Apptronik brings in another $53 million to fuel Apollo production

Apollo is the culmination of nearly a decade of development, drawing on Apptronik’s extensive work on 15 previous robots, including NASA’s Valkyrie robot. | Source: Apptronik

Apptronik Tuesday announced it added an extra $53 million to its oversubscribed Series A funding round, bringing the total funding from the round to $403 million. The company said the round reflects strong market demand and investor confidence in Apptronik’s leadership, unique design, and technology.

The Series A funding will fuel the production and deployment of Apptronik’s AI-powered humanoid robot, Apollo. Additionally, the company will use the funds to support growing customer demand across key industries. These include automotive, electronics manufacturing, third-party logistics, beverage bottling and fulfillment, and consumer packaged goods.

Currently, Apptronik has agreements with industry leaders Mercedes-Benz and GXO Logistics to test Apollo in real-world applications.

“We’re building a future where humanoid robots are not just tools, but trusted collaborators working seamlessly alongside people—starting in logistics, manufacturing, and retail, and eventually expanding into elder care, disaster response, and healthcare,” said Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and CEO of Apptronik. “This investment is far more than capital—it’s the foundation for strategic relationships that will accelerate Apollo’s path to scaled production and broaden the reach and impact of humanoid robotics across the global economy.”

Apptronik closed the majority of its Series A round in February. With the latest funding, the company has raised $431 million total since it was founded in 2016 at the University of Texas at Austin’s Human Centered Robotics Lab. Apptronik won an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award in 2024 for its bespoke linear actuators.

B Capital and Capital Factory led the round. Google, Mercedes-Benz, Japan Post Capital, ARK Invest, Helium-3, Magnetar, RyderVentures (the corporate venture capital arm of Ryder System, Inc.), a syndicate led by Korea Investment Partners, and others are also joining the oversubscribed round.

Latest funding caps off a year of growth for Apptronik

This latest investment follows a year of record growth for Apptronik. Last week, Apptronik and Google DeepMind announced a strategic partnership to build the next generation of humanoid robots.

In the past 12 months, Apptronik secured foundational commercial engagements with industry leaders Mercedes-Benz and GXO and worked with NVIDIA to leverage Apollo in Omniverse digital twins. Additionally, last month, Apptronik announced a pilot engagement and strategic collaboration with Jabil to build Apollo humanoid robots and integrate them into Jabil’s manufacturing operations, paving the way for Apollo humanoid robots to build more humanoid robots.

“At Mercedes-Benz, we are relentlessly focused on pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in automotive innovation—not only in the cars we design, but in how we build them,” said Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Production, Quality & Supply Chain Management. “Our work with Apptronik has given us a front-row seat to the incredible pace of progress in humanoid robotics and AI, and the transformative potential these technologies hold for modern manufacturing. We are proud to support Apptronik as they pioneer new ways to bring intelligent, adaptable robots onto the factory floor—helping us set new benchmarks for efficiency, safety, and collaboration between people and machines.”

The $403 million is the latest in a plethora of funding that has poured into companies working on humanoids. Figure AI has raised $854 million, including a monstrous $675 million Series B round in February 2024. Agility Robotics has raised at least $178 million. Additionally, it’s important to note the financial details of Agility’s recent investment from Schaeffler has yet to be disclosed. 1X Technologies has raised $136.5 million, including a $100 million Series B round.

Learn about humanoids at the Robotics Summit & Expo

Humanoids will be front and center at the Robotics Summit & Expo, which runs April 30-May 1 in Boston and is produced by The Robot Report. Aaron Saunders, CTO of Boston Dynamics, is giving the opening keynote on Day 2 of the event. He will discuss the recently redesigned Atlas robot and share his thoughts about the future humanoids.

The first day of the show will feature a panel about the state of humanoids with Pras Velagapudi, CTO at Agility Robotics, Aaron Prather, director of robotics and autonomous systems at ASTM International, and Al Makke, director of engineering at Schaeffler. The panel will explore the technical and business challenges shaping the development of humanoids. It will also share insights from early deployments, what’s on the horizon, and the ongoing efforts to establish safety standards.

The Robotics Summit & Expo brings together 5,000+ developers focused on building robots for a variety of commercial industries. Attendees will gain insights into the latest enabling technologies, engineering best practices, and emerging trends. There will be 200+ exhibitors, 60-plus speakers on stage, 10+ hours of dedicated networking time, a Women in Robotics Breakfast, a career fair, startup showcase, and more. Returning to the show is the RBR50 Pavilion and RBR50 Awards Dinner that will honor the winners of the annual RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards.

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