HTGF Robotics Day: From research to real-world applications
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Physical AI, greater computing power and structural labour shortages are opening up new opportunities for robotics. At HTGF Robotics Day 2026, researchers, industry users, founders and investors explored what it takes to turn this potential into practical applications and scalable businesses.
On 13 October 2026, High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) jointly hosted Robotics Day at DLR’s Oberpfaffenhofen site. The fully booked event took place at the DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics.
HTGF Managing Director Romy Schnelle and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alin Albu-Schäffer, Director of the DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, jointly opened the event. Schnelle asked how robotics could contribute to a ‘New Wirtschaftswunder’. Machines that learn and adapt can ease workloads, increase productivity and enable new applications. Turning these capabilities into economic progress takes founders and partners who bring technology from the lab into practical use.
The programme covered Physical AI and foundation models, industrial automation, humanoid systems and safe human–robot interaction.
Investment opportunities across the value chain
Dr Gernot Berger, Principal at HTGF, presented an analysis of HTGF’s deal flow showing a strong increase in startups working on Physical AI and foundation models, albeit from a small base. By contrast, comparatively few startups focus on safety, certification and integration, even though these areas are essential to bringing robots into routine operation.
A joint session by SE Ventures, HTGF and DTCF centred on how Physical AI can get past the pilot stage. Their investment theses: opportunities lie with teams that learn from every deployment and sell outcomes rather than integration projects, and with providers of the infrastructure that makes deploying robots easier for everyone.
From a successful pilot to reliable operation
In a pilot, it is often enough for a system to work most of the time, with experts supporting every run. In everyday operation, it must run reliably, fit into existing processes with little effort and pay off for the customer – at every site. For startups, that means building a business model that scales without every customer project becoming a one-off.
Robotics beyond the factory floor
After the programme, a tour of DLR’s robotics labs gave interested participants a first-hand look at applications beyond manufacturing. Among the examples was a robot-assisted approach to treating kidney stones, illustrating the opportunities in healthcare.
The day brought together people who research, develop, deploy and finance robotics—connecting technological capabilities with industrial needs and capital.
More impressions from HTGF Robotics Day 2026
“Between Lab and Factory Floor: Where Are the Opportunities in Robotics?”
Dr Gernot Berger (HTGF) and Rüdiger Süß (DLR Startup Factory) discuss Physical AI, spin-offs and investment potential.
Photos: HTGF/A. Beier
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