Agile Robots Hits $8.5 Billion Valuation on $500 Million Series F From SoftBank and NVIDIA

Munich-based Agile Robots announced November 12 that it closed a $500 million Series F round at an $8.5 billion valuation, led by SoftBank Group with participation from NVIDIA, Hitachi Group (including Hitachi Ventures) and T.Capital. The round brings total funding to $2 billion [7][1][4].

The company, spun out of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in 2018 by founder and CEO Zhaopeng Chen, describes itself as a "Physical AI company" building humanoid robots, mobile robots, robotic arms and hands, and the AI software behind them [7]. It reports more than 20,000 industrial robotic solutions deployed across automotive, consumer electronics, healthcare and logistics, with over 3,500 employees (2,000+ in R&D) and 650+ patents [7][3].

An industrial base, not a pure-play humanoid bet

Unlike many humanoid startups that exist mainly as lab demos, Agile Robots has an established automation business. Through acquisitions — Franka Robotics, Idealworks, BÄR Automation, Krause Automation (from thyssenkrupp) — it sells robotic arms, mobile carrying robots and dexterous hands to factories today [1][3]. Forbes reported that when its journalist toured the factory near Munich, "entire lines building robot arms and torsos were fully automated: robots building robots" [1].

Sacra estimates $339 million revenue in 2025, up 51% year-over-year, with guidance of $690 million for 2026 [1]. Agile Robots itself has not disclosed revenue or profitability in its announcement [7][5]. If Sacra's numbers are accurate, the $8.5 billion valuation represents roughly 12x forward revenue — rich for industrial automation but modest compared to pure-play humanoid startups valued in the billions on pilot programs alone [1].

Humanoid production: capacity vs. output

Agile Robots launched its first full-size industrial humanoid, Agile ONE (174 cm, 69 kg, 20 kg payload), a year ago [1]. In early 2026 it opened a production site at Fürstenfeldbruck, near Munich, with stated capacity for 10,000 legged and wheeled humanoids annually [7][3][6]. The company told Bloomberg it aims to produce roughly 2,000 humanoids in 2026, with potential to run two to three times higher in 2027 [6]. In October it announced Agile ONE SN, a compact research humanoid built on NVIDIA's Jetson Thor and Isaac GR00T stack, with plans for 1,000–2,000 units next year [1].

Forbes noted that during its factory visit, "the humanoids Agile Robots was actually shipping were wheeled, not legged. That's sensible for factory floors, and the company will likely keep both options" [1]. Trials are underway with industrial customers including Volkswagen's Audi [6].

What the investors are betting on

SoftBank led Agile Robots' $220 million Series C in 2021 at roughly a $1 billion valuation (per Sacra), meaning the new $8.5 billion valuation represents an 8.5x step-up [1]. Dennis Chang, managing partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers, said: "Agile Robots combines deep robotics expertise with the ability to execute at industrial scale, enabling it to bring Physical AI into everyday operations" [7][6].

NVIDIA's participation ties a major robot maker's software roadmap to its compute ecosystem. Hitachi Group's involvement signals industrial conglomerate interest. The individual investment amounts have not been disclosed [2], nor has the company clarified whether the $8.5 billion figure is pre-money or post-money [2].

SoftBank leads this round while absorbing heavy costs from its AI infrastructure buildout, with financing costs already affecting its results [2], making the $500 million check a smaller line item but a signal of where it sees the next phase of AI value: machines that do physical work, not just software.

Competitive context and open questions

The round is smaller than the roughly $800 million under discussion in June, per Bloomberg [4][6]. Agile Robots says no privately held European robotics firm is worth more [4], topping Neura Robotics' approximately $7 billion valuation from June [4][6]. Competitors include NASDAQ-listed Agility Robotics, Chinese volume leader Agibot, a UK startup claiming 34,000 pre-orders, and Neura Robotics [1].

Chen claims Physical AI is "on the brink of a breakthrough" and that "we are fast-approaching the tipping point where humanoids will be more efficient" [1][6]. Bloomberg reports he acknowledged battery life, weight balance and the quality of real-world training data "all remain unsolved problems" [6].

What remains unconfirmed: specific robot model pricing and specifications, production volumes beyond stated targets, the US factory location (Auburn Hills, Michigan is described only as a potential site) [2], investor split, IPO timeline, and audited financials. The company says the funding will support US expansion, added production capacity including in Germany, and entry into new markets [1][6][7].

Agile Robots has the rare combination of deployed industrial robots, estimated revenue and a humanoid pipeline. The $8.5 billion valuation prices in the shift from arms to legged humanoids at volume — a transition that, as the company's own CEO admits, still has unsolved technical problems.