Agility becomes first pure humanoid robot firm listed on Nasdaq

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 14:20 · Archive

Agility Robotics, which develops humanoid robots for warehouse and factory work, has listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, raising $465 million.

Agility Robotics has listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, becoming the first publicly traded pure-play humanoid robotics company. The company raised $465 million through a reverse merger with a special purpose acquisition company, combining retail investor funding and private capital.

The Oregon-based company was spun out of Oregon State University in 2015 by researchers who developed methods for robots to walk safely on two legs. It has deployed its Digit robots with nine customers including logistics company GXO, automotive suppliers Schaeffler and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, and Mercado Libre. At a GXO warehouse, Digit robots move more than 100,000 totes. Agility achieved the first full-time commercial deployment of humanoid robots at a customer warehouse in 2024.

CEO Peggy Johnson told TechCrunch that Agility focused on 'manual, very repetitive jobs, that it's hard to find humans to do' rather than building attention-grabbing robots. The company earned $174,000 in its first six months of 2026, mostly from related parties. Jonathan Hurst, co-founder and chief robot officer, told Ars Technica that offering robots as a service reduced customer risk because users pay rates comparable to human labour costs and see returns from day one. GXO has said it will expand Digit deployments to facilities in North Carolina and Tennessee. Ars Technica noted that humanoid robots remain unproven at scale compared with traditional industrial robots with decades of proven records.

How it is being reported

• Agility Robotics' Nasdaq debut invites scrutiny of humanoid robot marketUS leader in deploying humanoid robots goes public on the Nasdaq stock exchange.Ars Technica · 5 Nov, 12:00
• Agility is the first pure humanoid robot company on the stock market. Are you buying?Agility arrives on the Nasdaq today as the first publicly-traded pure-play humanoid robotics company.TechCrunch · 5 Nov, 12:00

In this story: Agility Robotics · GXO · Schaeffler · Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada · Nasdaq · Oregon State University · Peggy Johnson · Jonathan Hurst

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