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SUCCESS STORY:­ SEWTS

key facts

  • Industry: Robotics
  • Founding team: Alexander Bley, Tim Doerks and Till Rickert
  • Year founded: 2019
key facts
  • Industry: Robotics
  • Founding team: Alexander Bley, Tim Doerks and Till Rickert
  • Year founded: 2019

In a nutshell
THE IDEA

What if robots in industrial laundries could take over tasks that were previously carried out by humans with considerable cognitive effort? This is precisely the question that the former gate startup sewts is addressing by developing a robotic solution for processing easily deformable materials such as textiles. With its first product VELUM, which was successfully launched on the market at the end of 2022, sewts is closing an automation gap in industrial laundries.

The sewts success story: from TUM to textile robotics

In 2023, sewts reached another milestone: a Series A financing round of 7 million euros – led by Emerald Technology Ventures – secured capital for further growth. Investors also include CNB Capital, EquityPitcher Ventures and Nabtesco Technology Ventures, while existing shareholders such as Bayern Kapital and HTGF increased their stakes. With this support, sewts aims to tap into new industries and shape the future of automation in a sustainable way.

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The story of sewts actually began back in 2012 when the three students Alexander, Till, and Tim met at the Technical University of Munich. The neighboring XPLORE program supported them from their initial idea all the way to founding their startup. When they moved to the gate Garching in 2020, we were able to support the young company in its growth journey until the end of 2023. “I still vividly remember how we worked day and night on our first robotics prototype, showcased it at startup fairs and exhibitions, and ultimately secured our first funding,” recalls Till Rickert, CPO of sewts.

In the end, the success story of sewts demonstrates what a strong team with the right support at the Garching research campus can achieve. This led sewts to evolve from an innovative idea into a growing company.

THE FOUNDER STORY
HOW IT ALL STARTED

The story of sewts actually began back in 2012 when the three students Alexander, Till, and Tim met at the Technical University of Munich. The neighboring XPLORE program supported them from their initial idea all the way to founding their startup. When they moved to the gate Garching in 2020, we were able to support the young company in its growth journey until the end of 2023. “I still vividly remember how we worked day and night on our first robotics prototype, showcased it at startup fairs and exhibitions, and ultimately secured our first funding,” recalls Till Rickert, CPO of sewts.

In the end, the success story of sewts demonstrates what a strong team with the right support at the Garching research campus can achieve. This led sewts to evolve from an innovative idea into a growing company.

A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE
THE MISSION

In the future, the team plans to focus on the international distribution of sewts VELUM systems while also tapping into new markets, such as the automated processing of returns in e-commerce. However, Alexander, Tim, and Till have big ambitions. In the long term, they aim to expand into other manufacturing industries, such as handling films and foams, laying cable harnesses, or processing food products. It will be exciting to see how sewts provides innovative solutions to critical challenges across various industries, setting new standards for the automation of tomorrow.
“When I think back to how it all started four to five years ago, I’m still amazed at how far we’ve come. We started out as three young students with just a vision and a pitch deck.” – Till Rickert, CPO sewts

SEWTS AND THE GATE
A PERFECT MATCH

“Through the gate, we have access to personalized founder coaching and events that provide a great overview of topics like funding, IP, or hiring. The environment and proximity to other startups offer excellent opportunities for networking with fellow founders. The option to flexibly expand office space is very helpful because, in the beginning, you can never be sure how quickly you’ll grow.”

Tim Doerks, CTO of sewts

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