The Donostia-based startup TrebezIA is developing a new generation of autonomous mobile robots to automate order picking in warehouses and distribution centres. The company, founded at the end of 2024 from technology transferred from TECNALIA, focuses on addressing one of the main challenges in modern intralogistics: automating the handling of products and packages whose variability makes them difficult to manage using conventional systems.
Its first product combines an autonomous mobile platform with a robotic arm equipped with 3D perception and artificial intelligence. The solution is capable of identifying, picking, and transporting boxes and products of different sizes and shapes without the need for prior reprogramming. “Conventional automation handles around 80% of a warehouse’s product flow well, but the remaining 20% still accounts for most of the manual work. That is exactly the space we automate,” explains Jon Oñativia, CEO and co-founder of TrebezIA.
The company targets industrial logistics operators, pharmaceutical distributors, supermarket chains, logistics companies, and large retailers. Its solution is particularly relevant for organisations that already have a certain degree of automation but still rely on manual processes for multi-item order picking involving bulky or variable products. According to the company, the implementation of its solutions can deliver return on investment within two to three years.
The idea behind TrebezIA originated from market-identified needs. Between 2021 and 2023, various pharmaceutical distribution and supermarket supply companies raised with TECNALIA the difficulty of automating certain picking tasks. In response, the technology centre developed a prototype based on its research in flexible robotics. After validating the concept commercially with potential customers, the startup was formally established at the end of 2024. “TECNALIA’s role has been decisive at all stages. It is the technological origin of the project and transferred to the company a mature prototype resulting from years of research in flexible robotics,” Oñativia highlights.
Artificial intelligence plays a key role in the system’s operation. The robots use 3D perception systems to identify objects and obstacles in real time, dynamic path-planning algorithms to manipulate products in confined spaces, and autonomous navigation capabilities that allow them to move through warehouses while sharing space with human workers. “AI is what enables this flexibility. The robot adapts to changing products and environments without the customer needing to reprogram anything, and that is the key difference compared to traditional industrial robotics,” says the company’s CEO.
Grupo SPRI has supported TrebezIA’s development from its earliest stages. The project was selected in the first edition of Basque Tek Ventures and has since received support through programmes such as Ekintzaile, BDIH Konexio, and Innobideak Fast Track. In addition, Basque Country Venture Capital Management (Gestión Capital Riesgo del País Vasco) holds a €250,000 equity stake in the company.
The startup was also one of 20 selected out of 882 applications to participate in BIND Corporate. For the company, this represents an opportunity to bring its technology closer to major industrial and logistics firms, accelerate validation processes, and unlock new business opportunities at a critical stage of its go-to-market strategy.
Looking ahead, TrebezIA plans to complete the industrialisation of its first product and close its first commercial sales by the end of 2026, supported by validation work currently being carried out with Novaltia in the pharmaceutical sector. In parallel, the company is developing its second project, a new solution focused on mobile palletising for food distribution. TrebezIA is also preparing for international expansion and will take part in LogiMAT Stuttgart in March 2027, one of Europe’s leading intralogistics trade fairs, with the aim of scaling into the European market. “Our ambition is to position TrebezIA as a European leader in mobile manipulation robotics for warehouses,” concludes Oñativia.
The Grupo SPRI provides Basque companies with the opportunity to share information about their activities through its own channels. If your project is related to its focus areas (R&D&I, digitalisation, internationalisation, entrepreneurship, innovation, etc.), you can participate in the “We Talk About You” initiative. You can also access support programmes and services.
cloud technology axon
Thanks to this operation, the project is expected to generate €215 m...
