Brussels-based robotics startup Motion has raised $2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Extantia Capital, with participation from Norrsken Evolve. The funding will help the company move its existing pilots into full production, expand its team, and grow its humanoid robot fleet across the Benelux.
- Founded in 2026 by Alexander Stevens, Motion is developing a Humanoids-as-a-Service platform designed to help European factories adopt humanoid robots without the upfront costs and complexity of purchasing and operating them independently.
- The company provides customers with humanoid robots through a single monthly fee covering robot selection, data collection, task training, IT integration, fleet management, financing, insurance, compliance, and maintenance. Motion is also OEM-agnostic, allowing it to select the most suitable robot for each industrial task rather than relying on a single manufacturer.
- Motion is already running five pilots with industrial, warehouse, and logistics companies in Belgium, where its robots are being trained to load goods into crates, pack containers, and place components on conveyor belts alongside human workers.
Details of the deal
- The new funding will take these pilots into full production while enabling Motion to expand its robot fleet and team. The startup aims to deploy hundreds of robots across Europe over the next 12 months, beginning with the Benelux region.
- Motion's raise comes as European manufacturers face growing labor shortages. According to a 2026 ManpowerGroup survey of 39,000 employers, 72% of manufacturers reported difficulties filling roles, increasing interest in automation and robotics.
"Rebuilding our labour force is essential for Europe. What convinced us to jump on board was Motion's holistic vision on how to keep Europe building with robotics at the core," explains Alex Bakir, General Partner at Norrsken Evolve.
