Agile Robots raises US$500 million Series F at a US$8.5 billion valuation

Agile Robots says the funding will support expansion in the United States, additional production capacity, including in Germany, and entry into new markets[1]. It says it will strengthen its United States presence, accelerate the development of robotics applications, and continue to build production capacity[1]. AFP reports that chief executive Zhaopeng Chen described the plan as expansion in the United States, additional production capacity in Germany, and entry into new markets[4].

Early in 2026 the company opened a production site at Fürstenfeldbruck, near Munich, which it says is to meet rapidly rising demand. Agile Robots says the site has the capacity to produce up to 10,000 legged and wheeled humanoid robots a year[1]. SiliconANGLE and Tech.eu report that capacity for legged and wheeled humanoids, and AFP reports that the factory can produce up to 10,000 humanoid robots a year[2][3][4]. The company states 10,000 as the site's annual capacity. It has not published how many humanoids Fürstenfeldbruck has built[1].

Agile Robots says it builds and deploys physical AI for industry: humanoid and mobile robots, robotic arms and hands, and the software and AI models behind them, for tasks that have relied on human dexterity and judgement[1]. It names customers in the automotive, consumer electronics, healthcare and service industries[1]. Tech.eu reports that the robots assemble products, handle components, inspect equipment and move materials in factories[3].

The company was founded in Munich in 2018 as a spin-off from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), to take robotics research into industry[1]. It says it has deployed 20,000 industrial robotic solutions for customers in the automotive, consumer electronics, logistics and other industries, and the announcement also says more than 20,000 robotic solutions are installed worldwide[1]. It says it has more than 2,000 research and development experts and more than 650 patents, and that more than 3,500 people from almost 60 nations work for it[1].

The announcement names subsidiaries BÄR Automation, Franka Robotics, Idealworks and Krause Automation[1]. Agile Robots calls Franka Robotics the globally dominant AI robotics research platform, and says it recently acquired Krause Automation, an industrial deployment specialist, from thyssenkrupp AG[1]. The company says it manufactures in-house, including in Germany[1].

SiliconANGLE reports that force-sensitive manipulation sits at the centre of the hardware and software, so robots can control the force they use on delicate parts and in precision assembly. It says the flagship Diana 7 arm has torque sensors in all seven axes. It also reports that the humanoid Agile ONE was unveiled in November 2025 as an industrial platform for work beside people in manufacturing and logistics, and that the range includes the Agile ONE S, a compact humanoid for labs, universities and developers, and the Agile ONE SN, which has Dual Wuji five-finger hands and is preconfigured for NVIDIA's Isaac GR00T models[2].

Dr Zhaopeng Chen, chief executive and founder, said: "Physical AI will fundamentally change how the world builds, moves and makes things. Our vision is intelligent robots working alongside people in factories and warehouses everywhere, and Agile Robots is determined to lead that shift. We bring Physical AI out of the lab and into industrial production, across logistics, automotive, electronics and manufacturing. This funding allows us to accelerate our global expansion, strengthen our presence in key markets and build out production capacity."[1]

Dennis Chang, managing partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers, said: "We believe Physical AI will transform industries. Agile Robots combines deep robotics expertise with the ability to execute at industrial scale, enabling it to bring Physical AI into everyday operations. We are pleased to continue partnering with Dr. Chen and the Agile Robots team as they advance breakthroughs in industrial-scale automation."[1]

A spokesman told AFP that Agile Robots is now Europe's most valuable "physical AI" robotics firm[4]. AFP describes the company as one of the German start-ups trying to take AI into factories, with a particular focus on the country's traditional manufacturers. It says Europe has lagged the United States and China on the best-known AI models, and that some people see industrial deployment as a field where Europe could have an edge. It also says European robotics firms face fierce competition from bigger Chinese rivals such as Unitree, which AFP calls famed for backflipping robots, and that those rivals have had substantial government support[4].

SiliconANGLE names industrial rivals Universal Robots, ABB, FANUC and Yaskawa, and humanoid rivals Figure AI, Apptronik and Agility Robotics[2]. Agile Robots says the capital will fund expansion in the United States, further production capacity, including in Germany, and entry into new markets[1].