Oetker family office invests in EV recycling robotics firm R3 Robotics

The Oetker family office participated in R3 Robotics‘ €14 million Series A funding round co-led by HG Ventures and Suma Capital, with additional participation from the European Innovation Council Fund and existing shareholders including BONVENTURE, FlixFounders, and EIT Urban Mobility. The investment is part of a combined €20 million financing package that includes €6 million in European grants to support the industrialization of automated electric vehicle disassembly technology at scale. R3 Robotics, formerly known as Circu Li-ion, has expanded its scope from battery disassembly to automated dismantling of complete electric vehicle systems including batteries, e-drives, power electronics, and other high-value electrified components. The company’s platform combines computer vision, artificial intelligence, and specialized robotic tooling to automate the disassembly process, minimizing human exposure to high-voltage hazards while delivering the cost structure and reliability required for industrial-scale operations. According to CEO and co-founder Antoine Welter, the critical bottleneck in the electric vehicle recycling value chain is not recycling technology itself but rather obtaining clean feedstock through safe and cost-effective dismantling of complex electrified systems at industrial scale. R3 Robotics is deploying its technology with Fortum Battery Recycling, a major integrated battery recycler operating across the European battery recycling value chain, and works directly with automotive original equipment manufacturers to process end-of-life battery systems and recover critical raw materials. The company recently added Peter Mohnen, former CEO of industrial robotics manufacturer KUKA, to its advisory board.

About Oetker Collection: An increasingly active single-family office from Bielefeld

The Oetker family office manages the diversified wealth of one of Germany’s most prominent business dynasties, built on the foundation of Dr. Oetker, the Bielefeld-based food company established in 1891 that became internationally known for baking powder, frozen pizza, and dessert products. The family’s business empire extends well beyond food manufacturing to include Oetker Collection, a portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts across Europe, the Americas, and Asia; banking interests through Bankhaus Lampe; and investments in shipping, chemicals, and other industrial sectors. The family office operates under a complex ownership structure divided among multiple branches of the Oetker family, with the eighth generation now involved in management and investment decisions. The family’s investment strategy emphasizes long-term value creation across sectors, including consumer goods, hospitality, financial services, and increasingly, technology and sustainability-focused ventures. Recent disclosed investments include Cancilico, a German medical technology company developing cancer liquid biopsy diagnostics, where the Oetker family office co-invested alongside the Ehninger family office in a €2.5 million seed round (as reported by familyofficehub.i0).

Picture Source: Getty Images, Unsplash+ (09.02.2026)
Article Source: Tech.eu (10.02.2026)