Agile Robots raises $500M at an $8.5B valuation, up from over $1B in 2021
Munich-based Agile Robots raised $500M in a Series F round at an $8.5B valuation, led by SoftBank Group (TYO:9984).
Nvidia (NVDA), Hitachi (TYO:6501), and T.Capital also invested. The company says the round lifts its total funding to $2B.
The valuation is a big step up from Agile's last priced round. SoftBank also led its $220M Series C in Sept. 2021, which valued the company at more than $1B and made it Germany's first robotics unicorn.
The new round is smaller than the one discussed earlier this year. In June, Bloomberg reported talks about a raise of about $800M.
A spokesman told AFP that Agile is now Europe's most valuable "physical AI" robotics firm. That puts it ahead of fellow German startup Neura Robotics, valued at about $7B in June.
Agile Robots was spun off from the German Aerospace Center in 2018. It builds humanoid and mobile robots, robotic arms and hands, and the software and AI models that run them.
It claims that more than 20K of its robotic systems are installed in carmakers', electronics makers', and logistics companies' plants.
In March, Agile formed a research partnership with Google's (GOOGL) AI lab, DeepMind. The deal puts DeepMind's Gemini Robotics models on Agile's hardware, and data from robots at work goes back into training the models.
The new money will pay for:
- Expansion in the U.S. and entry into new markets.
- More production capacity, including in Germany.
Early this year, Agile opened a factory near Munich that it says can build up to 10K humanoid robots a year.
CEO and founder Zhaopeng Chen said, "Our vision is intelligent robots working alongside people in factories and warehouses everywhere, and Agile Robots is determined to lead that shift."
Chen also told the New York Times that the round puts Agile in a stronger position to consider an IPO.
Sources & Further Reading
- "Physical AI leader Agile Robots raises $500 million Series F at $8.5 billion valuation to accelerate global growth." Agile Robots. November 12, 2026.
- "German-Chinese startup Agile Robots raises $220 million from investors." Euronews. September 10, 2021.
- "SoftBank in Early Talks to Back $800 Million Agile Robots Round." Bloomberg. June 2, 2026.
- "German AI robotics start-up valued at $8.5 bn after new fundraising." France 24. November 12, 2026.
- "Agile Robots and Google DeepMind partner to bring intelligence to robotics." Agile Robots. March 24, 2026.
- "Tech Giants Invest in German Robotics Start-Up at $8.5 Billion Valuation." NY Times. November 12, 2026.
This article was drafted with the help of AI. Gabe Dunsmith fact-checked, edited and published the article and is responsible for its accuracy and quality. How we use AI
