
SoftBank Backs Swiss Startup Gravis Robotics in $200M Round, Lifting It to Unicorn Status
Gravis Robotics, spun out of ETH Zurich, has raised $200 million from SoftBank in what the company calls the largest Series A in construction robotics, reaching a $1 billion valuation.
AfroEuropa Newsroom
AfroEuropa desk
Swiss startup Gravis Robotics has raised $200 million (about €172 million) in a Series A funding round led solely by SoftBank, according to Tech.eu, Sifted and EU-Startups. The deal gives the company a post-money valuation of $1 billion (roughly €862 million), making it Europe's newest robotics unicorn.
Gravis, which was spun out of ETH Zurich, develops autonomous technology for heavy construction machinery. Its software converts existing excavators and other heavy equipment into machines that can operate without human drivers on construction sites. The company says the round is the largest Series A financing in construction robotics to date. It follows an earlier round of around $23 million (€19 million) reported in late 2025.
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