Apptronik today announced the successful closing of a $350 million Series A funding round co-led by B Capital and Capital Factory, with participation from Google.
The new investment denotes a pivotal moment for the AI-powered humanoid robotics company, fueling the deployment of Apptronik’s humanoid robot, Apollo, while enabling the company to scale operations, accelerate innovation, and grow its team to meet the surging demand for next-generation, AI-powered humanoid robots.
The funding will help accelerate the development of next-generation humanoid robots, including quickly advancing iterations of Apollo and exploring new form factors. For example, Apptronik uses unique actuators that act as Apollo’s “mechanical muscles” that help with movement.
Expanding Apollo’s capabilities will enable the robot to address a range of applications and advance how Apollo operates in physical environments, like logistics and manufacturing settings, as well as eldercare and healthcare applications in the future.
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“We’re creating the world’s most advanced and capable humanoid robots, designed to work alongside humans in meaningful and transformative ways,” said Jeff Cardenas, CEO and co-founder of Apptronik.
Apptronik has a little more than 170 employees and plans to grow the team by over 50% in the next year or so. The team is based in Austin, TX and sees robotics as an important industry for the state moving forward.
Apptronik wants to create human-centered robots that are highly functional but also user-friendly and approachable. Their design includes unique motor technology that unlocks affordability, simplifies maintenance, and paves the way for mass production.
The company will tap the investment to scale manufacturing of Apollo units to fulfill growing orders across priority verticals—including automotive, electronics manufacturing, third-party logistics providers, beverage bottling and fulfillment, and consumer packaged goods.
“We believe [Apptronik isn’t] just building robots—they’re setting a new standard in human-centered AI,” said Gordon Daugherty, chairman of Capital Factory and the first outside board director of Apptronik.
The company spun out of the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin in 2016 to “leverage innovative technology for the betterment of society.”
In 2022, Apptronik joined forces with NASA to advance humanoid robotics innovation, and last year, the company collaborated with NVIDIA to show dexterous manipulation. Artificial intelligence enables Apollo to interact with the physical world and is expected to expand the robot’s use cases.
In December 2024, Apptronik entered a strategic partnership agreement with the Google DeepMind robotics team. The company now has best-in-class AI partnerships with NVIDIA, leaders of AI computing, and Google DeepMind, builders of next generation AI systems,
The company has also secured commercial agreements with Mercedes-Benz and GXO Logistics to develop real-world applications.
Until now, Apptronik has only received some $28 million in previous funding. The $350 million infusion shows growing confidence in the company’s vision for the future of humanoid robotics.
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Apptronik’s humanoid robot, Apollo, kitting in a warehouse demo.Apptronik