German artificial intelligence robotics startup Agile Robots SE announced today that it raised $500 million in new funding at an $8.5 billion valuation.

Japanese multinational investment holding company SoftBank led the Series F funding round. Other participants included AI chip leader Nvidia, Japanese group Hitachi and T Capital. According to the company, the financing brings the total capital invested to $2 billion.

Founded in 2018 as a spin-off from the German Aerospace Center, Agile is one of Europe’s leaders in humanoid and mobile robots, robotic arms, and dexterous robotic hands, along with the AI models needed to control them. It’s robots

The company combines robotic hardware with sensing, computer vision and AI software to automate physical work. At the center of its hardware and software is force-sensitive manipulation; this allows robots to control how much force they use to handle delicate parts, perform precision assembly, and adapt to changing situations.

“Physical AI will fundamentally change how the world builds, moves and makes things,” said Chief Executive and founder Dr. Zhaopeng Chen. “Our vision is intelligent robots working alongside people in factories and warehouses everywhere, and Agile Robots is determined to lead that shift.”

Agile’s established flagship arm Diana 7 allows for precise manipulation and assembly; it includes torque sensors in all seven axes of movement that can detect and respond to the amount of force required to grab, lift and manipulate objects.

Agile One, the company’s humanoid robot, was publicly unveiled in November 2025 as an industrial-first platform. The launch extended the company’s approach into human-shaped platforms intended to carry out tasks across a production floor. It includes dexterous hands, advanced perception and human collaborative capabilities, allowing it to operate readily alongside personnel in manufacturing and logistics settings.

The company now offers an entire family of Agile One human-shaped robots, including the Agile One S, a compact humanoid reference platform built for research labs, universities, and developers. The company also offers Agile One SN, equipped with Dual Wuji five-finger hands and preconfigured for Nvidia Corp.’s Isaac GR00T AI models that act as robot “brains,” designed to let industry developers rapidly train, evaluate, deploy and test new robotic skills.

“We bring Physical AI out of the lab and into industrial production, across logistics, automotive, electronics and manufacturing,” added Chen.

The funding will support expansion into the United States, hiring more engineers and accelerating development of intelligent robotics applications. Additionally, the company said it intends to expand production, including in Germany, where it opened a facility in Fürstenfeldbruck, near Munich, in early 2026 to meet rising demand. Agile said the site can produce up to 10,000 legged and wheeled humanoid robots annually.

Agile has deployed around 20,000 industrial robotic solutions for customers across the automotive, consumer electronics, logistics and other industries. It boasts a growing portfolio of subsidiaries, including BÄR Automation, Franka Robotics, Idealworks and Krause Automation. Franka supplies manipulation technology, Idealworks develops mobile robots and coordination software, whereas BÄR and Krause build and integrate interaction capabilities.

In robotics, Agile faces stiff international competition from established automation suppliers such as Universal Robots A/S, ABB Ltd., FANUC Corp., and Yaskawa Electric Corp., while its Agile One humanoid faces rivals including Figure AI Inc., Apptronik Inc., and Agility Robotics Inc.

Image: Agile Robots