R3 Robotics, previously known as Circu Li‑ion, has secured a combined €20 million to accelerate the industrial rollout of automated disassembly technology for electric vehicle systems.
The Luxembourg-based robotics firm closed a €14 million Series A round—co-led by HG Ventures and Suma Capital—alongside €6 million in European public grants.
The rebrand to R3 Robotics signals a broader remit. Rather than focusing solely on battery packs, the company is now targeting full electric vehicle systems, including e‑drives, power electronics and other high‑value assemblies. Its long-term aim is fully automated dismantling across entire EV platforms, reflecting its core principles: Repair, Reuse, Recycle.
With end‑of‑life volumes rising sharply as electrification accelerates, manual dismantling remains costly, hazardous and difficult to scale. R3 Robotics’ platform uses AI, computer vision and specialised robotic tooling to deliver consistent, high‑throughput disassembly while reducing human exposure to high‑voltage risks.
European regulation is adding further momentum. Measures such as the Critical Raw Materials Act, the EU Battery Regulation and the End‑of‑Life Vehicles Directive are reshaping recycling infrastructure and tightening recovery targets. As CEO and co‑founder Antoine Welter notes, “The bottleneck isn’t recycling technology; it’s clean feedstock, meaning getting complex electrified systems safely and cost-effectively dismantled at an industrial scale.”
The company is already collaborating with Fortum Battery Recycling and several automotive OEMs, processing end‑of‑life systems to recover critical materials. Its Karlsruhe lighthouse facility is expanding to demonstrate industrial‑scale performance, with Germany and France identified as priority markets. Former KUKA CEO Peter Mohnen has also joined the advisory board, stating, “R3’s approach demonstrates the depth of automation expertise required to make this work at scale.”
Image credit: R3 Robotics
