KEWAZO Raises $35 Million for Heavy-Industry Robotics Expansion
KEWAZO, a robotics and AI company based in Munich and Houston, has closed a funding round that brings total capital raised to $35 million. Schooner Capital led the round, with participation from Chevron Technology Ventures, Asahi Kasei, Benson Capital, Mana Ventures, Gaingels, Atlas Ventures, and existing backers True Ventures and Cybernetix Ventures.
The company's primary product, LIFTBOT, is a lifting robot designed to replace cranes and manual material handling in industrial settings. It operates across refineries, petrochemical plants, chemical facilities, and power plants-with more than 20 deployments already running in North America and Europe.
What LIFTBOT Does for Operations Teams
For operations professionals, LIFTBOT addresses three measurable problems: safety during material movement, efficiency in handling heavy loads, and predictability in maintenance windows and turnaround schedules. These deployments generate structured operational data that KEWAZO uses to build what it calls a Physical AI platform-essentially a system that learns from real industrial workflows to improve future automation.
The funding will support expanded deployment capacity and extend the robotics solutions into additional workflows beyond vertical material movement. The company plans to deepen integration with existing customer sites, suggesting operations teams will see the technology handle more tasks over time.
Why Industrial Operators Are Backing This
Chevron Technology Ventures sees the technology as directly applicable to core business operations. Asahi Kasei, a materials company, emphasized that LIFTBOT addresses safety, shortens maintenance windows, and frees the workforce to focus on higher-value work-a practical framing that differs from abstract automation rhetoric.
Benson Capital's statement highlighted the Gulf Coast energy infrastructure specifically, noting that practical, proven robotics in refineries and petrochemical facilities represent real impact rather than future promises.
For operations managers evaluating automation investments, KEWAZO's approach differs from typical robotics vendors: the company deploys in existing facilities rather than requiring new infrastructure, and it builds its product roadmap based on data collected from live industrial operations.
Learn more about AI for Operations and how automation technologies integrate into operational workflows, or explore the AI Learning Path for Operations Managers to understand the broader context of AI-driven process optimization.
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