In 2025, ExRobotics, the Delft-based robotics innovator, made headlines as it secured €7 million in funding to expand its explosion-proof inspection robots. This significant investment, led by venture firm FORWARD.one, will enable ExRobotics to upscale its operations and meet rising global demand for autonomous solutions in hazardous industrial environments. As an entrepreneur with a multidisciplinary background, I, Violetta Bonenkamp, find this milestone fascinating, not just as a case study of scaling deeptech solutions, but as an example of how robotics are redefining safety in traditionally dangerous industries.
The Rise of Autonomous Inspection Robots in High-Risk Industries
Robotics, particularly autonomous solutions, have gained significant traction in industries that involve operations in hazardous environments, such as energy plants and petrochemical facilities. Explosion-proof robots are at the forefront of this transformation, offering three major advantages:
- Enhanced Safety: These robots reduce human exposure to risks by autonomously navigating and inspecting zones, significantly mitigating dangers in explosive or high-pressure environments.
- Operational Efficiency: By working 24/7, these robots lower operational shutdowns, optimize inspection timelines, and provide real-time incident reporting.
- Environmental Sustainability: Autonomous robots help monitor and prevent fugitive emissions, aiding compliance with energy transition goals.
ExRobotics capitalized on this market demand, designing solutions certified for IECEx Zone 1, which makes them reliable for industrial environments around the globe.
How Is ExRobotics Scaling Its Business Model?
Securing €7 million in funding is not just about expanding production capacity, it’s about optimizing every aspect of the business. According to Mark Mildon, CEO of ExRobotics, the company is scaling fast alongside its customers. To ensure groundbreaking innovation, the new funding will target:
- Scaling Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) Fleets: ExRobotics plans to offer a subscription-based model, where companies can deploy robots without significant upfront costs. This model has proven essential for businesses wary of heavy CAPEX investment in robotics.
- Software Development: Autonomous inspection robots must continuously evolve through data analytics, AI integration, and operational feedback loops. The investment will fuel advancements that make these robots smarter with each inspection cycle.
- Expanding Manufacturing Capacity: A larger production base will allow ExRobotics to tackle worldwide demand, solidifying its footprint in global hazardous industrial zones.
- Going International: While based in Delft, there’s ample demand in regions with high energy infrastructure density, like the U.S., Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
These strategic moves highlight the growing trend of robotics companies leveraging equity funding to scale solutions internationally without sacrificing technological leadership.
Lessons from this Milestone: What Entrepreneurs Can Learn
As a serial entrepreneur involved in deeptech myself, I see several lessons in ExRobotics’ growth trajectory:
1. Invest in a Scalable Go-To-Market Strategy:
Implementing a subscription-based RaaS model is a smart move. It lowers customer adoption barriers and secures recurring revenue streams that investors love.
2. Focus on Niche Innovation:
The certification for IECEx Zone 1 demonstrates the power of specialization. Trying to be a jack-of-all-trades in robotics can backfire; targeting specific industry pain points creates trust and demand.
3. Take Your Team Along:
Scaling a startup is not just about securing funding or building products but aligning your team to the long-term vision. Regularly updating stakeholders and fostering collaborations proves crucial.
Mistakes to Avoid When Scaling a Robotics Startup
From my experience building tech-driven companies, these are the pitfalls to sidestep:
- Ignoring Regulation: In hazardous industries, certification and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. Without them, startups can't penetrate the market.
- Overestimating Market Need: Be cautious about scaling too fast without assessing market traction and customer feedback.
- Skipping Localization Efforts: For international expansion, local partnerships and cultural nuances must be integrated into product offerings.
- Underestimating Financial Management: Rapid scale-ups can strain cash flow. Set aside enough reserves for operational emergencies.
How to Approach Scaling Your Deeptech Startup: A Guide
If you’re considering scaling your deeptech startup, take these steps:
- Validate Your Target Market: Use detailed customer feedback to confirm demand. For high-risk industries, consider attending international exhibitions, conferences, and policy forums to network with stakeholders.
- Choose a Business Model that Secures Recurring Revenue: RaaS, like ExRobotics, is a prime example of reducing financial hurdles while retaining product accessibility.
- Secure Venture Backing Strategically: Beyond funding, choose a lead investor who offers industry expertise. FORWARD.one bringing scale-up experience is a good fit here.
- Expand Your Innovation Pipeline: Set aside funding for both incremental upgrades and disruptive tech developments.
- Focus on Globalization: Make use of regional grants and market-entry accelerators such as Brighlands Smart Services Campus.
Deep Insights: The Future of Safety Robotics
As AI-driven autonomous solutions become mainstream across industries, I predict several changes in the next decade:
- Autonomous Decision-Making: Explosion-proof robots will shift from real-time monitoring to taking corrective action autonomously (e.g., shutting valves or isolating hazards).
- Integration with IoT and Energy Efficiency: Expect more robots to sync with large-scale IoT setups for predictive analytics in emission control.
- Cost Reduction in Hardware: As manufacturing scales, entry costs for explosion-proof robots will decline, broadening their applicability beyond petrochemicals and energy plants.
Closing: A Spotlight on Opportunity
ExRobotics’ success is a stellar example of the compound benefits deeptech can offer: safety, efficiency, and sustainability. For entrepreneurs, this milestone is not just inspiring, it’s a call to action to explore the untapped avenues in industrial digitalization safely. Whether through venture funding, grants, or accelerators, scaling deeptech solutions is about identifying niches and excelling in them.
With Europe’s strong focus on robotics innovation, I encourage fellow founders to connect with initiatives like TU Delft’s Robotics Institute and learn how to scale responsibly in high-risk industries, just like ExRobotics.
By adopting a multidisciplinary approach, such as blending robotics with AI or IoT, startups can create robust business strategies and carve out sustainable revenue streams in today’s high-demand markets. For anyone looking to embrace innovation at scale, this is the perfect time to take the plunge.
FAQ
1. What is ExRobotics and what do they specialize in?
ExRobotics is a Delft-based company that specializes in explosion-proof autonomous inspection robots designed for hazardous environments, primarily targeting the energy and petrochemical industries. Learn more about ExRobotics
2. How much funding did ExRobotics raise recently?
ExRobotics recently secured €7 million in funding to expand its operations and product offerings. Read about ExRobotics' funding
3. Who led the latest funding round for ExRobotics?
The funding was led by FORWARD.one, a venture capital firm focusing on technology scale-ups. Find out more about FORWARD.one's role
4. What is the Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) business model adopted by ExRobotics?
ExRobotics utilizes a subscription-based Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) model to provide cost-effective and scalable robotics solutions without significant upfront investment. Explore ExRobotics’ RaaS model
5. What industries benefit the most from ExRobotics' technology?
Industries like energy and petrochemical benefit most from ExRobotics’ explosion-proof robots, as they help increase safety and efficiency in high-risk environments.
6. How does ExRobotics plan to use its new funding?
The company intends to scale manufacturing, improve software capabilities, expand its Robot-as-a-Service fleets, and enter international markets. Learn about ExRobotics' growth plans
7. What certifications make ExRobotics’ robots unique?
The robots are certified for IECEx Zone 1 compliance, ensuring they can safely operate in explosive industrial zones worldwide.
8. Which regions will ExRobotics target for international expansion?
ExRobotics plans to focus on regions with high energy infrastructure density, such as the U.S., the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. Read about their expansion plans
9. What role does sustainability play in ExRobotics' operations?
ExRobotics' robots support environmental sustainability by monitoring and preventing fugitive emissions, aligning with global energy transition goals. Learn about ExRobotics’ sustainability focus
10. Why is the explosion-proof robotics market growing?
This market is expanding due to increased demand for safer industrial environments, cost-efficient operations, and compliance with strict regulatory standards in hazardous industries.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.