Amazon-Backed Filics Raises $16M to Scale Autonomous Pallet-Moving Robots

Perhaps the team at Amazon saw a bit of its own history in Filics. The Munich-based startup offers shades of Kiva Systems, the warehouse automation firm whose 2012 acquisition kickstarted Amazon Robotics  After all, the Filic Unit could pass for a second cousin of the Kiva-based AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) that dominate the retail giant’s fulfillment centers across the globe.

The $1 billion Industrial Innovation Fund launched by Amazon in 2022 is a key contributor to Filics’ fresh €13.5 million ($15.8 million) raise. Other first time investors Sandwater, Alven, and F-LOG Ventures also participated in the round.

Unlike Amazon’s in-house AMRs, which are largely designed to work with proprietary shelving units, the Filic Unit is designed to transport standard pallets – a ubiquitous feature in warehouses, factories, and stock rooms around the world. Think of it as a low profile, omni-direction riff on forklifts – a standard, but notoriously dangerous warehouse tool.

“Our business continues to evolve at a rapid pace and we are constantly exploring innovative ways to use space, personnel, and energy more efficiently, which ultimately benefits our employees and customers,” says Amazon Industrial Fund head, Franziska Bossart. “We are excited about Filics’ innovative approach to advancing the logistics industry by exploring significant space savings with more flexible and scalable automation.”

Founded in 2019, Filics has already signed partnerships with DHL Group and German logistics firm, Nagel Group. Its Unit platform is set to launch by year’s end, with expansion into the company’s native Europe in 2026.

Amazon’s Industrial Fund has invested in a number of robotics and automation firms over the past three years, including Agility, 3Laws, Algorized, Stand Robotics, and Physical Intelligence.