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Venture-backed supply chain startups displayed warehouse automation robots at Manifest 2026 in Las Vegas this week.

State of play: The warehouse is a focus area for startups and investors looking to modernize logistics operations.

Zoom in: Three companies that recently raised capital at different stages displayed their tech at the annual supply chain innovation event.

Launched in 2024, San Francisco-based AutoPallet features robots using powerful magnets to drive on warehouse ceilings and pick up boxes.

The system is entirely isolated from human operators, mitigating any concerns about robots falling on workers.

"What our system allows us to do is get radically higher throughput and area coverage than any system," Eric Miller, CEO and cofounder, tells Axios Pro. "They use no floor space."

The company raised a $500,000 seed from Y Combinator in September 2024.

The India-based startup was founded in 2019 and has multi-robot systems that automate packing and sorting in retail and third-party logistics warehouses.

The company has operations in Europe and plans to open a site at a warehouse in Kentucky in the next month.

"It's easy to scale," founder and CEO Pramod Ghadge tells Axios. "You can keep adding more robots, you can keep adding more racks. It's a Lego-block kind of system."

Unbox last month raised $28 million in Series B funding led by Redstart Labs and ICICI Venture.

Two teal and black automated warehouse robots with extendable platforms operate near industrial shelving at a trade show, with people and exhibit booths visible in the background.

UnboxRobotics demonstrates its autonomous warehouse robots at Manifest 2026 today in Las Vegas. Photo: Colin Campbell/Axios

The London-based warehouse intelligence startup boasts the tallest warehouse robots, which scan labels on shelves to digitize inventory management.

The startup launched the product for pharmaceuticals, retail and e-commerce shippers about three years ago. It plans to open its U.S.-based headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, in the next 30 days.

"The product we have is actually a digital twin that enables warehouse operators and people who have parts of warehouses to run this environment with 100% efficiency," CEO and founder Andrei Danescu tells Axios.

Dexory raised $165 million in Series C funding led by Eurazeo in October 2025.

Tall black and white Dexory autonomous robot with neon lights at logistics expo next to metal shelves filled with brown cardboard boxes labeled GXO and Dexory.

Dexory's robots scan box labels on shelves to automate inventory management and improve visibility for operators. Photo: Colin Campbell/Axios

VC-backed startups show off robots at Manifest 2026

The warehouse has become a focus area for startups and investors alike looking to modernize logistics operations.

Robotic arms with purple lights moving cardboard boxes in a warehouse or event space with rows of chairs and tables seen through a wire mesh fence.

AutoPallet demonstrates a magnetic robot moving packages across a ceiling at Manifest 2026. Photo: Colin Campbell/Axios

Venture-backed supply chain startups displayed warehouse automation robots at Manifest 2026 in Las Vegas this week.State of play: The warehouse is a focus area for startups and investors looking to modernize logistics operations.

VC-backed startups show off robots at Manifest 2026

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