Renault Is Now A Strategic Partner And Investor In Wandercraft
Sneak peek of the Calvin-40
The Renault Group has finalized a minority investment in the French self-balancing exoskeleton developer Wandercraft. This agreement unlocks new funding and serves as a vote of confidence in the technology that enables people confined to a wheelchair to stand and walk again without the need for crutches or walkers.
Furthermore, the Renault Group will leverage Wandercraft's technical expertise to develop a new line of humanoid robots. This strategic partnership is initially focusing on Calvin, a line of next-generation robots for manufacturing operations (a sneak peek of the Calvin-40 is featured above). The intent is for these robots to perform tasks that require handling of loads in body positions that put too much wear and tear on workers' bodies.
Finally, the partnership envisions leveraging Renault's assembly expertise to make robots and exoskeletons more affordable and easier to produce at scale.
'We are proud to continue advancing our mission through this strategic partnership. After millions of steps, and numerous awards recognizing our use of AI for good, this move takes us to the next level. As a world-class manufacturer, Renault Group strengthens our ability to produce at scale while increasing access, which remains critical for our soon-to-be customers walking again in Eve. Renault Group also brings tremendous technological synergies and represents our very first customer in a growing list of clients.' - Matthieu Masselin, CEO and co-founder of Wandercraft.
'This partnership with Wandercraft is a forward-looking move. It will allow us to accelerate on automation and to develop robots for our specific auto industrial use, giving us the opportunity to concentrate our people on more value-adding tasks and alleviate operators from painful and non-ergonomics duties. It will drive productivity through the acceleration of production time and cost reduction. In the end, it makes a lot of sense to combine Wandercraft's unique expertise and technology in exoskeletons and robots, with Renault Group's strong industrial capacity and design-to-cost know-how to bring the production of robots at scale' said Thierry Charvet, Chief Industry and Quality Officer of Renault Group.
Indeed, Renault Group's trust in Wandercraft appears to be well placed. Wandercraft's self-balancing exoskeleton won the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Award at SXSW 2025. Wandercraft's use of AI was also highlighted in NVIDIA's CEO Keynote speech at CES 2025, Las Vegas. The company was able to compete by placing a mannequin inside their exoskeleton and still won first place in two disciplines at Humanoids 24.
Finally, this isn't even the first time an exoskeleton developer has applied their expertise to the world of humanoid robotics. That honor goes to Fourier, which launched the GR-1 humanoid robot five years after releasing their first walking-assist exoskeleton.
The Renault Group has chosen not only to invest in Wandercraft but also to partner with them in creating new and more affordable robotic solutions that improve people's lives.
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