From the opening of our 9,000-square-foot headquarters in Delft and new U.S. operations centre in Northern Virginia to the appointment of Schuberg Philis as a long-term strategic partner, momentum at Robin is at an all-time high.
This year has been one of exceptional growth, driven by urgent global demand for a new breed of radar company: one that’s adaptive to change, grounded in innovation, and committed to delivering exceptional counter-UAS capabilities worldwide.
What people see is the headline success – the collaborations, the deployments, the breakthroughs. What often gets overlooked, though, is the intentional work behind the scenes; the strategy and dedication of those at the heart of Robin, working every day to preserve our values and keep our shared spirit alive.
Here, we catch up with Donja van Laarhoven, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Yoana Ivanova, Employer Branding Specialist, to explore what it takes to put company values front and centre during times of rapid growth.
“In the early years of Robin, you were able to high-five every new employee over the lunch table. As we’ve become a truly established international company, with an office in the U.S. and more than 10 employees working abroad, it’s important to maintain that culture – and for people to understand how their individual contributions make a real impact.”
Donja van Laarhoven, CHRO, Robin Radar Systems
Fast growth, new challenges
Fresh off the opening of Robin’s new headquarters, Donja explains that over the past 12 months the company has grown from 190 employees to over 250 ‘Robins’, with a target of 300-plus by the end of the year.
“Despite this rapid pace, we’ve maintained our focus on hiring quality and creating an environment where people can thrive,” she says. “Staff turnover has dropped by almost 25% since 2024 and 85% of new roles are now filled within three months, up from 50% a year ago. By all accounts, we’re ahead on almost every tech scale-up benchmark.”
Naturally, the statistics tell just one part of the story. Each of these impressive numbers is backed by tangible achievements and real milestones, as Yoana explains:
“So far in 2026, we’ve moved to a much larger space in Delft, switched to an all-new data-backed recruitment platform, and held our biggest ever summer barrel (party) yet. It’s a great time to be part of Robin.”
Even in their enthusiasm, they’re careful to flag that big changes often come with big challenges. As companies grow, departments can naturally become siloed, cooperation can falter, and culture can slip.
“As demand ramps up across teams, collaboration becomes more important than ever,” continues Donja. “We’re focusing on this by optimising internal workflows, introducing the right tools, and leveraging AI – all so we can work smarter together as we grow.”
Culture as a guiding principle
Last year, we refreshed our company values: we trust, we own it, we aim high. As the organisation scales, these remain the guiding principles behind every decision we make and action we take.
“We refreshed our values last year on purpose, anticipating their importance as we grow,” Donja recalls. “I see them come to life every day, and feel constantly inspired. The passion, care, and ambition – not to mention joy – of our teams is our culture.”
Yoana adds: “The values were written down years after we were already living them, which is why they feel authentic and not like words written on a poster. Despite our rapid growth, the character of Robin survives because we hire for it, we live it, and we call each other out when we drift away from it.”
“Culture in a company of our size comes from people recognising the actions of one another from their first week onwards, and deciding to honour it.”
This means protecting what we’ve created and attracting the right talent, both in terms of skills and mentality.
To do this, we’re remaining competitive as an employer, providing state-of-the-art work facilities, upgrading our compensation strategy, and launching a brand-new recruitment portal.
“Culture is not a side project at Robin, it’s the operating model. The problems we work on are complex, and nobody solves them alone. We trust each other’s work, own our piece of it, and keep the bar high.”
Yoana Ivanova, Employer Branding Specialist, Robin Radar Systems
Recruiting for longevity
Looking ahead, perhaps the biggest objective is to implement a business model that supports Robin’s sustainable growth.
For Donja, this comes down to two priorities: strengthening the organisation through better structures, leadership and ways of working, and continuing to attract the right people to grow with us.
“Growth isn't just about hiring more people. It's about building an organisation that can achieve more, without losing the energy and entrepreneurial spirit that got us here in the first place,” she explains.
And that's where recruitment plays a critical role.
“Hiring at pace has the power to quietly reshape the company, and culture isn't something you can protect after the fact,” adds Yoana. “The people we bring in today will define what Robin feels like for years to come. The biggest risk isn't an empty seat, it's the wrong person in it.”
That's also the thinking behind Robin's new careers site and employer branding campaign. By showing candidates who we really are, what we stand for and what it's like to work here, Robin aims to attract people who connect with its mission and culture from the very beginning.
And 2027 promises to make Robin an even more exciting place to work.
With the introduction of the Robin Way, our own operating system designed to help us work smarter and scale faster, and an ambitious AI strategy that will transform how we work, we're creating opportunities for our people to innovate, develop and make a real impact.
Combined with clearer career paths and stronger leadership development, we're building an environment where talented people don't just want to join, but want to stay and grow with us.