Exotec Company Profile: History, Funding, Skypod System and Offices
Updated: 7 days ago
Exotec is a French company whose Skypod robots move across the warehouse floor and climb storage racks to bring containers to workers. Founded in 2015, it was valued at USD 2 billion in January 2022, which made it France's first industrial unicorn of its kind. This profile sets out its history, funding, products and offices.
Exotec at a Glance
Fact | Detail |
Company | Exotec |
Founded | 2015 |
Founders | Romain Moulin and Renaud Heitz |
Headquarters | Wasquehal, near Lille, France |
Employees | More than 400 |
Main product | Skypod system |
Valuation | USD 2 billion, January 2022 |
Offices | France, United States, Germany, Japan and South Korea |
Stock listing | None; privately held |
Company History
Romain Moulin and Renaud Heitz founded Exotec in 2015. The French online retailer Cdiscount placed the first order in 2016, and the first Skypod robots began working at its warehouse in Cestas in 2017. Robot assembly was set up in Croix in 2018, and the company opened offices in Atlanta and Tokyo in 2020. In early 2026 it opened a new global headquarters, called the Imaginarium, of about 25,000 square meters in Wasquehal.
Key milestones
2015: Founded.
2016: First order, from Cdiscount.
2017: First Skypod robots in operation.
2018: Assembly in Croix; EUR 15 million raised.
2020: Offices in Atlanta and Tokyo; USD 90 million raised.
2022: USD 335 million raised at a USD 2 billion valuation.
2026: New headquarters opens in Wasquehal.
Funding
Date | Amount | Lead investors |
December 2016 | EUR 3.3 million | 360 Capital Partners and Breega |
June 2018 | EUR 15 million | Iris Capital |
September 2020 | USD 90 million | 83North |
January 2022 | USD 335 million | Goldman Sachs Asset Management |
Products
Product | Description |
Skypod | Mobile robots that carry individual containers across the floor and up the racks, navigating by laser and recharging automatically; capacity grows by adding robots and racks |
Skypicker | Robotic arm that transfers individual items between containers |
Software | Coordinates the robots and order preparation |
Because the robots climb, the racks can be tall and dense, and the same robots serve storage and transport.
Can You Invest in Exotec?
Not on a public market. Exotec is privately held.
Strengths and Challenges
Strengths
A distinctive climbing-robot design that is easy to expand.
Strong funding and a presence in Europe, North America and Asia.
A major new headquarters and factory site.
Challenges
Competition from cube storage and shuttle systems.
No published revenue figures.
Current Catalogue Coverage
Catalogue checked on 15 October 2026: 6 associated product records. The links below are representative entries, rather than a claim that every historical model is currently available.
Exotec FAQ
Where is Exotec based?
In Wasquehal, near Lille, France.
Who founded Exotec?
Romain Moulin and Renaud Heitz, in 2015.
What is Skypod?
Exotec's system of mobile robots that move containers across the floor and climb storage racks to deliver them to workers.
What is Exotec worth?
Its January 2022 funding round valued it at USD 2 billion.
Is Exotec publicly traded?
No.
Sources
Exotec: company
Wikipedia: Exotec
