Romania’s .lumen Secures €11 Million Grant To Advance Urban Delivery Robotics

The grant is part of the Intelligent Growth, Digitalization, and Financial Instruments Programme 2021–2027.

Earlier this year, .lumen also raised €5 million in funding, featured in HealthHack’s weekly roundup.

“We’ve proven that PAD AI technology can help visually impaired individuals move independently. Now, we’re extending it to reimagine how goods move in cities. Imagine humanoid and quadruped robots walking on sidewalks, delivering your food or groceries,”said Cornel Amariei, CEO and founder of .lumen.

While .lumen’s €11 million grant is public funding rather than venture capital, it reflects a broader 2025 European trend of investing in robotics and automation for logistics and inspection.'

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Across the continent, ventures like Nomagic (€41.5M), Filics (€13.5M), Energy Robotics (€11.5M), and Synkka (€0.5–1M) have attracted private backing to advance autonomous systems.

In this context, .lumen’s EU-funded PABLO project stands out, putting Romania among the few European countries building humanoid and quadruped robots for city deliveries. It shows how public research funding can work alongside private investment to boost Europe’s autonomous mobility ecosystem.

“The PABLO project reflects our mission to turn fundamental research into real technological applications, through close collaboration between academia and industry. This synergy is an essential step in strengthening Romania’s ability to develop intelligent, sustainable, and competitive systems at a European level in robotics and autonomous mobility,” said Alexandru Gal, Researcher at IMSAR.

Founded in 2020 by Cornel Amariei, .lumen develops Pedestrian Autonomous Driving (PAD AI) a technology first introduced through its AI-powered glasses for the blind. The company now aims to extend its innovation to urban logistics through the PABLO project.

Running from Sept 2025 to Sept 2028, the initiative unites .lumen, the Institute of Solid Mechanics of the Romanian Academy (IMSAR), BreadCrumbs Interactive, and Linnify to build humanoid and quadruped delivery robots capable of autonomous navigation in urban environments.

The project seeks to deliver sustainable, efficient, and low-cost last-mile delivery, complete with proprietary software, new patents, and R&D roles. By combining AI, robotics, and mobility, .lumen aims to position Romania as a European leader in autonomous urban delivery technologies.

About .lumen

.lumen develops AI-powered glasses that replicate the guidance of a guide dog helping visually impaired individuals navigate safely and independently. With 338 million people affected by visual impairment and limited access to guide dogs .lumen offers a scalable tech-driven solution for greater mobility and inclusion.