Google has officially entered the competitive field of humanoid robot development, combining its expertise in artificial intelligence with robotics. This move comes as other tech giants like Nvidia and OpenAI are also heavily investing in "physical AI," with the ultimate goal of creating advanced humanoid robots.
Apptronik, an AI-powered humanoid robot company, recently announced that it has secured $350 million in Series A funding from investors, including Google. While the exact amount of Google's investment remains undisclosed, this significant funding round underscores the company's commitment to advancing humanoid robot technology.
Founded in 2016 by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, Apptronik is considered a major competitor to Tesla, led by CEO Elon Musk, in the humanoid robot space. Similar to Tesla's Optimus, Apptronik's industrial humanoid robot, Apollo, is nearing commercialization.
This is not Google's first foray into robotics. In December 2024, Google formed a strategic partnership with Apptronik, with Google DeepMind, Google's AI division, providing AI technology to support Apptronik's development of bipedal robots.
Google's interest in robotics dates back to 2013 when it acquired several robotics companies, including Boston Dynamics, the creator of the humanoid robot Atlas. However, Google's vision of creating consumer robots for home use clashed with the engineering focus of Boston Dynamics, leading Google to sell the company to SoftBank Group in 2017.
Currently, Tesla is considered the leader in the humanoid robot market, with plans to produce up to 10,000 Optimus robots this year for deployment in its factories. Nvidia, Microsoft, and OpenAI have also invested in humanoid robot startup Figure AI, with Nvidia recently unveiling its physical AI platform, Cosmos, at CES 2025.
According to Goldman Sachs, the global humanoid robot market is projected to reach a substantial $38 billion by 2035, indicating the immense potential of this emerging industry. Google's renewed focus on humanoid robots signals its determination to be a key player in this rapidly growing market.
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