In a curious twist of fate, the cryptocurrency-friendly investment firm, ARK Invest, has decided to dip its toes into the vast ocean of humanoid robotics, joining a rather extravagant Series A funding round for the Texas-based Apptronik. One might wonder, is this the dawn of a new era or merely a whimsical dalliance with technology?
On this fateful day, March 18, Apptronik triumphantly announced the successful closure of an oversubscribed $403 million Series A funding round, which, if one is keeping score, adds a rather impressive $53 million to the previously disclosed $350 million round from February. Ah, the sweet scent of investor confidence! 💸
With ARK’s investment, the gates to Apptronik have swung wide open, allowing eager investors to access this promising venture through the ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX), which, in its lofty ambition, seeks to champion “disruptive innovation.” One can only hope that this innovation does not disrupt our daily lives too much! 😅
“After investing in their Series A round, the ARK Venture Fund is positively bursting with pride to offer investors access to Apptronik! Download SoFi and gain access today,” ARK proclaimed in a rather enthusiastic post on X this Tuesday. One can almost hear the excitement in their voice! 📈
Mercedes-Benz, Japan Post, and Google: A Star-Studded Cast of Investors
Leading this grand spectacle are the illustrious California-based B Capital and Texas-based Capital Factory, with the tech behemoth Google also gracing the occasion. It seems that the original $350 million Series A raise was quite the soirée!
The latest funding round has attracted new investors, including the German automotive giant Mercedes-Benz, the ever-curious Japan Post Capital, and RyderVentures, the corporate venture capital arm of Ryder System. Not to mention a syndicate led by Korea Investment Partners. Quite the eclectic mix, wouldn’t you agree? 🎉
Apptronik’s oversubscribed raise is a testament to the strong market demand and the unwavering confidence of investors in the transformative power of embodied artificial intelligence. Yes, the integration of AI into physical systems is indeed a sight to behold!
Apptronik’s Vision: Man Plus Machine
Founded in the year of our Lord 2016, Apptronik emerged from the hallowed halls of the University of Texas at Austin’s Human-Centered Robotics Lab, with the noble goal of ushering in the next generation of robots. One can only imagine the lofty discussions that took place in those academic corridors!
The company boasts the development of 15 robotic systems, including the humanoid robot NASA Valkyrie, before unveiling Apollo — an AI-powered humanoid designed for industrial work. Truly, a marvel of modern engineering! 🤖
“We believe that it is not Man versus Machine, but rather Man plus Machine that will elevate humanity into the next stage of evolution,” declares Apptronik’s website. A rather optimistic view, wouldn’t you say? Let’s hope the machines don’t get too ambitious! 😜
According to the ever-reliable TechCrunch, Apptronik’s humanoid endeavors date back to 2013, when the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Austin participated in the NASA-DARPA Robotics Challenge, focusing on the humanoid robot known as Valkyrie. Ah, the nostalgia of competition!
In a delightful twist, Google’s AI division, DeepMind, has also partnered with Apptronik to deliver embodied AI for its bipedal robots. It seems that collaboration is the name of the game!
ARK Invest’s foray into Apptronik further solidifies the company’s commitment to innovation and technology, as the very name “ARK” itself stands for “Active Research Knowledge.” A fitting title for such ambitious pursuits!
Beyond Apptronik, ARK has thrown its support behind a plethora of AI platforms, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Groq, and many others. It appears they are quite the patrons of the digital arts!
In a rather bold move, ARK reportedly agreed to invest at least $
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2025-03-18 17:28