Apptronik, an Austin-based humanoid robotics developer, has raised $520 million at a $5 billion valuation to accelerate commercialization of its Apollo humanoid robots, according to a CNBC report by Lora Kolodny. The funding round, which brings the company’s Series A financing to $935 million, was co-led by B Capital and Google and will support expanded operations, increased robot production and new facilities in Texas and California. Apollo robots are currently being tested in factory and warehouse environments with partners including Mercedes-Benz, GXO Logistics and Jabil.
The report notes that Apptronik is competing with a growing field of humanoid robotics companies, including Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), Figure, Agility Robotics, 1X and China’s Unitree. Apptronik recently partnered with Google DeepMind to integrate Gemini Robotics AI models into Apollo, while investors cited growing demand for humanoid automation and the potential for robots capable of performing a wide range of industrial tasks. CNBC reported that Apptronik currently employs about 300 people and expects significant hiring as it works toward large-scale production.
This substantial investment underscores the strategic importance of humanoid robots in addressing labor shortages and improving efficiency in manufacturing and logistics. The integration of advanced AI models from Google DeepMind positions Apollo to perform complex tasks with greater autonomy, potentially reshaping industrial workflows. For readers, this development signals a rapid acceleration in the deployment of humanoid robots, which could lead to widespread adoption in warehouses and factories within the next few years, impacting job roles and productivity.
Apptronik’s Apollo robot is the culmination of nearly a decade of development, drawing on the company’s work on 15 previous robots, including NASA’s Valkyrie robot. The company started out of the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin and now has 350 employees. The funding will enable Apptronik to scale production and expand its workforce, positioning it to compete more aggressively in the global humanoid robotics market.
For more details, visit apptronik.com. The full CNBC report can be found at https://ibn.fm/4CpAH.
