Cartken Shifts Focus to Industrial Robots, Secures Major Deals with ZF Lifetec and Mitsubishi

Autonomous robotics startup Cartken, initially known for its four-wheeled robots that delivered food on college campuses and in Tokyo, has shifted its focus to industrial applications. Co-founder and CEO Christian Bersch explained to TechCrunch that the pivot was driven by a growing demand from companies looking to optimize their material and production flows. Cartken's journey began with a team of former Google engineers, including Christian Bersch, Jake Stelman, Jonas Witt, and Anjali Naik, who developed the Bookbot project. Their primary robot, the Cartken Courier, can carry up to 44 pounds and is designed to navigate varied terrains and weather conditions. This robust design made it a versatile candidate for industrial use cases when companies approached Cartken with interest. In 2023, Cartken secured its first significant industrial client, ZF Lifetec, a German manufacturing company. The Cartken Courier was repurposed to move production samples within ZF’s facilities, quickly becoming the company's busiest robot. This early success convinced Cartken to target the industrial market more aggressively. Bersch highlighted that the AI and machine learning algorithms developed for food delivery were easily adaptable to industrial environments. The robots' experience navigating the busy streets of Tokyo equipped them to handle obstacles and varying conditions, making them suitable for both indoor and outdoor industrial use. To better serve the industrial sector, Cartken introduced the Cartken Hauler, a larger version capable of carrying up to 660 pounds, and the Cartken Runner, designed for indoor deliveries. The company is also developing a robotic forklift. Cartken’s navigation stack, which can be customized for different robot sizes, ensures that the AI and training from the smaller Courier robots transfer seamlessly to these new models. Cartken continues to maintain its relationships in the consumer market, particularly with Uber Eats and GrubHub for delivery operations on U.S. college campuses and in Japan. However, the focus is now on scaling the industrial side of the business. Recently, Cartken deepened its four-year collaboration with Japanese automaker Mitsubishi, with Melco Mobility Solutions, a Mitsubishi subsidiary, committing to purchase nearly 100 Cartken Hauler robots for use in Japanese industrial facilities. Bersch noted strong interest from a variety of industrial sectors, including automotive, pharmaceutical, and chemical companies, where the robots can reduce human labor in moving materials between buildings. Despite the shift, Cartken will still utilize its consumer delivery routes to test and refine new capabilities, ensuring continuous innovation. Industry insiders see this pivot as a strategic move to capitalize on the increasing demand for automation in industrial settings. With the ability to adapt its existing technology and a growing list of high-profile clients, Cartken is positioning itself to become a leader in autonomous industrial robotics. The company's background in consumer robotics provides a solid foundation for this transition, allowing it to leverage its expertise in AI and navigation to solve complex problems in industrial environments. Cartken’s venture capital support, including over $20 million from investors such as 468 Capital, Incubate Fund, and Vela Partners, further underscores the potential of this new direction. The shift to industrial robotics not only opens new markets but also aligns with the broader trend of companies investing in advanced automation to boost efficiency and productivity.