SoftBank leads $500M round valuing Agile Robots at $8.5B

Technology · First reported 12 Nov, 06:00 · Updated 06:37

Image: Wikimedia Commons · Ysherazi · CC BY-SA 4.0

SoftBank led a $500 million round in Munich-based Agile Robots, valuing the company at $8.5 billion and bringing total funding to roughly $2 billion. Nvidia, Hitachi and T.Capital also participated. The capital is intended for US expansion, added manufacturing capacity including in Germany, and new markets, while a factory near Munich is expected to build around 2,000 units in 2026. Agile's CEO said the raise strengthens the case for a possible future IPO.

Agile Robots raised $500 million in a SoftBank-led round that valued the Munich company at $8.5 billion, with Bloomberg framing the capital as funding expanded production of AI-powered machines.
Nvidia, Hitachi and T.Capital joined the round, which brought total funding to around $2 billion, about five months after reports of early talks around an $800 million raise.
The company plans to expand in the US, add production capacity including in Germany and enter new markets; a factory near Munich expects around 2,000 units in 2026, with output possibly doubling or tripling in 2027.
CEO Zhaopeng Chen said the funding puts Agile in a stronger position to consider a future IPO, and its systems are being tested with manufacturing customers including Volkswagen's Audi.
SoftBank led Agile's $220 million Series C in 2021, and Chinese regulators blocked its planned $5.4 billion acquisition of ABB's robotics business.