-based industrial robotics company formerly known as Circu Li-ion, has secured €20M in combined financing to scale automated disassembly of electric vehicle systems. The funding includes a €14M Series A round co-led by HG Ventures and Suma Capital, alongside €6M in European public grants.
The round also saw participation from Oetker Collection KG, the European Innovation Council Fund, and existing investors including BONVENTURE, FlixFounders, and EIT Urban Mobility. The capital supports the company’s transition from battery-focused operations to the automated dismantling of complete electrified vehicle systems.
Scaling automated dismantling as EV end-of-life volumes surge
As electric vehicles and energy storage systems scale globally, the volume of end-of-life batteries, e-drives, and power electronics is rising rapidly. Today, most disassembly processes remain manual, costly, and difficult to scale safely.
R3 Robotics is addressing this challenge by building an AI-powered robotic dismantling platform designed for continuous, industrial operation. The system targets repeatable, high-throughput processing of complex electrified components, reducing human exposure to high-voltage risks while enabling cost-effective recovery of critical materials.
European regulation is accelerating this shift. Frameworks such as the EU Battery Regulation, the Critical Raw Materials Act, and the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive are tightening recycling efficiency and material recovery requirements, reshaping the future of industrial recycling infrastructure.
Advertisement
Turning end-of-life systems into strategic resources
According to CEO and co-founder Antoine Welter, the key bottleneck in recycling is not downstream processing but the dismantling stage itself. Clean, safely separated feedstock is essential for efficient material recovery and component reuse.
R3 Robotics aims to position automated disassembly as a strategic upstream layer in Europe’s circular economy, transforming end-of-life electric vehicle systems into a reliable source of reusable components and critical raw materials.
AI-powered robotics for high-voltage systems
R3 Robotics’ platform combines computer vision, artificial intelligence, and specialised robotic tooling to automate the dismantling of lithium-ion battery packs, electric motors, power electronics, and related components.
The company is working with Fortum Battery Recycling to deploy its technology at industrial scale across Europe’s battery recycling value chain. In parallel, R3 Robotics collaborates directly with automotive OEMs, processing end-of-life systems through its own dismantling infrastructure to support secure material sourcing.
Expanding lighthouse operations and key markets
The financing supports the expansion of R3 Robotics’ lighthouse disassembly facility in Karlsruhe, Germany, which serves as an industrial reference site for automated dismantling. Germany and France are identified as priority markets due to their strong automotive ecosystems, electrification momentum, and concentration of recycling and remanufacturing partners.
The company also maintains operations in Luxembourg, supporting cross-border industrial deployments.
Growth roadmap and U.S. market entry
The new capital will be used to expand engineering, AI, software, and operations teams, increase facility capacity in Karlsruhe and Luxembourg, and accelerate deployments with industrial recyclers and automotive partners across Europe.
R3 Robotics is also preparing for entry into the U.S. market in 2026 through strategic partnerships and commercial pilots. To support this next phase, the company has added Peter Mohnen, former CEO of KUKA, to its advisory board.
About R3 Robotics
R3 Robotics is a Luxembourg-based industrial robotics company specialising in automated dismantling of electrified systems. Founded by Antoine Welter and Dr. Xavier Kohll, the company develops AI-powered robotic platforms that enable safe, efficient, and industrial-scale processing of end-of-life battery systems, electric drives, and power electronics. R3 Robotics operates a fully certified disassembly facility in Karlsruhe, Germany.
