Key Points:
- Apptronik raised $520 million from investors like Google and Mercedes-Benz.
- The new deal values the Texas-based robot maker at $5 billion.
- Funds will boost the production of the humanoid robot named Apollo.
- The company partners with Google DeepMind to power the robot’s AI.
Humanoid robotics startup Apptronik secured a massive financial boost on Wednesday. The company announced it raised $520 million in a new funding round backed by tech giant Google and luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz. This fresh capital aims to speed up the process of getting their robots out of the lab and onto factory floors.
Sources close to the deal say this investment values the Austin, Texas-based company at roughly $5 billion. Other major investors, including B Capital and the Qatar Investment Authority, also joined the round. This follows a successful raise of $415 million just last year, showing that interest in robotic workers remains incredibly high.
Apptronik plans to spend the money on developing its flagship robot, Apollo. The company will ramp up production and hire more staff, moving beyond its current team of 300 employees. They also plan to build a dedicated robot training facility in Austin and open a new office in California.
CEO Jeff Horden says the goal is to see more humanoid robots working in factories and warehouses this year and next. Apollo is unique because it features both legs and wheels, allowing it to navigate tight industrial spaces. Since it is shaped like a human, it can use existing workstations and shelves without companies needing to rebuild their facilities.
The startup faces stiff competition. Companies like Tesla and the Nvidia-backed Figure AI are also racing to deploy human-like machines. Figure AI was recently valued at a staggering $39 billion. However, investors like Howard Morgan from B Capital believe Apptronik has an edge. He pointed to the robot’s superior hand design and a growing list of commercial orders as reasons why the company is a smart bet.
Apptronik is not working alone. It is deepening its partnership with Google DeepMind to make Apollo smarter. The robots use Google’s Gemini-based artificial intelligence models to learn and adapt. Apptronik provides the hardware and real-world training data, while Google supplies the digital brain.
While the immediate focus is on manufacturing and logistics, the company has bigger long-term plans. Eventually, Apptronik hopes to expand into the home market, creating robots that can assist with elderly care and daily household chores.
