Backed by SoftBank and NVIDIA, the German robotics company is expanding manufacturing capacity and preparing for large-scale production of its humanoid robots.
Munich-based Agile Robots has raised $500 million in a Series F led by SoftBank Group, reaching an $8.5 billion valuation.
NVIDIA, Hitachi Group and T.Capital participated, bringing the company's total financing to approximately $2 billion.
Founded in 2018 as a spin-off from the German Aerospace Center, Agile Robots develops industrial robotic arms, dexterous hands, mobile systems and humanoid robots.
Its founder and CEO, Zhaopeng Chen, previously worked on robotics research at the German Aerospace Center.
From Industrial Robots to Humanoids
Agile Robots initially focused on automating industrial processes that require precision, dexterity and reliable machine control.
Its systems perform tasks including assembly, component handling, inspection and material transportation.
The company has since expanded into humanoid robotics through its Agile ONE platform.
Rather than relying exclusively on a general-purpose humanoid design, Agile Robots combines specialized industrial robotics technology with AI-driven perception and control.
Its goal is to deploy robots across factories, warehouses and other structured commercial environments.
A Factory Designed for 10,000 Humanoids Annually
In 2026, Agile Robots opened a production facility in Fürstenfeldbruck, near Munich.
The factory has a stated capacity of up to 10,000 legged and wheeled humanoid robots per year.
That figure represents potential annual capacity, not completed deliveries.
The company plans to begin mass production of Agile ONE in 2027 while expanding its presence in the United States.
Agile Robots also reports more than 20,000 robotic solutions installed worldwide, although this total includes multiple product categories rather than humanoids alone.
The Economics of Physical AI
Industrial robotics has become a major investment category as AI models improve their ability to interpret and interact with physical environments.
However, convincing customers to deploy humanoids at scale requires more than impressive demonstrations.
Robots must perform useful tasks consistently, operate safely around workers and generate sufficient productivity gains to justify their cost.
Agile Robots enters this market with established industrial engineering capabilities and existing customer relationships.
Its $8.5 billion valuation reflects expectations that physical AI could become a major new automation market.
The next test is whether Agile ONE can turn manufacturing capacity into recurring commercial demand.
Sources: Reuters; Tech.eu; Forbes (12 November).