Stuttgart, Germany, July 20 2026 —Sereact, a Stuttgart-based startup developing physical AI for warehouse and manufacturing environments, has raised over $145 million to date following a strategic investment from Zalando, bringing its Series B round to $116 million.
Founded in 2021, Sereact builds AI-driven software designed to power robotic systems across logistics operations. Its flagship platform, Cortex, acts as a universal AI “brain” capable of running across a wide range of hardware—from single-arm picking cells and dual-arm returns stations to humanoid robots and advanced 3D perception systems. The company already counts major industrial and logistics players such as Daimler Truck, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Austrian Post among its customers.
The latest investment from Zalando signals growing confidence in Sereact’s approach to automation, particularly as e-commerce platforms look to improve efficiency, scalability, and resilience across fulfillment operations.
“We’re delighted that Zalando is now a strategic investor. That’s a strong signal to the market: companies that focus on operational excellence believe in our technologies,” said Dr. Ralf Gulde, CEO and Co-Founder of Sereact.
Zalando, which serves over 62 million active customers across 29 European markets, is increasingly investing in technologies that enhance logistics infrastructure and operational performance. Its backing of Sereact aligns with a broader strategy to support European innovation while shaping the future of e-commerce systems.
“This strategic investment underscores Zalando’s commitment to supporting European technology companies, driving industry innovation, and shaping the standards of modern e-commerce,” said Masood Choudhry, SVP Fulfilment at Zalando.
Sereact’s technology is already demonstrating meaningful traction in live environments. The company reports that more than 200 systems are currently deployed across Europe, collectively completing over one billion real-world picks using its Cortex platform. This scale of real production data has become a core differentiator in training and refining its AI models.
“Zalando’s investment confirms that the foundation we’re building Cortex on – real production data from live deployments – is the right path,” said Marc Tuscher, CTO and Co-Founder of Sereact.
At the center of Sereact’s roadmap is Cortex 2.0, the next generation of its AI operating system, which aims to fundamentally change how robots operate in complex environments. Unlike traditional systems that rely on reactive, trial-and-error approaches, Cortex 2.0 introduces a predictive framework based on a learned world model. This enables robots to anticipate outcomes, evaluate potential movements for efficiency and risk, and plan actions before execution.
The shift from reactive to predictive automation is particularly relevant for high-volume, high-variability warehouse environments, where reliability and speed directly impact operational costs and customer experience.
The Series B round was initially led by Headline in April 2026, with participation from Bullhound Capital, Daphni, Felix Capital, Air Street Capital, Creandum, and Point Nine. With Zalando now joining as a strategic investor, Sereact further strengthens its position at the intersection of AI, robotics, and e-commerce infrastructure.
As competition intensifies in warehouse automation and fulfillment technology, Sereact’s combination of real-world deployment data, flexible AI architecture, and strong European backing positions it as a key player in the next generation of logistics systems.
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