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Apptronik , a University of Texas spinout that was quietly make humanoid robot before it became quite so fashionable , on Thursday announced a $ 350 million Series A round of funding . B-complex vitamin Capital and Capital Factory co - conduct the rhythm , which also sport participation from Google , whose DeepMind divisionis partneringwith Apptronik to give up embodied AI for bipedal robots .
“ What 2025 is about for Apptronik and the humanoid industry is really demonstrating useful work in these applications with these initial early adopters and customers , ” CEO Jeff Cardenas differentiate TechCrunch . “ And then true commercialization and scaling happening in 2026 and beyond . That ’s what this ascent is designed to do . ”
The Austin - free-base inauguration had raised a relatively modest $ 28 million combined prior to this round . Cardenas says the previous goal was to return more taxation than money raised — a destination he says the 8 - year - quondam inauguration achieve during that prison term . That revenue came by way of pilot deals — includingwith Mercedesand GXO Logistics — and by selling robot outright . For now , however , the goal of generating more revenue than fundraising will have to go on hold for a while .
Apptronik ’s humanoid work dates all the way back to 2013 , three years prior to its introduction . It was then that fellow member of the University of Austin at Texas ’s Human center Robotics Lab competed in theNASA - DARPA Robotics Challenge , an effort that center on around a humanoid robot calledValkyrie . Since then , the space agency has maintain a partnership with Apptronik as the company has readied its own generation of humanoids , include its current humanoid , Apollo .
Cardenas points to that decade - summation of humanoid experience as a primary differentiator between Apptronik and competitors like Figure , 1X , and Tesla . Boston Dynamics and Agility Robotics have long chronicle as well , but Apptronik is a veteran veteran in the class compare to much of the competition .
Google DeepMind
That story may explain why Google ’s DeepMind AI team has been shape with Apptronik to build golem behavioral model . Their “ strategic partnership ” is like in nature to others in the diligence . Last week , Boston Dynamicsannounced a tie - up with the Robotics and AI Institute . That followed a similar deal betweenthe Spot maker and Toyota Research Institutethat ’s aim at ameliorate how robot learn .
All are indicators of a much bigger trend , include OpenAI ’s multiple great deal in the space . The ChatGPT maker has put in both 1X and Figure . Last August , Figure announcedthat it would further leverage OpenAI models to develop rude speech conversations for its own 02 golem , though last week , the outfitannouncednew plans ; move forrader , it will move all of its AI development in - home .
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“ We found that to work embodied AI at scale in the real world , you have to vertically integrate golem AI , ” Figure CEO Brett Adcock tell TechCrunch last week . “ We ca n’t outsource AI for the same reason we ca n’t outsource our computer hardware . ”
Apptronik may ultimately make the same selection , but for now , a Google DeepMind partnership makes far more mother wit for the startup than the additional funding required to build bespoke humanoid AI models in - house . “ We think that right now , Google is at the top of the game and build some of the salutary models in the world , ” Cardenas says .
Putting robots to work
Scaling and output are the magic words for Apptronik ’s A round . Apptronik ’s current head count is just north of 170 citizenry , and it ’s planning a 50 % increase over the next yr .
Still , Cardenas is pragmatic about timeline in a class that can be tight tooverpromise and underdeliver . Cardenas tells TechCrunch that Apptronik has yet to move beyond the archetype stage with any of its partnerships . For all of the excitement around humanoids , it ’s still fundamental for companies to take a measured approach to the family , addressing matter like safety concerns and reliability prior to scaling the technology in a meaningful path .
In the lag , the company has a handful of on-going pilots , include Mercedes , which makes for a natural choice . Automotive manufacturing has been the leading use case for these kinds of pilots , requiring tote moving and other manual task on the factory floor . Boston Dynamics has similarly been exploit with its parent company , Hyundai ; Figure has deployed robots with BMW ; and Tesla ’s Optimus will finally get to work on the company ’s own electron volt .
Bringing it all back home
Like many of its contender , Apptronik is also looking for ways to put Apollo to work out outside of factories and warehouse . The sidereal day could make it when these robots come home to assist with groceries , cooking , folding washables , and other labor emptor might want to offload onto an automaton . Cardenas is even more unrestrained about age technical school as an important avenue for sophisticated robotics . As thepopulation agesand more older adults prefer to live independently , humanoid could eventually avail .
“ The holy grail for me is [ years tech ] , ” says Cardenas . “ As humans , ” he says he asks himself , “ Where could we apply this technology that improves the human condition ? ”
The holy Holy Grail will have to wait , however .
For now , Apptronik , like most humanoid manufacturers , is focused on manufacture . manufactory and warehouses are a respectable first footstep , as corporations have the money and other resources required for pilots . scale manufacturing for these projects will proceed to force back the price detail down , but as it support , the systems are far too expensive for the plate — or even care quickness — to be a pragmatic route . Apollo ’s target Mary Leontyne Price is below $ 50,000 , says Cardenas . But Apptronik is n’t there yet .
“ We ’re in the windowpane where the economic science now make signified , ” says Cardenas . “ And we fuck how to get to much more low-cost system . ”
