Automated disassembly and AI-powered diagnostics to close the loop on electric mobility
Electrification is scaling fast across mobility, from EVs and e-buses to electric bikes and e-scooters. Yet battery end-of-life management is a key constraint that can make or break the sustainability of electrification. True circularity requires determining which cells retain value for second-life applications, which modules can be remanufactured, and how to recover materials most effectively and efficiently.
R3 Robotics (formerly Circu Li-ion) is a frontrunner in battery and EV component circularity, combining ecological and economic impact through automated disassembly and cell-level diagnostics that are transforming urban mining practices. Today, their technology extends beyond batteries to the automated dismantling of complete electric vehicle systems, including e-drives, power electronics, and other high-value components. Their deep-tech approach is not only highly efficient but also enables compliance with increasingly rigorous EU regulations on circularity, traceability, safety, and critical raw materials.
Highlights of why we invested in R3 Robotics
- Deep-tech talent bridging research and industry: R3 Robotics’ team operates at the frontier of battery circularity, translating cutting-edge research into deployable industrial solutions to efficiently manage End-of-Life (EoL) batteries and electrified vehicle systems.
- Smart disassembly and diagnostics: Through automated disassembly, which preserves component integrity, and cell-level diagnostics, R3 Robotics determines the optimal path for batteries after their first-life cycle. Whether second-life reuse, remanufacturing, or recycling, this approach maximises value recovery.
- Software-enabled learning at scale: Beyond advanced robotics, R3 Robotics’ software layer continuously evolves through operational learning. New disassembly protocols and battery models added to the library propagate across all deployed systems, supporting the ambition of becoming fully product-agnostic.
- Circular economy at the core: From second-life applications to material valorisation, R3 Robotics’s approach embodies EU circular economy principles by keeping critical raw materials in use, reducing reliance on primary extraction, and closing the loop on battery lifecycles.
- Strong policy alignment: R3 Robotics services directly support the EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542) and the Critical Raw Materials Act, enabling compliance and supporting the circular sustainability of the battery value chain.
Investing in R3 Robotics reflects EIT Urban Mobility’s conviction that deep-tech innovation, rooted in rigorous R&D, can deliver both environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness. As Johannes Kirschner, Investment Manager at EIT Urban Mobility, highlighted:
“R3 Robotics exemplifies the kind of innovation that drives systemic impact: combining technical excellence with a clear mission to make Europe’s circular economy for electrified vehicles sustainable and competitive.”
R3 Robotics’ capabilities and market traction stand out: the company recently secured €20 million in combined Series A funding and European grants, with €8.5 million previously raised in a seed round, EIC backing, recognition as a winner of the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator, and making it into the latest cohort of the RESPOND Programme by the BMW Foundation, to name a few.
Automated disassembly: turning end-of-life into opportunity
Founded in 2021 by @Antoine Welter and @Dr. Xavier Kohll, R3 Robotics is a deep-tech startup headquartered in Luxembourg, with an R&D facility also in Luxembourg and a fully certified disassembly facility in Karlsruhe, Germany. The team combines deep expertise in robotics, computer vision, and battery technology with hands-on operational experience.
R3 Robotics operates at a critical junction in the electrification value chain: what to do with batteries, e-drives, and power electronics when they reach End-of-Life? How to recover maximum value, through reuse, remanufacturing, or material recovery, at industrial scale? R3 Robotics’ answer is purpose-built automation, with the ambition to make it the backbone of Europe’s circular supply chains. As Antoine Welter explains:
“The bottleneck isn’t recycling technology; it’s clean feedstock, meaning getting complex electrified systems safely and cost-effectively dismantled at an industrial scale” [At R3 Robotics] we’re building a dismantling platform that turns end-of-life systems into a strategic source of critical materials and reusable components for advanced industrial economies.”
The company rebranded from Circu Li-ion to R3 Robotics in January 2026, with the 3Rs standing for Repair, Reuse, Recycle. This move reflects its expansion: from a focus on battery disassembly to broader scope encompassing the automated dismantling of complete electric vehicle systems.
Current industry analysis highlights that the manual dismantling of batteries is slow, hazardous, and economically unviable. This bottleneck is critical given that Europe’s mobility electrification demands are projected to surge, with the European Court of Auditors estimating that 30 million zero-emission vehicles will be on EU roads by 2030.
The R3 Robotics dismantling platform combines computer vision, AI, and specialised robotic tooling to enable safe, high-throughput handling of diverse battery formats and electrified components. The system minimises human exposure to high-voltage hazards and delivers the cost structure and reliability required for industrial-scale operations.
From innovation to industrial deployment
The impact is substantial: their systems reduce recycling costs by up to 30% and cut cell lifetime CO₂ emissions by 50%. And R3 Robotics team is not just innovating, they are deploying at scale. In the words of Dr. Xavier Kohll, Co-founder and CTO:
“We aim to process 3 billion batteries by 2040 and help our customers boost the value of each battery with our automated upcycling platform – increasing automation across the entire value chain and providing digital services that enable customers to make data-driven decisions and choose the most profitable pathway for their batteries.” BatteReverse project article
With 98% component recovery rates and a patented cell extraction process, R3 Robotics enables the controlled separation of battery components across diverse battery types including electric vehicles (EVs), trucks, battery energy storage systems (BESS), e-scooters, power tools, and more.
R3 Robotics is building strategic partnerships across the battery value chain. The company collaborates with Fortum Battery Recycling, one of Europe’s leading integrated recyclers, to bring its automated dismantling technology into full-scale industrial operations. It also works directly with automotive OEMs, recovering critical raw materials from end-of-life battery systems through its centralised processing infrastructure.
Turning end-of-life components into valuable assets
R3 Robotics has built a comprehensive service ecosystem that offers automatic dismantling solutions:
- Disassembly-as-a-Service allows OEMs, recyclers, and battery manufacturers to outsource the entire battery recovery process – including discharging, disassembly and diagnostics – to R3 Robotics’ certified facility, eliminating operational complexity while ensuring compliance, safety and traceability.
- Robotics as a Service deploys fully integrated disassembly lines directly at customer sites through leasing, enabling organisations to leverage R3 Robotics’ state-of-the-art expertise while minimising upfront costs.
- Benchmarking provides competitive intelligence through product teardowns, design-for-disassembly reports, and value assessments across end-of-life pathways, helping manufacturers optimise their products for circular recovery from the outset.
In practice, R3 Robotics automated dismantling solutions translate into up to 32% lower processing costs compared to manual disassembly, up to 75% higher throughput without compromising safety, and over 98% process repeatability for stable downstream recycling and recovery.
Right technology, right timing
R3 Robotics is scaling at a pivotal moment, as Europe’s electrification value chain enters a stricter circularity era. And the company is well positioned to lead in this new landscape.
The EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542) and the new EU rules to boost recycling efficiency and material recovery raise the bar on collection, recycled content, recovery efficiencies, and traceability, including digital battery passports. The normative landscape also reinforces design principles for removability, reuse, and second life. Together with the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, these frameworks are reshaping industrial recycling infrastructure.
Complementing this, the EU Critical Raw Materials Act strengthens the strategic case for circularity by prioritising secure access to materials such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, used in lithium-ion batteries.
R3 Robotics’ automated platform directly addresses these regulatory requirements. By design, their technology turns regulatory compliance from a burden into a competitive advantage.
Moreover, the push for automation is not just about efficiency in circularity; it is about industrial competitiveness. The Net-Zero Industry Act designates batteries as a strategic technology, mandating that Europe manufactures 40% of its annual needs domestically by 2030. Yet, as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in her Clean Industrial Deal address, ‘China controls 80% of the global battery recycling capacity’. To close this gap, the EU has launched a Battery Booster Strategy, aligned with the automotive package that supports the transition to clean mobility, creating a direct market opportunity for automated solutions that can scale faster than manual competitors.
R3 Robotics is exceptionally well-positioned in this landscape. With proven technology, strong industrial partnerships, and a roadmap aligned with EU strategic priorities, R3 Robotics’ mission to revolutionise urban mining is not just ambitious. It’s essential to making Europe’s mobility transition truly sustainable and economically resilient.
Looking ahead
EIT Urban Mobility recognises that R3 Robotics represents a vital piece of Europe’s sustainable mobility transition and supports its work to promote a sustainable circular battery value chain through reuse, remanufacturing, and upcycling.
Do you want to know more about R3 Robotics’ mission and its solutions?
Visit the company website, LinkedIn page or the EIT Urban Mobility Innovation Marketplace.
This article is part of Why we invested? Series presenting EIT Urban Mobility equity portfolio.