Staxel, with operations in Liverpool, Great Britain, and Detroit, works to maximize logistics outcomes by blending robots, AI, and a patent-pending storage system.
Founded by Dima Dobrynin and Victor Zavadsky in early 2023, Staxel seeks to build a robotic platform capable of fully autonomous intralogistics operations. The co-founders both previously worked for Yandex, a Russian multinational technology company, in autonomous robots and vehicles.
Dima Dobrynin
Dobrynin was working on an autonomous delivery robot project during the pandemic when he began thinking about the future of the technology.
“Outdoor automation is a great challenging task, but I realized there’s going to be many new problems in indoor automation space in a post-COVID world,” he said. “That’s why I started Staxel as a robotic platform for fully autonomous intralogistics operations.”
According to its website, Staxel seeks a 10x improvement in efficiency for its customers through a range of robots-as-a-service solutions boosted by AI.
Refining strategy and connecting with other founders
Dobrynin was one of 10 founders to participate in the 2024 Capital One Accelerator, a 12- mobility-focused program that helps startups develop business plans, become capital-ready, build connections, and fine-tune their pitches.
“The Capital One Accelerator curriculum helped me to go through the basics and refine the company’s strategy and vision,” he said.
In addition to the connections he made with other mobility entrepreneurs in the Capital One Accelerator, Dobrynin also started the Hardtech Founders Mastermind (HFMM), a group born out of his realization that “classic masterminds are not efficient enough.”
On LinkedIn, he said he started the group after participating in the On Deck Founders program and finding that classic masterminds were not geared to Staxel’s unique needs.
HFMM brings together a “small but mighty group” of early-stage founders working across diverse domains—ranging from cargo and inspection drones in the air, to logistics, agriculture, and even entertainment robotics on the ground. They meet monthly to share challenges, leveraging their collective experiences and connections to propel their projects forward.
The evolution of fulfillment robots
Fulfillment robots came into the public eye in Amazon warehouses, with Amazon acquiring Kiva Systems, the company that pioneered the tech, in 2012. But now the field is evolving and expanding in use and scope.
In an article for Automated Warehouse Online, Dobrynin traces 25 years of robotic development—starting from the early days of shelf-to-person systems to the company’s current focus on end-to-end automation and humanoid robots, with his personal highlights outlining how Staxel is part of the cutting-edge wave that is driving efficiency and innovation in fulfillment.
“At Staxel, we’re focused on solving the end-to-end task of order fulfillment by consolidating the order and improving robot unit efficiency, aiming to revolutionize how goods are delivered, whether directly to the customer or through streamlined warehouse processes,” Dobrynin wrote on Automated Warehouse Online.
While full automation is on the horizon, human supervision will likely still play a role, potentially transitioning to remote operations, according to Dobrynin. But he writes, “The AGI moment in warehouse automation is lights-out facilities doing the job without human supervision.”
Capital One is a Dallas Innovates Platinum partner. “Revolutionary Robots: Staxel Strives to 10x Warehouse Fulfillment Efficiency Using Robots and AI” was written and edited by Dallas Innovates’ brand studio.
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Capital One Accelerator 2024 pitch finalists and stakeholders at Dallas Startup Week. [Photo: Tres Cox/Capital One]
Capital One Accelerator Program Fuels Founders to Drive the Future of Mobility
One of few mobility-focused accelerator programs in the country, the Capital One program empowers visionary founders to enhance their startup expertise, expand their networks, and attract investors. The program’s latest cohort concluded with standout pitches and notable wins.
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