Observed Signal · Nov 12, 2026 · Funding · Source: Tech.eu (European Tech & Deals) · Impact: 4/5 · Sentiment: Positive
SoftBank leads $500M funding in Agile Robots
SoftBank has led a $500 million Series F funding round in German humanoid robotics startup Agile Robots, with participation from Nvidia, Hitachi, and T.Capital (Deutsche Telekom's venture arm), valuing the company at $8.5 billion. The Munich-based firm, founded in 2018 by Zhaopeng Chen, produces robotic arms, hands, grippers, autonomous mobile robots, and the humanoid robot Agile ONE, along with the software and AI models powering them. Funds will be used for US market entry, new industrial applications, and manufacturing in Bavaria, where the company recently opened a factory near Munich capable of producing up to 10,000 humanoid robots per year. Agile Robots employs over 3,500 people, including more than 2,000 R&D specialists, and serves automotive, consumer electronics, healthcare, and service industries. CEO Zhaopeng Chen emphasized leading the physical AI shift. The New York Times suggests the round may prepare for a future IPO, with partnerships including Google DeepMind and Nvidia.
Major funding round led by SoftBank validates the humanoid robotics and physical AI sector, potentially accelerating automation in industries relevant to AdTech-adjacent supply chains and manufacturing.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Agile Robots raised $500 million in a funding round led by SoftBank, with Nvidia, Hitachi, and T.Capital participating.
- The round values Agile Robots at $8.5 billion.
- Total funding raised to date is approximately $2 billion.
- Funds will be used for US market entry, industrial applications, and manufacturing in Bavaria.
- Agile Robots plans to double its revenue to about €640 million in 2026.
Connected Companies & Entities
“Nvidia participated in the Series F funding round.”
“Hitachi participated in the Series F funding round.”
“SoftBank led a $500m funding round in German humanoid robotics startup Agile Robots.”
“Japanese conglomerate leading the funding round.”
“Has a research partnership with Agile Robots.”
“Previous investor in Agile Robots.”
“T. Capital, the venture capital arm of Deutsche Telekom, participated in the funding round.”
“Robotics company mentioned in the competitive landscape.”
“Developing Optimus humanoid robot.”
“German robotics company that raised up to $1.4 billion in the summer.”
“Has a logistics project with Agile Robots.”
“Has a logistics project with Agile Robots.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Agility Robotics Goes Public via SPAC, Raises $465M
Agility Robotics, a pioneer in humanoid robotics, becomes the first pure-play humanoid robot company to go public on the Nasdaq. The company completed a reverse merger through a SPAC, raising $465 million in new capital from retail and private investors. Despite early losses ($362 million in H1 2026) and minimal revenue ($174,000), Agility has $300 million in planned contracts for its next-generation Digit 5 robot, which can operate safely around humans. The company plans to demonstrate Digit 5 at CES 2027 and deploy it commercially by end of that year. Agility has deployed its Digit robots in industrial settings with customers like Schaeffler, GXO, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, and Mercado Libre, performing tasks such as moving totes. The company remains focused on repetitive manual labor, differentiating itself from competitors like Figure and Tesla.
Chinese Automakers Follow Tesla into Humanoid Robots
Chinese automakers are increasingly investing in humanoid robots, following the example set by Tesla and advances in AI. Xpeng’s robotics unit raised more than $900 million at a post-money valuation above $6.3 billion in a round led by IDG Capital with participation from Gaorong Ventures, Tencent, and Alibaba. Other automakers and suppliers — including BYD, Chery’s robotics unit AiMOGA, Changan, GAC, Li Auto, SAIC, Seres, Hyundai (via Boston Dynamics), Mobileye, and Rivian — are developing or acquiring humanoid robotics capabilities. Industry observers note automakers’ manufacturing strengths but question whether they can catch up on AI. The article cites planned IPO preparations, acquisitions, factory deployments, and company investments that signal a broader bet that robots could become a more profitable business than vehicles for some automakers.
Eka Robotics Raises $150M for Physical AI Robot Arm
Eka Robotics, founded by MIT CSAIL professor Pulkit Agrawal and former Google DeepMind researcher Tuomas Haarnoja (co-creator of Soft Actor-Critic), has closed a $150 million Series A round at a $1.45 billion post-money valuation, led by a16z and F-Prime. The startup focuses on dexterous robotic manipulation, developing a Vision-Force-Action model that combines visual perception with force feedback to adapt to real-world variability. Using simulation-based reinforcement learning, the robot achieves up to 1,500 picks per hour in lab tests with over 95% reliability, outpacing human speed. The founders' expertise in robot learning and sim-to-real transfer, alongside a16z's belief in the opportunity, underscores the investment. Eka is currently running pilots with industrial customers for pick-and-place and wire manipulation tasks, aiming to bridge the generality-performance gap in robotics and deploy in assembly lines.
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