In this new global landscape, the United States, Europe, and China are accelerating in parallel. Startups like Apptronik, Figure, 1X, and Agility are raising record-breaking funding rounds; Tesla is attempting to place Optimus Prime at the heart of its strategy; and industrial groups like Schaeffler are positioning themselves in Europe as critical suppliers of actuators and components for the humanoids of the future. Meanwhile, China is showcasing models like the Lingxi X2, capable of executing complex kung fu movements with a precision that seemed like science fiction just a few years ago.
Apptronik and Alphabet and NASA's bet on humanoids
One of the names generating the most buzz in the industry is Apptronik, an Austin-based humanoid robotics startup that spun out of the Human-Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas. After nearly a decade of work and the development of some fifteen previous robots—including NASA's Valkyrie—the company has made its Apollo model the cornerstone of its roadmap.
Apptronik has closed a Series A funding round that raises total funding to $935 million , with a potential valuation of approximately $5.300 billion. The round was backed by existing investors such as Alphabet (Google's parent company), Mercedes-Benz, Peak6, and B Capital, as well as new participants including AT&T Ventures, John Deere, and the Qatar Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund, reinforcing the confidence of major investors in humanoid robotics.
The connection with Alphabet goes beyond capital. Apptronik maintains a strategic alliance with Google DeepMind to develop the next generation of humanoid robots powered by Gemini Robotics, an effort that seeks to equip Apollo and its successors with advanced perception, planning, and manipulation capabilities in real-world environments.
With the new resources, the company aims to accelerate Apollo production and the expansion of its commercial pilot programs worldwide, prioritizing sectors such as retail, manufacturing, and logistics. The plan includes the creation of dedicated facilities for robot training and data collection, a crucial step in refining AI models that will enable humanoid robots to work alongside humans.
Apptronik's vision involves robots designed to collaborate safely and intelligently with humans on repetitive or physically demanding tasks, with an eye toward healthcare, domestic environments , and other services. The company maintains that its next generation of humanoids, planned for 2026, will be based on this human-centered approach and a target cost below that of a car, opening the door to a mass market.
Tesla Optimus and the ambition of mass production
While startups refine their prototypes, Tesla has decided that its Optimus robot will be a cornerstone of its long-term strategy . The android, which has already been seen at internal events serving drinks, performing cleaning tasks, and executing dance moves, still relies somewhat on remote control, but the company insists it is moving toward greater autonomy.
Elon Musk has made Optimus Prime a strategic priority within Tesla. In a recent investor call, he announced the start of large-scale production and explained that this year will be particularly intensive in capital investment to adapt assembly lines and convert part of the vehicle facilities into a factory dedicated to the humanoid robot.
Musk's stated goal is to reach an annual production of around one million Optimus Prime robots in the long term. Beyond the initial rollout at Tesla's own factories, the executive maintains that the robot could become the company's most valuable product and ultimately represent the majority of its market capitalization.
In Tesla's public discourse, humanoid robots are not limited to improving industrial productivity. Musk has even suggested that widespread adoption of robots like Optimus could reshape the labor market and reduce poverty by replacing arduous or undesirable tasks. These kinds of statements, however, coexist with the current reality: prototypes in the testing phase that still need to demonstrate their reliability in real-world environments and their economic viability.
Figure, 1X, Agility and Boston Dynamics: the American ecosystem
Beyond Tesla and Apptronik, the US humanoid landscape is populated by a growing number of startups with diverse approaches. One of the most successful in attracting capital is Figure AI , which raised over $1.000 billion in a Series C round, reaching a valuation of $39.000 billion, significantly higher than its size in previous months.
Figure works on general-purpose humanoids and argues that this type of robot will be the ideal vehicle for deploying artificial general intelligence (AGI) when it becomes a reality. Their Figure 03 model is geared towards domestic tasks such as laundry, cleaning, and washing dishes, and the company insists that, in just a few years, androids will be able to perform useful, everyday jobs.
Another key piece of the puzzle is 1X, a company with Norwegian and American roots backed by investors such as OpenAI, EQT, and Samsung Next . Its product range is structured around two lines: Neo, designed for home use, and Eve, geared towards industrial applications. Neo will be available in the United States starting in 2026, priced around $20.000 or via monthly subscription. However, initially, users will have to agree to have the robot remotely controlled by 1X technicians during training.
The company's message focuses on the safe coexistence of humans and robots . Its CEO emphasizes that one of the differentiating factors of its models is their ability to operate safely near people, which would open the door to new consumer markets and domestic and care services.
In the purely industrial sphere, Agility has become a benchmark by having its humanoid robot Digit become one of the first of its kind to perform paid work . In collaboration with GXO Logistics, the company has deployed units at Spanx facilities, where they are responsible for moving boxes and placing them on conveyor belts, having already handled over 100.000 units. The robot is also being tested by companies such as Schaeffler and Amazon, further solidifying its role as a pioneer in logistics tasks.
Waves of global funding: from the United States to Europe
The rise of humanoids cannot be understood without considering the financial context. Investment banks like Goldman Sachs predict that the global market for humanoid robots could reach nearly $38.000 billion by 2035 , a forecast that has spurred the appetite of venture capital funds and large corporations.
Besides Apptronik and Figure, several other players are vying for positions in this new wave. The Norwegian-American company 1X Technologies is planning a new funding round that aims to raise around $1.000 billion , with a potential valuation of close to $10.000 billion. Meanwhile, other companies specializing in robotics and automation, such as Serve Robotics, Symbotic, and Richtech Robotics, have experienced a turbulent year on the stock market, with sharp price fluctuations as investors weigh risks and expectations.
Europe is also getting in on the action. German company Neura Robotics is finalizing a $1.200 billion funding round that would value it between $8.000 billion and $10.000 billion. Its plans are ambitious: to manufacture up to five million robots by 2030, starting with industrial applications and then expanding into the consumer market. Meanwhile, the participation of players like Tether is being considered, demonstrating that the crypto-financial ecosystem is also watching this sector with interest.
This influx of capital is creating an ecosystem where technology companies, automotive manufacturers, sovereign wealth funds, and component suppliers converge . In Europe, this latter segment is gaining traction thanks to companies with a long industrial history that are transferring their expertise in actuators, motors, and gearboxes to the field of humanoid robots.
Schaeffler: European actuators for the next generation of humanoids
One of the groups that best illustrates the role of European industry is Schaeffler. With decades of experience in mechanical components for the automotive and industrial sectors, the company has set its sights on becoming a leader in actuators for humanoid robots , a key component for providing androids with precise and efficient movements.
The company emphasizes that, on average, a humanoid robot requires between 25 and 30 actuators to articulate shoulders, knees, hips, and other upper joints. Their solutions enable smooth feedback—that is, the ability to move the actuator in the opposite direction—and virtually zero backlash, resulting in very fine movements, low friction, and high precision . All of this is crucial for robots to be able to manipulate objects delicately and maintain balance even in the face of external disturbances.
Schaeffler manufactures all the main components of these actuators in-house, utilizing winding, surface mounting, machining, assembly, and testing technologies. This vertical integration allows them to guarantee quality, control costs, and scale production quickly—a crucial factor if the humanoids are ultimately manufactured in the hundreds of thousands of units.
The German group also offers scalable linear and rotary actuators that cover nearly half of the components needed in a modern humanoid robot. With a portfolio encompassing eight dedicated product families, the company adapts solutions derived from the automotive and industrial sectors to meet the specific needs of robot manufacturers.
As part of its own transformation strategy, Schaeffler not only sells these actuators but also deploys humanoid robots within its own value chain . In fact, it plans to integrate several hundred humanoid robots into its global production network within five years, with the aim of increasing automation and improving process efficiency. This direct end-user experience allows it to collect operational data and continuously refine the design of its drive solutions.
European alliance: Schaeffler and Humanoid to validate robots in real factories
In Europe, collaboration between component manufacturers and robot developers is beginning to materialize into concrete agreements. One example is the alliance between Schaeffler and the company Humanoid , which aims to deploy humanoid robots in large-scale industrial environments and use the data obtained to train AI models and improve robot performance.
The central idea of ​​this agreement is for humanoid robots to move beyond laboratory projects or mere demonstrations and undergo the ultimate test: working daily on European production lines. Humanoid argues that the future of the sector will not be defined by the most eye-catching videos, but by the ability to scale the technology to large volumes and operate reliably and safely in real factories.
The joint deployment will allow for the validation of the actuators' mechanical robustness, the precision of their movements, and their safe interaction with people in demanding environments—something especially relevant for European industry, which seeks to increase its productivity without further offshoring of production. In turn, the data collected will feed AI systems capable of planning tasks, optimizing trajectories, and anticipating failures.
Schaeffler's management emphasizes that humanoid robots represent the pinnacle of movement and precision , and that their extensive experience in high-volume manufacturing allows them to offer components ready for integration into large-scale assembly lines. For Humanoid, this collaboration provides access to advanced actuator technology and a world-class industrial testing facility in Europe.
China accelerates with Lingxi X2: kung fu, gymnastics and advanced coordination
While the United States and Europe focus on industrialization and commercial expansion, China is forging ahead with an approach that combines spectacular demonstrations with accelerated technological development . One of the most striking examples is Lingxi X2, a humanoid robot developed by Agibot, which has garnered attention for its ability to perform kung fu moves and complex acrobatics.
In a recent demonstration, Agibot took its humanoid robot to the historic Shaolin Temple , a symbol of Chinese martial arts, where the robot performed kung fu routines with a balance and speed that astonished the audience. Images shared on social media showed several humanoid robots coordinating their movements with unusual precision, generating mixed reactions ranging from fascination to some unease.
Lingxi X2 has been training since its unveiling as a general-purpose robot in 2025 and has starred in several viral videos, including one in which it performs a Webster Flip, a highly difficult forward roll requiring precise control of the center of gravity and the airborne phase. These types of tests demonstrate the robot's ability to manage dynamic forces and regain balance in critical situations.
Beyond the spectacle, Agibot highlights the role of its AI model Genie Operator-1, known as Go-1, as the humanoid's "brain ." This system allows Lingxi X2 to recognize objects and perform basic tasks without prior specific training, from classifying packages by size to remembering and repeating everyday routes, such as the path between two workstations.
The company claims its robots can coordinate with each other and understand human movement from current and archived images, enabling them to mimic complex gestures and adapt to changing environments. While many of these capabilities are still being validated, the Chinese strategy clearly aims to position itself as a leader in general-purpose humanoids with high levels of mobility and dexterity.
Amidst a flood of investment, bets from tech giants, and the industrial boom in Europe and Asia, humanoid robots are rapidly advancing from the laboratory to factories, logistics, and, eventually, homes. The combination of massive capital, AI advancements, new precision actuators, and pilot projects in real-world environments is shaping a global market in which Tesla, Apptronik, Figure, 1X, Agility, Boston Dynamics, Schaeffler, Neura Robotics, and Agibot are vying for position. The outcome is still uncertain, but all indications suggest that the next decade will be crucial in determining whether these androids will transition from technological curiosities to becoming regular work companions and part of the everyday landscape in Europe and the rest of the world.
