Agile Robots Raises $500 Million to Expand Physical AI

Agile Robots raised $500 million in a funding round led by SoftBank and Nvidia, bringing the Munich-based company's valuation to $8.5 billion. The firm develops AI-powered industrial robots and humanoids, with nearly 30,000 systems already deployed across the logistics, electronics, and automotive sectors.

Founder Zhaopeng Chen intends to use the new capital to increase production in Germany and expand into the United States. The company is considering Auburn Hills, Michigan, as a potential site for U.S. operations following its acquisition of assets from ThyssenKrupp Automation Engineering. Agile Robots has raised $2 billion in total funding to date and maintains a collaboration with Google DeepMind.

The company expects to double its annual sales to approximately 600 million euros. Chen described physical AI as a critical solution for Europe to revive struggling industries and narrow the technology gap with China and the United States.