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Jungheinrich and Merantix launch strategic partnership to advance Artificial Intelligence

05.05.2025

Today, Jungheinrich and Merantix announced a pioneering strategic partnership. The aim of the cooperation is to promote Artificial Intelligence (AI) based applications in the industry.

As part of the partnership, Jungheinrich is investing five million euros in Merantix Capital's AI fund. The fund invests in AI-native start-ups building impactful, scalable solutions that address meaningful challenges in the industrial environment, as well as in healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and other verticals.

Dr Lars Brzoska, CEO of Jungheinrich AG, says: »Jungheinrich has extensive know-how in the field of material handling and engineering. With Merantix, we are gaining a strong partner with in-depth expertise and strong competence in building AI-based business models. The partnership will enable us to create valuable synergies and work together to strengthen AI applications in the industrial environment.«

The strategic partnership will focus on AI investment opportunities in Europe, particularly in key areas such as robotics, sustainability, enterprise AI, energy, and logistics. Possible concrete use cases for the collaboration include solutions for analysing used lithium-ion batteries or for warehouse simulation with the aim of optimising material flows.

»AI-native business models are changing the industry. However, their success depends largely on their successful integration into existing structures,« says Dr Rasmus Rothe, co-founder and General Partner of Merantix Capital. »At Merantix, we know the requirements for scaling AI companies. As an industry partner, Jungheinrich brings the necessary experience and openness for innovation.«

The partnership with Merantix complements Jungheinrich's existing activities in the area of corporate venture capital. It follows the investment in the High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and is part of Jungheinrich’s new strategic direction of systematically developing further business models outside its core business via the recently founded subsidiary Uplift Ventures. Additional fund investments are planned in the future to give Jungheinrich broader access to the start-up ecosystem and further expand the international reach of its venturing activities.

The partnership also represents Merantix Capital’s deep ties with key industry partners in its effort to build a bridge between corporations and the AI startup ecosystem, helping to drive the kind of necessary AI adoption in Europe that can only happen through close collaboration and knowledge sharing.

In addition to the investment in the Merantix Capital fund, the partnership includes cooperation with other units of the Merantix Group, including AI solutions provider Merantix Momentum, as well as exchange with the Merantix community at the AI Campus in Berlin, Europe's largest AI centre with around 80 companies and over 250 events annually.