Devanthro

Founders, Backgrounds, and Bench

Devanthro was founded in 2018 by Rafael Hostettler and Alona Pammer. Hostettler, the CEO, is a serial founder with a background that includes founding a CE- and FDA-certified medical technology company and conducting research at Disney Research. Pammer, the CTO, had previously led multiple engineering teams and gained recognition on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Europe in the industry category [Munich Startup, 2025].

Company Overview

Devanthro was founded in 2018 in Munich, Germany, as a deep tech venture focused on humanoid robotics. The company, which also operates under the brand "The Robody Company," was established to develop robotic avatars for domestic environments [DEVANTHRO, retrieved 2026]. Its headquarters are listed in Garching, Bavaria, with an additional company location in Munich [Munich Startup, 2025].

Key operational milestones appear to have accelerated from 2024 onward. The company developed three hardware generations of its "Robody" platform [DEVANTHRO, retrieved 2026]. A significant claim is that the Robody platform began deployment in real homes in 2024, which, according to a local startup profile, made Devanthro the first company to achieve legal domestic use of humanoid robots [Munich Startup, 2025]. In 2025, the company was responsible for the technical development and pilot implementation for the Teleskoop research project, where a Robody prototype remained permanently in households for testing [FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik, 2025]. The company later unveiled a new generation of the robot, named Robody Cares, which was secretly tested in three private homes before being announced [DEVANTHRO, retrieved 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core founding facts and team backgrounds are confirmed by the company and a detailed local profile. The claim of being the first with legal domestic deployment is sourced from a single publication.

The Product and the Stack

Devanthro's core offering is the Robody, a humanoid robotic avatar designed for domestic environments. The product combines onboard AI for routine tasks with human teleoperation, a hybrid approach the company calls "physical AI" [DEVANTHRO, retrieved 2026]. The system is positioned as a solution for 24/7 support and companionship, with a primary focus on elderly care [DEVANTHRO, retrieved 2026].

On the hardware side, the company has developed at least three generations of Robodies [DEVANTHRO, retrieved 2026]. The latest generation was designed specifically for home care and was secretly tested in three private households before being unveiled [DEVANTHRO, retrieved 2026]. For teleoperation, users control the robot via virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Quest, seeing through the robot's cameras and hearing through its microphones [DEVANTHRO, retrieved 2026]. The teleoperation software stack leverages the Animus SDK developed by Cyberselves Ltd. [DEVANTHRO, retrieved 2026]. The company's technical role in the Teleskoop Research Project, where a prototype remained permanently in a household and was controlled via VR and haptic controllers, provides a documented case of its system in a research setting [FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik, 2025].

In terms of public deployment, Devanthro claims its Robody platform has been legally used in real homes since 2024 [Munich Startup, 2025]. The company states it has run dedicated home pilots with seniors, validating that the Robody Cares system can be integrated into everyday private household life [DEVANTHRO, retrieved 2026]. Specific assistive tasks cited include meal preparation, pill administration, finding items, and engaging in conversation [interestingengineering.com, retrieved 2026].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Product claims are confirmed by the company's own materials and corroborated by independent research project documentation and media profiles.

The Market They Are Entering

The market for elderly care solutions is a pressing economic and social challenge, creating immediate demand for scalable alternatives to human labor. This urgency is quantified by a projected acute shortage of 4.3 million caregivers in Europe [Munich Startup, 2025].

Metric	Value
Elderly Care Market (Fortune Business Insights) 2025	$53.29B
Elderly Care Market (Fortune Business Insights) 2034	$114.57B
Global Elderly Care Market (OpenPR) 2026	$1,640B
Global Elderly Care Market (OpenPR) 2033	$3,060B
Geriatric Care Services (Verified Market Research) 2024	$1.10B
Geriatric Care Services (Verified Market Research) 2032	$2.03B

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Market sizing figures from named third-party research firms (Fortune Business Insights, OpenPR, Verified Market Research); caregiver shortage cited by Munich Startup.

The Competitive Field

Devanthro’s competitive position is defined by its focus on hybrid teleoperation for domestic care. The competitive map includes direct humanoid robotics challengers (e.g., Boston Dynamics, Figure, 1X Technologies), adjacent substitutes in elderly care (traditional home care agencies, digital health platforms), and technology adjacencies (telepresence robotics).

Devanthro’s defensible edge today appears to be regulatory and application-specific. The claim of being “the first and, so far, only company with humanoid robots that can be legally used in domestic settings” [Munich Startup, 2025] suggests a compliance lead in the European market.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing from third-party reports; deployment and technical claims primarily from company and local startup media.

Sources

1. [DEVANTHRO, retrieved 2026] The Robody Company | https://www.devanthro.com/
2. [Munich Startup, 2025] Devanthro | https://www.munich-startup.de/en/startups/devanthro/
3. [FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik, 2025] Teleskoop Research Project | https://www.fzi.de/en/research/project-details/teleskoop/
4. [interestingengineering.com, retrieved 2026] Devanthro's Robody | https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/devanthro-robody-robot-elderly-care
5. [Fortune Business Insights, retrieved 2026] Elderly Care Market Size | https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/elderly-care-market-106824
6. [openpr.com, retrieved 2026] Global Elderly Care Market | https://www.openpr.com/news/3551231/global-elderly-care-market-2024-2033-size-share-growth-trends
7. [Verified Market Research, retrieved 2026] Geriatric Care Services Market | https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/geriatric-care-services-market/