Making Headlines

Jeff Cardenas, CEO of humanoid robot developer Apptronik, said taking on a more human form allows the technology to adapt to the kind of spaces people occupy at work and at home.

Apptronik, a fast-growing startup that makes artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robots, has secured about $520 million in a new funding round that values the company at more than $5.5 billion, around three times its valuation from its initial Series A raise last year.

Robotics company Apptronik closed a huge new extension round of $520 million, adding to its initially $415 million series A funding round for a total of $935 million in Series A funding. The target: ramping production of Apollo, Apptronik’s humanoid robot.

University of Texas spinout Apptronik, a builder of humanoid robots for Google DeepMind among others, on Wednesday announced that it re-opened its Series A to raise a total of $935 million for the round.

Apptronik has raised $520 million in funding at a $5 billion valuation as the startup aims to commercialize its humanoid Apollo robots, potentially beating Chinese competitors and Tesla’s Optimus to the market.

Humanoid robotics startup Apptronik raised $520 million in a funding round backed by investors including Google and Mercedes-Benz, the company said on Wednesday, as it seeks to commercialize its robots for industrial use.

Apollo, the humanoid robot, stands nearly 6 feet tall. It can lift up to 55 pounds and operate 22 hours a day, seven days a week. Apptronik’s design is meant to fit into preexisting workspaces, which means Apollo can help with everything from warehouse labor to household chores. Mercedes-Benz and electronics manufacturer Jabil have already deployed it alongside their human employees—and your workplace may be next. The Apollo is a winner of Fast Company’s 2025 Innovation by Design Awards.

On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Cardenas tells WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins why Apptronik is betting it will create the home robot helper that everyone will want.

Some CPGs are evaluating humanoid robots as an automation solution, but interest isn’t translating to adoption quite yet in part two of this three-part series exploring the potential for humanoid robots in packaging and processing.

Humanoid robot technology has advanced quickly since Packaging World first covered it in 2023. In the first of this three-part series revisiting humanoid robots as a potential packaging labor solution, we hear from suppliers about their latest advancements, industry deployments, and vision for the technology’s future.

Apollo, a humanoid from Apptronik, is a winner of Fast Company’s 2025 Innovation by Design Awards.

Jeff Cardenas is working with Mercedes-Benz to pioneer the ways in which robots, including humanoids, might further automate manufacturing.

U.S. and Chinese robot makers are vying for supremacy in an industry that could turn into a trillion-dollar jackpot.

CNBC’s 13th annual Disruptor 50 list of the most innovative private companies represents the new gen AI era, which began transforming the list in 2023, and hasn’t slowed down since.

The struggle to be first in humanoid robots is the space race of our time, says Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas, who also says that major upgrades are coming to Apptronik’s appropriately-named Apollo robot in 2025.

Google said it will partner with Apptronik, a Texas-based robotics developer, to “build the next generation of humanoid robots with Gemini 2.0.”

Newly powered by AI brains, these creatures of science fiction are moving toward a practical reality—stacking, sorting and lifting.

Robotics manufacturer Apptronik announced this week that it has signed a strategic collaboration agreement with design and manufacturing giant Jabil to build, test, and deploy Apptronik’s Apollo humanoid robots.

Apptronik, an Austin-based maker of humanoid robots, on Tuesday announced a new pilot partnership with American supply chain/manufacturing stalwart, Jabil.

Jabil will use Apollo robots to assist workers with tasks like sorting and assembly while also helping Apptronik scale up production.

AI-based humanoid robots could soon start becoming a workforce reality, thanks to parallel advances in generative AI and electromechanical components and mechatronics, enabling robots to have reasoning skills as well as physical abilities that exceed their predecessors.

Jeff Cardenas is the co-founder and CEO of Apptronik. Jeff’s problem is this: Can you make a safe, reliable humanoid robot – for less than $50,000?

CEO Jeff Cardenas said the funding will help the company scale its artificial intelligence robotics development, aiming to eventually sell robots for the price of a car.

Austin-based Apptronik announced $350 million in funding led by B Capital, Capital Factory and Google to aid in the artificial intelligence robotics company's deployment of its humanoid robot.

Apptronik said its robots are "poised to transform workplaces worldwide"

Apptronik said on Thursday it has raised $350 million in a funding round led by B Capital and Capital Factory, with participation from Alphabet's Google, to scale production of AI-powered humanoid robots.

Humanoid representation has largely been limited to smaller companies, with the exception of Apptronik. The Austin firm’s Apollo robot made an appearance as part of Texas Instruments’ presence at the show.

Apptronik Inc. today announced that it has partnered with the Google DeepMind robotics team. The companies said the strategic partnership will combine artificial intelligence with robotics hardware, enabling humanoids to be more helpful to people in dynamic environments.

Partnership brings greater AI expertise to walking robots for wider applications in factories and warehouses.

The focus of this partnership will center on embodied AI to deliver general-purpose humanoids.

Apptronik’s humanoid robot, Apollo, stands 5’8” (1.72 meters) tall, weighs 160 pounds and can lift 55 pounds. It can operate for four hours per battery pack.

In August 2023, Apptronik released Apollo, its first commercial version of a bipedal humanoid robot. These projects helped Apptronik develop the kinematic, mechanical, and electrical expertise to support the venture into bipedal robotics.

Goal is to develop practical applications of two-legged robots in a warehouse environment.

Pilot season has officially begun for the world of humanoid robotics.

Apptonick's new A.I.-powered Apollo robot is about the size of a human.

Apptronik unveiled a new workforce robot today. Named Apollo, the machine is designed to “work in environments designed for, and directly alongside, humans.”

Apollo stands at roughly human size (5 foot 8 inches tall and 160 pounds in weight with the ability to lift 55 pounds), and maintains unique force control architecture for safe operation.

Back in January, Apptronik said it was working on a new commercial general-purpose humanoid robot called Apollo.

Apptronik and Argodesign designed Apollo as an antidote to sci-fi tropes.

Apptronik's latest humanoid robot is Apollo - it's being built to do the jobs that humans don't want to, and to one day build settlements on the Moon and Mars.

The Austin-based firm is beginning pilots, with a target of commercial availability by the end of 2024

Humanoids that handle household chores or build habitats on the lunar surface may sound like something from science fiction.