SoftBank leads $500M funding round in Agile Robots

SoftBank has led a $500m funding round in German humanoid robotics startup Agile Robots that automates industrial work.

The Japanese multinational led the Series F funding round, which also features Nvidia, Hitachi, and T Capital and valued Agile at $8.5bn. Agile has raised around $2bn in total.

The Munich-based robotics company manufactures robotic arms, hands, autonomous mobile robots and humanoid robots, as well as building the software and AI models behind the tech.

Its robots carry out work such as assembling products, handling components, inspecting equipment and moving materials around factories.

Founded in 2018 as a spin-off out of the German Aerospace Centre, Agile said it would use the new funds to expand in the US and boost production capacity.

Earlier this year, Agile opened a factory close to Munich, which can make up to 10,000 legged and ⁠wheeled humanoid robots a year, the company said. Agile employs over 2,000 research and development specialists and holds over 650 patents. Its customers include automotive, consumer electronics, healthcare and service industries.

Agile CEO and founder Dr. Zhaopeng Chen 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.”