Apptronik is raising $350 million from investors for the development of its AI-powered humanoid robot Apollo. It thus aims to accelerate the robot's rollout.
Apollo is a humanoid robot developed by US-based Apptronik. It is initially aimed at use in warehouses and factories, among other places. In time, Apptronik wants to expand its applications to construction, oil and gas industry, electronics manufacturing, retail, delivery services and elderly care, among others.
Broad applicability
Apollo is a humanoid robot about 172 cm tall and 72 kg heavy, with the ability to lift almost 25 kg. Apptronik deliberately chose a humanoid robot to make its applicability as wide as possible. Because the robot has the same shape and dimensions as a human, it can, for example, use the same tools and equipment as employees. As examples of applications, the company cites unloading vans or trucks, order picking, palletising and operating machines.
The humanoid robot features a modular design. Among other things, this means that the robot can be used on various platforms. For instance, it is possible to equip Apollo with legs that allow it to propel itself, but mount it on various other mobile or stationary platforms.
Hot-swappable batteries
The robot features hot-swappable battery packs, which give it a battery life of four hours. By swapping the batteries, the robot can remain operational for longer periods of time, without having to recharge in between. It is also possible to connect the robot directly to the mains, allowing it to operate continuously without battery changes.
Apollo is equipped with safety features that make using the humanoid robot near people safe. These include a system that automatically adjusts the robot's movements if the presence of humans is detected to ensure safety. The robot can also create a safe working environment, interrupting its operation if people get too close to avoid collisions. To configure Apollo, Apptronik provides a software suite.
$350 million raised
So now Apptronik announces it has raised $350 million in an investment round. Among others, investment firms B Capital and Capital Factory as well as tech company Google are taking part in the investment round.
With the money, the company aims to accelerate Apollo's rollout and further develop the robot. Among other things, Apptronik wants to explore new form factors, thus expanding the robot's capabilities to more sectors. In addition, the US company wants to hire more staff to meet the growing demand for AI-powered humanoid robots.
Various collaborations
Apptronik has been in business since 2016. In recent years, the company already entered into several collaborations with parties. For instance, the company has been working swamen with NASA since 2022 and with US chip company NVIDIA since last year. With the latter party, it worked, among other things, on integrating the Apollo robot into NVIDIA Omniverse, a solution for creating digital twins.
In addition, Apptronik is joining forces with Google DeepMind's robotics team to combine Apollo with AI technology. Apptronik also signed commercial agreements with parties such as Mercedes-Benz and GXO Logistics.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
