Humanoid robot startup Apptronik has secured $935 million in Series A funding, pushing its valuation to $5.3 billion. The Austin-based company, spun out from the University of Texas, initially raised $415 million last year before adding another $520 million from existing investors including Google, Mercedes-Benz, and B Capital along with new backers.

This massive funding round values Apptronik at roughly triple its initial Series A valuation of $1.75 billion, according to PitchBook. The company has partnered with Google DeepMind, GXO, and Mercedes-Benz to develop embodied AI robots capable of perceiving environments and taking physical action. These robots are designed for warehouse tasks like unloading trailers, picking inventory, and tending machinery.

Despite the Series A label, Apptronik's origins trace back to 2013 when University of Texas researchers competed in the NASA-DARPA Robotics Challenge. The company has been developing its Apollo robot for years, maintaining a partnership with NASA throughout. The funding surge reflects intense investor interest in humanoid robotics, with closely watched competitor Figure AI raising $1 billion last fall after securing nearly $2 billion total since 2022.