SAN FRANCISCO, CA and TRONDHEIM, Norway, Feb 12, 2026 – Trener Robotics (formerly T-Robotics) has announced that it has raised $32 million in a Series A funding round. The round was co-led by Engine Ventures and IAG Capital Partners, with participation from Cadence and Geodesic Capital through Nikon’s NFocus Fund. The company said total funding now exceeds $38 million.
The company said the new capital will support additional training of its Acteris platform for industrial robot processes, expansion into new markets and hiring to meet demand.
“This fresh capital allows us to further accelerate our mission to make AI models the new standard for robot operations, turning the millions of existing robots and tens of millions of robots yet to be deployed, into intelligent, self-learning teammates for manufacturers of all sizes,” said Dr. Asad Tirmizi, co-founder and CEO of Trener Robotics.
Acteris Platform Targets CNC Machine Tending
Trener Robotics develops AI-based software for industrial robots. Its Acteris platform replaces procedural programming with pre-trained AI skills, which the company says are derived from data extracted from humans, robots and industrial process videos.
“By replacing procedural programming with pre-trained AI skills, we give robots the ability to understand and act with true intelligence learned from data extracted from humans, robots, and videos of industrial processes,” said Tirmizi.
The company’s initial commercial focus is robotic CNC machine tending, with additional applications planned for 2026.
Manufacturers using Acteris gain:
- Agentic user interface for controlling robots through natural conversation, task sequencing and simulation
● Part identification and handling under adverse conditions
● Adaptive robot motion planning
● Collision avoidance and safety features
● Real-time production dashboards
Integrator Network Expands in Europe and U.S.
Trener Robotics said it is working with more than 15 solution and integration partners across Europe and the U.S. These partners deliver Acteris-based turnkey systems that include robot hardware, grippers and software. Acteris is compatible with ABB, Universal Robots and FANUC robots. The company said support for additional brands is planned.
“Our go-to-market strategy is to empower System Integrators and OEMs with a Robot AI skills platform for deploying and controlling robots across diverse industrial environments,” said Tirmizi. “This approach transforms one-off integrator projects into repeatable, scalable solutions designed for speed, consistency, and predictability,” said the Trener Robotics CEO.
Market Growth and Industry Recognition
The company cited industry estimates projecting a 14.3% compound annual growth rate for flexible automation. It attributed growth to labor shortages, high-mix production requirements and cost pressures in manufacturing.
“When we co-led Trener Robotics’ seed round, we saw a team with a clear vision to solve one of the biggest bottlenecks in automation,” said Reed Sturtevant, general partner at Engine Ventures. “Their execution and ability to rapidly scale has been remarkable. This traction validates the software’s shift in the training model from traditional programming to embedding, pre-trained AI skills directly into robots.”
“The industrial automation market is at an inflection point, with Trener Robotics well-positioned at the forefront of the AI-driven transformation,” said Dennis Sacha, partner at IAG Capital Partners. “This technology is precisely what small and mid-sized enterprises globally need to become more competitive and efficient as AI redefines the future of manufacturing.”
Trener Robotics said it won the Machine Tool Innovation Award at EMO Hannover and was selected as a winner in the ABB AI Startup Challenge.
Source: Trener Robotics
About Trener Robotics
Trener Robotics develops software that helps manufacturers program and run industrial robots. Founded in 2024, the company is headquartered in San Jose, CA and Trondheim, Norway. Trener Robotics previously operated as T-ROBOTICS. Its main product, Acteris, is a robot-agnostic skills platform for production automation. The platform lets users describe tasks in natural language and translates the intent into robot actions. Trener Robotics positions it as an alternative to manual, point-to-point robot programming. The company targets CNC machine tending and other repetitive handling work in manufacturing cells. Users include production engineers and robotics teams managing shop-floor automation. Trener Robotics also works with solution providers and system integrators in Europe, and the U.S. Services include deployment support, robot cell integration and technical assistance.