How Apptronik is accelerating the humanoid robot race

Apptronik’s Series A funding was co-led by B Capital and Capital Factory, with Google also participating. This substantial funding round positions Apptronik among a growing number of humanoid companies attracting major investments.

Other notable examples include Figure AI, which has raised $854 million, including a massive $675 million Series B round in February 2024; Agility Robotics, with at least $178 million raised (though the details of their recent investment from Schaeffler remain undisclosed); and 1X Technologies, which has garnered $136.5 million, including a $100 million Series B round.

A key aspect of Apptronik’s Series A funding, according to Cardenas, is the involvement of Texas-based Capital Factory. This organization, which provides mentorship, coworking spaces, and offices for entrepreneurs, and is a leading funder of young tech companies in Texas, assembled a large group of Texas families to contribute to the round. These families, having built their wealth in the oil and gas industry, are now seeking promising high-tech investments within the state.

If you’re interested in hearing another story about the growing interest in funding humanoid development, listen to The Robot Report podcast interview with Jamie Lee, managing partner from Tamarak Global. Tamarak is one of the lead investors in the $675M round for Figure last year, and Lee highlights how much interest there was for retail investors to try to get involved with the opportunity in the humanoid market. Cardenas validated this interest in his comments about Capital Factory.

For the first nine months of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 (covering April 1 to December 31, 2024), FANUC reported mixed financial results, reflecting a global economy that is recovering but remains uncertain. Robot sales experienced a 16.4% decline, reaching ¥242,386 million, due to reduced sales across China, Europe, and the Americas, attributed to weaker demand from automobile-related industries in these regions. However, strong demand from general industries in Japan partially offset these losses.

The evolution of Carbon Robotics‘ Laserweeder from a fully autonomous mobile robot to its current “smart implement” form is a significant development. The LaserWeeder G2 represents a substantial improvement, boasting faster speeds, a lighter weight, and greater power efficiency compared to its predecessor.

This system uses vision-targeted lasers to eliminate weeds as they emerge, offering a potential payback period of one to three years for equipment with a lifespan of seven to ten years, according to the company. The G2 product family offers five configurations, all built around a redesigned core power and processing unit.

Apptronik’s Series A funding was co-led by B Capital and Capital Factory, with Google also participating. This substantial funding round positions Apptronik among a growing number of humanoid companies attracting major investments.

Other notable examples include Figure AI, which has raised $854 million, including a massive $675 million Series B round in February 2024; Agility Robotics, with at least $178 million raised (though the details of their recent investment from Schaeffler remain undisclosed); and 1X Technologies, which has garnered $136.5 million, including a $100 million Series B round.

A key aspect of Apptronik’s Series A funding, according to Cardenas, is the involvement of Texas-based Capital Factory. This organization, which provides mentorship, coworking spaces, and offices for entrepreneurs, and is a leading funder of young tech companies in Texas, assembled a large group of Texas families to contribute to the round. These families, having built their wealth in the oil and gas industry, are now seeking promising high-tech investments within the state.

If you’re interested in hearing another story about the growing interest in funding humanoid development, listen to The Robot Report podcast interview with Jamie Lee, managing partner from Tamarak Global. Tamarak is one of the lead investors in the $675M round for Figure last year, and Lee highlights how much interest there was for retail investors to try to get involved with the opportunity in the humanoid market. Cardenas validated this interest in his comments about Capital Factory.

For the first nine months of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 (covering April 1 to December 31, 2024), FANUC reported mixed financial results, reflecting a global economy that is recovering but remains uncertain. Robot sales experienced a 16.4% decline, reaching ¥242,386 million, due to reduced sales across China, Europe, and the Americas, attributed to weaker demand from automobile-related industries in these regions. However, strong demand from general industries in Japan partially offset these losses.

The evolution of Carbon Robotics‘ Laserweeder from a fully autonomous mobile robot to its current “smart implement” form is a significant development. The LaserWeeder G2 represents a substantial improvement, boasting faster speeds, a lighter weight, and greater power efficiency compared to its predecessor.

This system uses vision-targeted lasers to eliminate weeds as they emerge, offering a potential payback period of one to three years for equipment with a lifespan of seven to ten years, according to the company. The G2 product family offers five configurations, all built around a redesigned core power and processing unit.