Cognibotics Secures €6.5 Million EIC Accelerator Award

Cognibotics, a Swedish deep-tech robotics company developing next-generation industrial automation systems, has been awarded €6.5 million in blended funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator under the Horizon Europe programme. The highly competitive funding package includes a €2.5 million grant and €4 million in equity financing to accelerate the industrialisation and commercialisation of Cognibotics’ breakthrough Hybrid Kinematic Manipulator platform.

The awarded project will support the development of HKM1800, a new class of industrial robot designed to solve one of the biggest bottlenecks in European logistics and manufacturing: the inability to automate high-speed picking at scale.Today, warehouse automation still faces a fundamental trade-off. Delta robots are fast but limited to small workspaces, while 6-axis robots offer reach but lack the speed required for high-throughput picking.

Cognibotics’ patented HKM architecture combines delta-class speed with long reach, enabling more than 2,000 picks per hour across a 10 m² workspace, while reducing energy consumption and integration complexity.With EIC support, Cognibotics will bring the HKM1800 from validated industrial prototype to a market-ready product, including performance optimisation, safety certification, integrator-ready deployment tools, and validation through industrial pilots.

This funding comes at a critical moment for Europe. Labour shortages, e-commerce growth, reshoring, and the need for more resilient supply chains are increasing demand for scalable automation. Cognibotics’ platform strengthens Europe’s position in advanced robotics and supports the development of a more competitive, energy-efficient, and sovereign industrial automation ecosystem.

Fredrik Malmgren, CEO of Cognibotics:“The EIC Accelerator gives us the opportunity to take a major step from proven technology to broad industrial deployment. For Cognibotics, this is about more than building a faster robot — it is about enabling a new generation of scalable automation for logistics and manufacturing. The support from EIC helps us move faster, validate the platform with leading industrial partners, and strengthen Europe’s position in advanced robotics.”

Tomasz Wąsik, MBA, CEO of GAEU Consulting Horizon Europe Centre of Excellence:“Cognibotics is a strong example of European deep tech at its best: ambitious engineering, clear industrial relevance, and a credible path from advanced research to market impact. We are very pleased to have supported the team in securing EIC Accelerator funding and look forward to seeing HKM1800 move from industrial validation to commercial scale.”Cognibotics now joins a selected group of European deep-tech champions backed by the EIC.