Apollo is the fruits of practically a decade of improvement, drawing on Apptronik’s in depth work on 15 earlier robots, together with NASA’s Valkyrie robotic. | Supply: Apptronik
Apptronik Tuesday introduced it added an additional $53 million to its oversubscribed Sequence A funding spherical, bringing the full funding from the spherical to $403 million. The corporate mentioned the spherical displays robust market demand and investor confidence in Apptronik’s management, distinctive design, and know-how.
The Sequence A funding will gasoline the manufacturing and deployment of Apptronik’s AI-powered humanoid robotic, Apollo. Moreover, the corporate will use the funds to help rising buyer demand throughout key industries. These embody automotive, electronics manufacturing, third-party logistics, beverage bottling and success, and shopper packaged items.
At the moment, Apptronik has agreements with trade leaders Mercedes-Benz and GXO Logistics to check Apollo in real-world functions.
“We’re constructing a future the place humanoid robots will not be simply instruments, however trusted collaborators working seamlessly alongside folks—beginning in logistics, manufacturing, and retail, and ultimately increasing into elder care, catastrophe response, and healthcare,” mentioned Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and CEO of Apptronik. “This funding is way over capital—it’s the muse for strategic relationships that can speed up Apollo’s path to scaled manufacturing and broaden the attain and influence of humanoid robotics throughout the worldwide economic system.”
Apptronik closed the vast majority of its Sequence A spherical in February. With the most recent funding, the firm has raised $431 million whole because it was based in 2016 on the College of Texas at Austin’s Human Centered Robotics Lab. Apptronik received an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award in 2024 for its bespoke linear actuators.
B Capital and Capital Manufacturing facility led the spherical. Google, Mercedes-Benz, Japan Publish Capital, ARK Make investments, Helium-3, Magnetar, RyderVentures (the company enterprise capital arm of Ryder System, Inc.), a syndicate led by Korea Funding Companions, and others are additionally becoming a member of the oversubscribed spherical.
Newest funding caps off a 12 months of progress for Apptronik
This newest funding follows a 12 months of report progress for Apptronik. Final week, Apptronik and Google DeepMind introduced a strategic partnership to construct the subsequent era of humanoid robots.
Up to now 12 months, Apptronik secured foundational industrial engagements with trade leaders Mercedes-Benz and GXO and labored with NVIDIA to leverage Apollo in Omniverse digital twins. Moreover, final month, Apptronik introduced a pilot engagement and strategic collaboration with Jabil to construct Apollo humanoid robots and combine them into Jabil’s manufacturing operations, paving the way in which for Apollo humanoid robots to construct extra humanoid robots.
“At Mercedes-Benz, we’re relentlessly targeted on pushing the boundaries of what’s potential in automotive innovation—not solely within the vehicles we design, however in how we construct them,” mentioned Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Administration of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Manufacturing, High quality & Provide Chain Administration. “Our work with Apptronik has given us a front-row seat to the unbelievable tempo of progress in humanoid robotics and AI, and the transformative potential these applied sciences maintain for contemporary manufacturing. We’re proud to help Apptronik as they pioneer new methods to carry clever, adaptable robots onto the manufacturing unit flooring—serving to us set new benchmarks for effectivity, security, and collaboration between folks and machines.”
The $403 million is the most recent in a plethora of funding that has poured into corporations engaged on humanoids. Determine AI has raised $854 million, together with a monstrous $675 million Sequence B spherical in February 2024. Agility Robotics has raised no less than $178 million. Moreover, it’s vital to notice the monetary particulars of Agility’s latest funding from Schaeffler has but to be disclosed. 1X Applied sciences has raised $136.5 million, together with a $100 million Sequence B spherical.
Study humanoids on the Robotics Summit & Expo
Humanoids might be entrance and middle on the Robotics Summit & Expo, which runs April 30-Might 1 in Boston and is produced by The Robotic Report. Aaron Saunders, CTO of Boston Dynamics, is giving the opening keynote on Day 2 of the occasion. He’ll talk about the lately redesigned Atlas robotic and share his ideas concerning the future humanoids.
The primary day of the present will function a panel concerning the state of humanoids with Pras Velagapudi, CTO at Agility Robotics, Aaron Prather, director of robotics and autonomous techniques at ASTM Worldwide, and Al Makke, director of engineering at Schaeffler. The panel will discover the technical and enterprise challenges shaping the event of humanoids. It would additionally share insights from early deployments, what’s on the horizon, and the continued efforts to determine security requirements.
The Robotics Summit & Expo brings collectively 5,000+ builders targeted on constructing robots for quite a lot of industrial industries. Attendees will acquire insights into the most recent enabling applied sciences, engineering greatest practices, and rising developments. There might be 200+ exhibitors, 60-plus audio system on stage, 10+ hours of devoted networking time, a Girls in Robotics Breakfast, a profession truthful, startup showcase, and extra. Returning to the present is the RBR50 Pavilion and RBR50 Awards Dinner that can honor the winners of the annual RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards.
