Robot manufacturer Apptronik announced that it secured $350 million in a Series A funding round to expand production of its AI-powered humanoid robots. The round included participation from Capital Factory, B Capital, and Google.
Advancing Apollo
Apptronik said the investments would support the advancement of Apollo, the company’s humanoid robot. This includes rapidly advancing iterations, developing new designs, and expanding capabilities to address various manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare applications.
The company added that the funds would allow it to scale manufacturing to meet orders across multiple sectors, including electronics manufacturing, automotive, beverage fulfillment and bottling, consumer packaged goods, and third-party logistics providers.
Partnerships with NASA and NVIDIA
The latest funding round follows three years of growth, which has been marked by collaborations with NASA, NVIDIA, and Google DeepMind’s robotics team, as well as commercial agreements with GXO Logistics and Mercedes-Benz. The Texas-based company employs about 170 people and plans to expand its workforce by more than 50%.
Tackling Labor Shortages
The 5-foot-8-inch Apollo weighs 160 pounds and features a four-hour runtime per battery back and a payload of 55 pounds. Apptronik designed the humanoid robot to tackle labor shortages by working alongside humans and handling physically demanding tasks. According to the company, Apollo could reduce turnover, improve efficiency, and minimize work-related injuries.
Apptronik expects to expand deployment this year.
Image credit: Apptronik
