Robotics in the construction industry is gaining in importance thanks to new investment
The construction chemicals group Sika has taken part in a funding round for Mesh. The construction robotics start-up raised €2.9 million in the round. Mesh has developed the first process capable of producing complex reinforced concrete structures without the use of formwork.
Sika, the Baar-based specialist group, has invested in Mesh AG once again following its 2022 investment. The start-up Mesh specialises in robotic construction, reinforcement and formwork and, according to a statement from Sika, has completed a funding round totalling €2.9 million. Alongside Sika, participants included ABB Robotics and the Shimizu Corporation from Tokyo.
MESH was founded in 2022 as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. With partners such as Sika, Mesh developed the first robotic process between 2019 and 2021 that enables complex shapes to be produced without formwork. “In robot-assisted production, it doesn’t matter whether something is straight or curved: complexity comes at no extra cost,” explains Mesh CEO and co-founder Ammar Mirjan in an interview published by Sika. “This gives architects and building clients new creative freedoms.”
According to Sika, over a million reinforcement elements have already been installed in Switzerland using Mesh technology. These solutions have been used in demanding large-scale projects such as the new Gotthard Road Tunnel, amongst others.
“Through our investment in Mesh, we are investing in one of the world’s most innovative technologies for robot-assisted manufacturing in industrial series production,” Sika’s Head of Construction, Ivo Schädler, is quoted as saying in the press release. “Combined with our materials expertise, we are creating new opportunities for significant improvements in efficiency, quality and sustainability in the construction industry.”
According to Ammar Mirjan, the partnership with Sika and other international industry leaders marks “a decisive turning point for Mesh on its journey from regional innovator to global technology provider”. He describes the funding round as a key milestone in driving growth by combining digital manufacturing with advanced material solutions “and jointly tapping into new business potential around the world”.