State of the Danish Robotics Investment Landscape

Denmark has quietly become a fast-growing centre of excellence for robotics innovation. With more than 130 companies working within robotics, drones, automation in the city of Odense alone, Denmark is attracting the attention of investors and tech startups looking to innovate and grow robotics. Made in partnership with Odense Seed and Venture, we’ve compiled an in-depth guide on how the Odense robotics investment landscape has grown.

The Danish Robotics Ecosystem has become a unicorn.

"The robotics/automation cluster in Odense has a long track record of creating successful companies and attracts new talent via established critical mass for continued expansion."

The Danish Robotics Ecosystem is taking off, building on years of early successes which have gained the attention of international investors.

As of now, there are 418 robotics companies in Denmark, 264 startups and scaleups founded, 112 corporates, and 21 Danish investors in the last 24 months in robotics (at least one round). The combined enterprise value of the Danish Robotics Ecosystem has reached €1.1B, up 3.7x since 2015. This includes €227M VC funding since 2015 and a €646M total transaction amount (VC funding and exits, and IPO since 2015).

Denmark is one of Europe’s key innovation hubs for robotics.

Denmark ranks #1 in Europe by number of rounds per capita and #3 by total VC investment in robotics startups, mostly led by the Odense Robotics Ecosystem.

The Odense Robotics cluster brings together more than 160 startups and companies across Denmark. The Odense Robotics Startup Hub has grown to 34 startups in 7 years, with a survival rate above 80%. The Danish Robotics Ecosystem has attracted €227M in VC funding since 2015, with seed and early VC rounds the most common.

Domestic vs international investment

Denmark’s robotics investment is much more dependent on domestic investors, compared to the rest of Europe. In 2021, the source of all investment for Danish robotics startups came from domestic sources compared to other European countries, where domestic sources for robotics investment made up less than 40%.

Local investors provide main support at early stages, attracting the attention of international players once companies scale. Local business angels are one of the main financial supporters of the robotics ecosystem, with more than €83M invested since 2015.

Odense hosts a nascent medical cannabis industry.

"The medical cannabis industry has from its inception been of great interest to Spotlight Stockmarket. Not least because of the strong ecosystem supporting the industry in Denmark.”

Odense is becoming a key innovation hub for medical cannabis across the whole value chain. More than 20 cannabis startups have been launched over the past 6 years, which includes companies across farming, testing and analytics, biotech, and sales and distribution.

Odense Investor Summit

The Odense Investor Summit is the place-to-be, when it comes to robotics. It connects investor-ready companies working within robotics, drones, and automation with international investors, showcasing the best of what the ecosystem has to offer with more than €904M having been invested since its first summit in 2015.

What does the summit offer?

For companies:

• Access to investors interested in robotics, drone, or automation companies.
• Added value in terms of business development – Investor Summit Academy.
• Professional matchmaking.
• Expansion of professional network on the international level.
• The most investor-ready companies will pitch on the main stage.

For investors:

• Access to relevant network amongst fellow investors and investors network.
• Meet the most promising businesses in the field of robotics, drones, and automation.
• Professional matchmaking.
• Investor pitches from companies – all selected and prepared prior to the event.

"Odense Investor Summit plays an important role in showcasing companies in our ecosystem and connecting with international partners worldwide.”

Learn more about Odense’s rapidly growing Robotics hub by downloading our full report: