On Thursday, Apptronik announced securing $350 million in funding led by B Capital and Capital Factory, with participation from Alphabet's Google. The Austin, Texas-based company aims to scale production of AI-powered humanoid robots.
One of its key projects is Apollo, a humanoid robot designed for tasks in warehouses and manufacturing plants, such as moving packages and handling supply chain operations.
Apptronik is entering a competitive field alongside companies like Tesla and Nvidia-backed Figure AI, all racing to advance human-like robots fueled by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation.
In regard to progress in this area, Elon Musk of Tesla noted the advancements in its humanoid robot "Optimus" capable of performing various daily tasks. Apptronik's CEO and co-founder, Jeff Cardenas, highlighted the industry's turning point and predicted a surge in robotics activity by 2025, comparing the trajectory to the evolution of large language models.
Apptronik plans to enhance Apollo's functionalities for deployment across industries like elder care and healthcare with further investment utilization expected this year. The company has notable partnerships with Google DeepMind robotics team, along with commercial agreements with Mercedes-Benz and GXO Logistics for its humanoid robots.