Sereact scales AI-powered robotics deployment with Arvato across three sites in Europe and U.S. Six single-arm robots to automate AutoStore picking across Arvato fulfillment operations in Memphis, Dortmund and Gütersloh. By Robotics 24/7 Staff July 22, 2026 Sereact announced the expansion of its deployment with Arvato, scaling its AI-powered robotics across three sites in Europe and the U.S. Stay up-to-date with news and resources you need to do your job. Research industry trends, compare companies and get weekly market intelligence with Robotics 24/7. Stuttgart-based AI-powered robotics for warehouse automation company Sereact announced the expansion of its partnership with Arvato, a global supply chain and e-commerce service provider. As part of the agreement, Sereact's intelligent single-arm robotic systems are being deployed across three Arvato sites within the next few months: one robot in Memphis (U.S.), four robots in Dortmund (Germany), and one robot in Gütersloh (Germany), bringing the total rollout to six units. Sereact robots pick items from AutoStore bins at Arvato sites. Across the three sites, Sereact said that the robots address two distinct use cases: at two locations, they pick items directly from AutoStore bins and place them precisely into cartons or totes, combining the storage density of goods-to-person automation with the flexibility of AI-driven manipulation; at the third site, the robots pick from and place onto conveyor lines, bringing the same adaptive handling to a high-throughput conveyor environment. Powered by Sereact's Cortex 2.5, the company said that its systems handle a wide range of items with human-like dexterity, adapting in real time to changing products, packaging and order profiles without the need for pre-programming or fixed item catalogs. "Deploying across three sites on two continents demonstrates the maturity and flexibility of our technology," said Ralf Gulde, co-founder and CEO of Sereact. "Automating the pick from AutoStore into cartons and containers is exactly where AI-driven manipulation delivers measurable value - and Arvato's confidence in scaling from initial pilots to live operations reflects the real-world performance our systems provide in demanding fulfillment environments." By concentrating four robots in Dortmund, Sereact said that Arvato establishes the site as an anchor location for high-throughput automated picking, while the deployments in Gütersloh and Memphis extend the technology across additional European and North American operations. The multi-site approach underscores both companies' commitment to building a scalable, resilient and globally consistent automation standard. "Integrating Sereact's AI-powered robots directly at our AutoStore ports and conveyor lines allows us to automate picking with a level of flexibility that conventional systems simply can't match," said Markus Billmann, senior expert process automation at Arvato. "The technology adapts to our changing product mix in real time, and scaling it across multiple sites gives us a consistent automation standard across our network." Additionally, Sereact said that the expanded deployment with Arvato reinforces its position at the forefront of next-generation warehouse automation, and supports Arvato's strategy to enhance operational efficiency, flexibility and capacity across its global fulfillment footprint. Latest in picking. Latest in artificial intelligence. Latest robotics news.

Zalando invests in robotics startup Sereact - financing round grows to 116 million US dollars. Over 200 robot systems and more than one billion production picks demonstrate the practical use of the AI platform Cortex. News by Marc Nemitz · Stuttgart, July 20, 2026 Stuttgart-based robotics and AI company Sereact has gained Zalando as a strategic investor. Through the entry of the Berlin e-commerce group, the ongoing Series B financing round grows to a total of 116 million US dollars. The capital is intended to flow particularly into the further development of the AI platform Cortex 2.0 and international expansion. The financing round was originally led by Headline in April 2026. Other investors are Bullhound Capital, Daphni, Felix Capital, as well as existing investors Air Street Capital, Creandum, and Point Nine. With Zalando's participation, Sereact has raised a total of more than 145 million US dollars since its founding. Sereact develops so-called physical artificial intelligence for warehouses and production environments. The core is the Cortex platform, a universal AI operating system that can control robots of various types - from classic picking robots to dual-arm systems to humanoid robots. According to the company, more than 200 Sereact systems are already in use across Europe. Over one billion real picking operations have been successfully performed on the platform so far. With Cortex 2.0, the technology is set to take the next development step. Instead of merely letting robots react to situations, the new AI plans movements in advance, assesses risks, and simulates possible results before an action is executed. This so-called "plan-and-try" approach is intended to significantly increase efficiency and reliability in automation. Strategic partner from e-commerce. For Zalando, the participation is more than a classic financial investment. The fashion retailer sees in Sereact's technology an important building block for the future of automated fulfillment processes. The additional capital is intended to help further expand the Cortex platform and open up new international markets. At the same time, the entry of one of the largest European e-commerce companies underscores the growing importance of intelligent robotics for logistics and warehousing. Robotics as a key technology in logistics. Sereact was founded in 2021 in Stuttgart and today ranks among the leading European providers of AI-based warehouse robotics. Customers include Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Daimler Truck, Austrian Post, Rohlik Group, and other international logistics and industrial companies. With the expanded financing and strategic investment from Zalando, the company aims to further strengthen its position in the market for physical AI and advance the next generation of autonomous warehouse automation.