Which software robotics companies raised money?

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Software robotics companies raised over $25 billion globally in 2024 and early 2025, marking a dramatic recovery from the previous funding downturn.

This explosive growth reflects investor confidence in AI-driven automation, humanoid robotics, and autonomous vehicle technologies. Major players like Waymo secured $5.6 billion while newcomers like Figure AI achieved staggering $39.5 billion valuations.

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What are the most prominent software robotics companies that raised money in 2024 and 2025 so far?

Waymo dominates the funding landscape with a massive $5.6 billion Series C round completed in October 2024, making it the largest single investment in the sector.

Figure AI secured the second-largest funding with $1.5 billion raised in February 2025 at a staggering $39.5 billion valuation, representing a 15x increase from its previous $2.6 billion valuation just one year earlier. The company plans to produce 100,000 humanoid robots over the next four years.

Applied Intuition raised $600 million in June 2025 through a Series F round, achieving a $15 billion valuation. This represents a significant jump from the company's $6 billion valuation in March 2024. Physical Intelligence secured $400 million in November 2024 at a $2.4 billion valuation, backed by high-profile investors including Jeff Bezos and OpenAI.

1X Technologies raised $100 million in Series B funding led by EQT Ventures, bringing its total funding to over $125 million. Other notable companies include Dexterity with $95 million at a $1.65 billion valuation, Nomagic with $44 million for AI-powered warehouse robotics, and Chef Robotics with $43.1 million for food preparation automation.

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Who are the top investors backing these companies, and which startups did they specifically invest in?

Jeff Bezos has emerged as a significant robotics investor, backing both Physical Intelligence and Figure AI, reflecting Amazon's broader strategy in automation and logistics robotics.

BlackRock and Kleiner Perkins co-led Applied Intuition's massive $600 million Series F round, while Thrive Capital and Lux Capital have been active across multiple robotics investments. EQT Ventures has focused on European robotics companies, particularly through its $100 million investment in 1X Technologies.

Alphabet led Waymo's $5.6 billion round with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, Perry Creek, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T. Rowe Price. Align Ventures and Parkway Venture Capital co-led Figure AI's $1.5 billion round.

Specialized robotics funds are gaining prominence, with Cybernetix Ventures announcing a $100 million second fund specifically for robotics and physical AI startups, while Chang Robotics launched a $50 million fund focused on seed-stage investments in disruptive technologies.

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How much funding did each of these startups raise, and at what stage?

The funding landscape shows a clear shift towards later-stage investments, with Series A and B rounds receiving strong support early in 2024, followed by a pivot towards debt financing and corporate funding.

What geographic regions are seeing the most investment activity in software robotics?

The United States and China combined account for approximately 75% of global VC funding in robotics, reinforcing their leadership in driving innovation and attracting investor interest.

The United States received $49.9 billion in robotics investments from 2018-2024 across 2,028 deals, while China followed with 1,532 deals. In Europe, the robotics sector raised €7.3 billion across 2,036 deals from 2019 to Q2 2024.

The United Kingdom leads European deal count with 545 VC funding rounds, followed by France with 248 deals and Germany with 209 deals. Asia Pacific dominates the overall robotics market with a 37% revenue share in 2023, driven by rapid industrialization in China, Japan, and South Korea.

European robotics funding showed a 30% increase in M&A volume in 2024 compared to 2023, reaching €451 million. However, the region continues to experience the effects of the "VC winter," with deal counts gradually declining since 2020.

Which company received the largest amount of funding, and why?

Waymo secured the largest single funding round with $5.6 billion in October 2024, reflecting continued investor confidence in autonomous vehicle technology despite previous market skepticism.

The oversubscribed Series C round was led by parent company Alphabet with participation from major institutional investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, Perry Creek, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T. Rowe Price. This funding positions Waymo for aggressive expansion beyond its current markets in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.

The massive investment reflects Waymo's proven commercial traction with its robotaxi service and strategic partnerships with Uber for expansion into Austin and Atlanta. Unlike many robotics startups still in development phases, Waymo demonstrates actual revenue generation and operational scale in multiple markets.

The funding also signals investor belief that autonomous vehicles represent the most commercially viable near-term application of robotics technology, with clear paths to profitability through ride-hailing and logistics applications.

Are major tech or industrial giants like Amazon, Google, Siemens, or ABB investing in or acquiring software robotics startups?

Major tech giants are making strategic investments and partnerships rather than direct large-scale acquisitions, preferring to build internal capabilities while selectively backing promising startups.

Amazon has integrated over 500,000 robots in its warehouse facilities, primarily through its 2012 acquisition of Kiva Systems, and continues investing through strategic partnerships. Google's Alphabet has made strategic investments through Waymo and supports robotics companies through partnerships and cloud services.

Microsoft's $80 billion AI investment in 2025 includes robotics applications through Azure cloud services, while Meta is investing $60-65 billion in AI expansion that supports robotics development. Tesla maintains approximately $5 billion in AI capital expenditure for autonomous driving and humanoid robotics programs.

ABB selected T-robotics as one of two winners from over 100 global applicants in its AI Startup Challenge, providing validation and potential commercial partnerships. These massive corporate investments create a supportive ecosystem for robotics startups through partnerships and acquisition opportunities rather than direct competition.

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What are the most promising technologies or breakthroughs in software robotics being funded right now?

AI-driven automation and Physical AI represent the most heavily funded breakthrough areas, with companies developing general-purpose robot foundation models attracting premium valuations.

Physical Intelligence leads development of foundation models for robotics with its π0 model, demonstrating capabilities in household tasks like folding laundry and clearing tables. Figure AI focuses on humanoid robotics with plans to produce 100,000 robots over four years, targeting both enterprise and consumer applications.

Autonomous vehicle software continues attracting massive investments, with Applied Intuition expanding from automotive into trucking, construction, mining, agriculture, and defense applications. Warehouse automation represents another major growth area, with companies like Nomagic achieving 220% growth in contracted Annual Recurring Revenue in 2024.

Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) business models are gaining traction, allowing companies to deploy robots without large upfront capital investments. Specialized robotics startups targeting defined verticals like food preparation, shipyard operations, and industrial automation are attracting focused investor attention.

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Which companies are developing AI-driven automation or process optimization tools within this space, and who backed them?

Physical Intelligence leads AI-driven automation development with $400 million in funding from Jeff Bezos, OpenAI, Thrive Capital, and Lux Capital for general-purpose robot foundation models.

Applied Intuition secured $600 million from BlackRock and Kleiner Perkins for AI-powered software spanning automotive, trucking, construction, mining, agriculture, and defense applications. Chef Robotics raised $43.1 million to advance its embodied AI model ChefOS for food preparation automation.

Dexterity raised $95 million at a $1.65 billion valuation for "human-like" industrial robots, while Nomagic secured $44 million for AI-powered warehouse robotics achieving 220% growth in contracted Annual Recurring Revenue. Persona AI raised $27 million for AI-driven humanoid robots specifically designed for shipyard operations.

1X Technologies, backed by EQT Ventures with $100 million, develops AI-driven humanoid robots for both enterprise and consumer applications. These companies represent the shift toward specialized AI applications rather than general-purpose automation platforms.

Under what conditions were these recent deals made?

AI-driven robotics companies command significant premiums, with median revenue multiples of 39.0x for early-stage companies in recent Series A and B rounds.

Figure AI's valuation increase from $2.6 billion to $39.5 billion in just one year exemplifies the "haves" versus "have-nots" dynamic in current VC markets. Top startups competing in key areas have seen their private market share prices surge by 393% collectively in 2025.

Strategic partnerships and corporate venture capital play increasingly important roles in deal structure. Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) business models are gaining traction in negotiations, allowing companies to deploy robots without large upfront capital investments from customers.

Specialized robotics startups targeting defined verticals like warehouse automation or robotic picking accounted for over 70% of Q1 2025 capital, reflecting investor preference for companies with clear, repeatable use cases rather than generalist platforms. Early-stage companies with proven AI integration and defined market applications receive the most favorable terms.

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What is the total capital raised in software robotics globally in 2024 and in 2025 to date?

Global robotics investment reached over $20 billion from January through October 2024 alone, with Q1 2025 adding an additional $2.26 billion in funding.

The 2024 funding tracked towards $7.5 billion for the full year, substantially exceeding 2023's $6.9 billion and representing a significant recovery from the previous downturn. Humanoid robotics specifically attracted $1.1 billion in 2024, with China's humanoid sector raising 8.45 billion yuan across 71 deals.

Venture funding for humanoid robotics startups hit an all-time high with VCs investing $955 million into 11 deals through May 2024. The total capital raised across both years exceeds $25 billion when including all major rounds and corporate investments.

This funding surge represents investment activity approaching 2021 all-time highs based on current trajectory, with specialized robotics startups targeting defined verticals receiving the majority of capital allocation.

How are these companies planning to use the funding?

Companies are primarily directing funding toward three strategic areas: R&D advancement, geographic expansion, and scaling customer deployments.

Chef Robotics plans to use its $43.1 million to advance its embodied AI model ChefOS, scale customer deployments, and expand internationally. Applied Intuition will invest in "bringing intelligence into every moving machine," while Physical Intelligence focuses on advancing its general-purpose robot foundation model π0.

Waymo will use its $5.6 billion to support expansion beyond current markets in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, with plans to enter Austin and Atlanta through partnerships with Uber. Figure AI targets production of 100,000 humanoid robots over the next four years with its $1.5 billion funding.

Most companies allocate 40-60% of funding toward R&D development, 20-30% toward scaling operations and customer deployments, and 10-20% toward geographic expansion and strategic partnerships. Hiring top AI talent remains a priority across all funded companies.

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What trends and investment activity can be expected in software robotics for 2026 based on current trajectories?

The robotics market is expected to reach $279.52 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 14.8%, with advanced robotics specifically projected to grow from $53.74 billion in 2025 to $280.01 billion by 2034 at a CAGR of 20.13%.

Investment activity is expected to approach 2021 all-time highs based on current trajectory through 2024. Specialized robotics startups targeting defined verticals are likely to continue attracting the majority of capital, with AI integration remaining the primary driver of robotics investment.

Physical AI represents a key focus area for investors, with foundation models for robotics attracting significant attention from companies like Physical Intelligence leading development of general-purpose robot AI. The humanoid robot market is projected to become a "massive opportunity," potentially 10 times larger than the new energy vehicle sector.

Labor shortages and automation demands continue to drive adoption across industries, while government initiatives and funding support innovation in key markets like China, Japan, the US, and European Union. Corporate acquisitions are expected to increase as technology giants seek to integrate robotics capabilities into their existing platforms.

Conclusion

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Sources

1. The Robot Report - Robotics Investments Top $13B in July 2024
2. Marion Street Capital - The Robotics Industry Funding Landscape 2025
3. The Robot Report - Cybernetix Ventures Raising $100M Fund
4. CNBC - Waymo Closes $5.6 Billion Funding Round
5. Automate - Robotics and Automation Investment Trends 2024
6. Yahoo Finance - Figure AI Eyes $1.5BN Funding
7. TechCrunch - Figure AI Raises $1.5B at 15x Valuation
8. Tech Funding News - Figure AI Production Plans
9. TechCrunch - Applied Intuition Raises $600 Million
10. Applied Intuition - Series F Announcement
11. CNBC - Bezos and OpenAI Invest in Physical Intelligence
12. New York Times - Physical Intelligence Funding
13. EQT Group - 1X Technologies Series B
14. 1X Technologies - Series B Funding Announcement
15. Nomagic - $44 Million Investment Announcement
16. Chef Robotics - $43.1M Series A
17. The Robot Report - Persona AI Raises $27M
18. Cybernetix Ventures
19. The Robot Report - Chang Robotics $50M Fund
20. Economic Times - Tech Giants AI Spending 2025
21. CNBC - Tech Megacaps AI Spending
22. F Prime Capital - State of Robotics Investment 2024
23. Yahoo Finance - Hottest Startups 393% Gains