Phinxt Robotics secures £2M funding to scale robotics automation with innovative edge AI platform

PHINXT Robotics, an AI-powered robotics software company, has secured £2m in an oversubscribed funding round to develop an innovative AI platform that simplifies and scales robotic automation in warehouses.

The tour was led by Shore Valley Projects With the participation of Ada Ventures, From the heart and Atlas Ventures.

Founded in 2022, PHINXT Robotics is transforming the warehouse automation landscape with a cloud-based platform that dramatically reduces the cost and complexity of robot deployments. Traditionally, high set-up costs – often in excess of £500,000 – have been a barrier to automation, leaving over 90% of warehouses entirely manual. PHINXT is addressing this issue with decentralised AI technology, which simplifies robot orchestration at the edge, making automation accessible to more businesses.

The platform is robot-agnostic, allowing companies to select and deploy the specific types of robots they need, resulting in significant operational improvements. Companies using PHINXT technology have reported doubling profit margins and increasing productivity by up to 400%.

PHINXT has already gained significant market momentum, having secured contracts following a successful pilot with a major UK grocery retailer. The new funds will be used to expand the company’s engineering and sales teams and support its expansion into continental Europe, where it sees significant growth opportunities. The global mobile robotics market is expected to reach $16 billion by 2027, with an estimated 2.4 million mobile robots in operation.

Looking ahead, PHINXT aims to expand its technology beyond warehouse automation to include delivery drones and autonomous vehicles. The company’s core decentralized edge computing technology, which enables machines to coordinate within a distributed network, positions it to innovate in these frontier technologies.

PHINXT CEO and co-founder Yanwen Chen is a robotics expert with dual PhDs in computer science and simultaneous communications. Her groundbreaking algorithm enables robots to self-organize even when disconnected from centralized networks, ensuring safety and efficiency in autonomous operations. Chen co-founded the company with Dr. Quirino Zagaresi, an expert in distributed systems, to build a scalable architecture and product.

Commenting on the funding round, Yanwen Chen said: “At PHINXT, our mission is to revolutionize the logistics industry with our cloud-based platform that seamlessly integrates any type of robot, enabling them to collaborate and coordinate in a shared space without the need for a central server. This investment will enable us to expand our team and enter new markets, leading to further growth and innovation.”

Brian Keenan, Co-Founder of Sure Valley Ventures, praised PHINXT’s approach, saying: “PHINXT’s unique edge computing technology helps warehouses dramatically increase performance and profitability, providing a highly flexible and cost-effective robotic solution that will enable much broader adoption. With its advanced proprietary technology, PHINXT is very well positioned to disrupt this market globally.”

Chick Warner, Partner at Ada Ventures and Co-Founder of Diversity VC, emphasized the strength of PHINXT’s leadership: “Yanwen Chen is without a doubt one of the strongest technical founders we’ve met. We are thrilled to invest in such a visionary founder who is shaping the future of edge computing, robotics, and autonomous systems.”

This £2m round follows a previous £600k round from investors including Fuel Ventures, Amar Shah and Atlas Ventures, marking another milestone in PHINXT’s journey to redefine robotics automation on a global scale.