Apptronik
- Founded: 2016
- Country:
- Industry:
- Headquarters: Austin, Texas, USA
Description: Apptronik, Inc. is a Texas-based robotics and Advanced Manufacturing startup spun out of the Human-Centered Robotics Lab at UT Austin. Founded in 2016 (headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA), it specializes in versatile, human-centric humanoid robots for logistics, manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and future space support missions, with its flagship robot Apollo under development for mass deployment.
Vision:
To be the global leader in humanoid robotics, transforming how people interact with machines in both terrestrial and space environments.
Mission:
To build versatile robotic systems that work seamlessly alongside humans, improving productivity and safety across multiple industries.
Contact:
- Website: https://apptronik.com/
- Social Media:
References:
- Apptronik "About Us" – Company origin, mission, history from UT Austin lab spinout.
- Apptronik "Our Work" – Technical description of robot platforms (Apollo, Astra, Draco, etc.).
- Space.com / Reuters / Axios – NASA partnership, funding news and industrial trials.
- Business Insider – Jabil partnership, factory integration tests of Apollo.
- Tracxn / PitchBook / Metoree – Profile data on founding, team, funding, employee count and competitors.
Funding:
- Grant : Dec 26, 2017, $: US Dollar0.224 million
- Seed Funding: Jun 23, 2022, $: US Dollar14.6 million
- Funding Round : Feb 7, 2023, $: US Dollar13.9 million
- Series A Funding: Feb 13, 2025, $: US Dollar403 million
Total Funding: $: US Dollar431.7 million
Key Milestones:
- 2016: Founded as a University of Texas spinoff by Jeff Cardenas, Nick Paine, Luis Cintas & Bill Helmsing; built early platform robots including exoskeletons, mobile bipeds, and robotic arms.
- 2022: NASA partnership announced to accelerate commercialization of Apollo humanoid robot.
- 2022–2023: Piloted Apollo prototypes and actuator platforms; established collaborations with Jabil, Mercedes‑Benz, and Google DeepMind.
- Feb 2025: Closed massive $350 M Series A led by B Capital and Capital Factory (Alphabet/Google participation); significant traction with Mercedes-Benz, GXO Logistics, and plans for scaling deployment across industries.
Key People:
- ,
Sector:
Products & Services:
- Apollo: General-purpose humanoid robot designed for industrial tasks (e.g., logistics, palletizing, machine tending, case picking), with modular actuation, 25 kg payload, hot-swappable batteries (~4 hr runtime), intuitive software for easy deployment. It’s compatible with diverse mobility bases or fixed mounts.
- Robotic Actuation Platforms:: Proprietary high-performance upper-body actuators (Draco, Astra, Scorpio arms, exoskeletons) used in Apollo and derived from legacy research and NASA Valkyrie robotics projects.
- Enterprise Deployments & Integrations: Product development and pilots conducted through partnerships with Jabil (manufacturing), Mercedes‑Benz (factory testbeds), GXO Logistics, NASA, Google DeepMind, and Space Force collaborations.