Apptronik Raises $520 Million to Scale Apollo Humanoid Robots, CNBC Reports

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 significance of this investment lies in the growing demand for humanoid automation capable of performing a wide range of industrial tasks. Apptronik’s ability to secure such substantial funding from major investors, including Google, signals strong confidence in the technology’s potential to transform manufacturing and logistics.

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. This competition underscores the race to develop commercially viable humanoid robots that can work alongside humans in various industries. Apptronik recently partnered with Google DeepMind to integrate Gemini Robotics AI models into Apollo, further enhancing its capabilities.

CNBC reported that Apptronik currently employs about 300 people and expects significant hiring as it works toward large-scale production. The company’s expansion plans include new facilities in Texas and California, which will help meet increasing demand for its robots.

Apptronik’s Apollo robot is the culmination of nearly a decade of development, drawing on the company’s extensive work on 15 previous robots, including NASA’s Valkyrie robot. Starting from the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, Apptronik now has 350 employees and is focused on human-centered robotics.

The implications of this announcement are substantial for the robotics industry and the broader economy. As companies like Apptronik scale production, humanoid robots could become more common in factories and warehouses, potentially addressing labor shortages and improving efficiency. The integration of advanced AI models like Gemini further enhances the robots’ ability to perform complex tasks autonomously.

For more details, visit the full report at https://ibn.fm/4CpAH and learn more about Apptronik at https://apptronik.com/.

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