As autonomous systems continue to multiply across air, land, sea, and even space, fragmented communication and control have kept large-scale robot collaboration frustratingly out of reach. Hive Robotics, a Munich-based startup, aims to change that.
Today, Hive Robotics closed a €2 million pre-seed funding round led by b2venture, with participation from renowned VCs and business angels including Firedrop, Pareto, Matthias Hilpert, and Klocke Group.
The company’s AI-driven control layer simplifies complex coordination, turning fleets of drones, rovers, and unmanned vessels into cohesive, real-time teams.
Driving a mission to democratise swarms
Founded by aviation veterans Sebastian Mores and Dr. Burak Yüksel, the company is on a mission to democratise swarming AI, making autonomous teaming accessible for a broad range of industries, from disaster response to infrastructure monitoring.
CEO Sebastian Mores brings years of leadership experience in the aviation startup sector. At the same time, CTO Dr. Burak Yüksel holds a Ph.D. in Control Engineering and has been instrumental in developing flight control systems, autonomy stacks, and GPS-denied navigation at Volocopter, a pioneer in urban air mobility. Yüksel’s academic and practical background in sensor fusion and aircraft systems architecture forms the backbone of Hive Robotics’ innovation.
Yüksel shared, ”After years in the aviation industry, I saw firsthand that fragmented control and communication were a major bottleneck .“Hive Robotics was founded to unify robot control, perception, and communication in one modular platform. Our solutions scale from lightweight drones of just a few kilograms to large unmanned systems, ground vehicles, or maritime platforms – all enabled through distributed sensor fusion, where a sensor on one robot can directly support another. Now imagine this capability at scale.”
Mores told TFN, “Innovation runs through my veins, and it’s the lifeblood of my colleagues too. We believe in solving frontier problems with a customer-centric approach and relentless focus on real-world impact.”
A multi-domain AI control layer
The proprietary C3 (Command, Control, Connect) architecture is what truly sets Hive apart. By integrating secure communication, sensor fusion, and onboard AI, the platform enables robots of all sizes to share data and operate collaboratively even in GPS-denied or challenging environments.
Mores explained to TFN, “In simplest words: we provide swarm intelligence to autonomous unmanned systems in air, ground and sea. In more detail, we develop industrial-grade HW and SW modules for secure communication, robotic perception and drone control, with an AI-powered SW layer distributed between the unmanned systems that works across the swarm for the purpose of decentralised swarm intelligence”
He then added, “Hive Robotics is driving this transition by providing reliable solutions that connect, command, and control unmanned systems across all domains, making teaming and swarming a reality. Beyond technology, we are preparing for large-scale production and partnering with OEMs to accelerate adoption, lowering barriers, especially for SMEs and new entrants. We’re proud to have the support of renowned investors as we pursue our mission to democratise robotic teaming worldwide.”
Speaking of competitors, the swarm robotics landscape comprises a diverse range of players focusing on specific domains or capabilities. Companies like Boston Dynamics, Hydromea, SwarmFarm, and K-Team Corporation deliver advanced solutions across aerial, underwater, and ground robotics, often tailored for defence, agriculture, or industrial monitoring.
However, Hive Robotics distinguishes itself by offering a holistic, multi-domain framework that unifies heterogeneous systems across air, land, sea, and space into one seamless and scalable ecosystem.
What’s next?
The recently secured €2 million will accelerate Hive Robotics’ roadmap, helping the startup build its engineering team and expand partnerships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Together, they plan to accelerate the adoption of Hive’s technology in real-world scenarios requiring robust multi-robot coordination.
Mores concluded, “We want Hive to be the backbone for robotics collaboration worldwide: empowering new entrants, lowering barriers, and tackling the world’s most urgent missions with AI-powered swarms.”
