Apptronik Inc., the maker of artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robots, today announced it has raised an early-stage $350 million funding round to advance the development of its next-generation robot Apollo.

The Series A round was co-led by B Capital and Capital Factory with participation from Google.

Humanoid robots have continued to lead industry interest with their potential for working alongside humans in factories, warehouses and potentially hazardous environments. By designing a robot that is similar in form to people, powered by AI, humanoid robots can perform tasks like humans without putting them in harm’s way or work alongside them.

“We’re creating the world’s most advanced and capable humanoid robots, designed to work alongside humans in meaningful and transformative ways,” said co-founder and Chief Executive Jeff Cardenas. “By uniting cutting-edge AI with hardware engineered for meaningful interaction, we’re shaping a future where robots become true partners in driving progress.”

Founded in 2016 at the University of Texas at Austin’s Human Center Robotics Lab, Apptronik made a name for itself by developing 16 different robotics systems, including Valkyrie, also known as R5, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s humanoid robot.

The company’s flagship robot, Apollo, is an AI-powered humanoid designed for industrial work that the company said will operate in warehouses and manufacturing plants in the near term and eventually extend to construction, oil and gas, electronics, retail and delivery. Apptronick said it designed the robot for friendly interaction, high payload lifting and carry capacity, and mass production.

Apptronik recently partnered with the Google DeepMind robotics team to innovate on the best-in-class hardware and intelligence for humanoid robots. DeepMind brings the power of Google LLC’s state-of-the-art Gemini model and knowledge of machine learning algorithms for robotics. It has also been developing AI systems for robotics applications to solve the hardest challenges facing the industry.

The company also secured commercial agreements with car maker Mercedes-Benz Group AG and logistics provider GXO Logistics Inc. Mercedes-Benz said that it will look into potential use cases for Apollo in logistics to bring parts to the production line for workers to assemble, which are components of so-called assembly kits, that workers simultaneously inspect.

With the new funding, Apptronik said it plans “expanded deployment” of Apollo this year and to innovate on the hardware and AI design of its robotics. The company added that it intends to extend the robot’s capabilities to other industries including elder care and healthcare.

Image: Apptronik