That approach has now netted Agility Robotics, maker of Cassie and, more recently, of commercial robots designed to work alongside people in logistics and warehouse environments, an impressive $150M Series B, which it will use to implement human-robot collaboration in logistics warehouses. The humanoid robots are capable of carrying out a number of potential warehouse tasks previously done by humans and can be deployed flexibly in various environments. “Unprecedented consumer and corporate demand have created an extraordinary need for robots to support people in the workplace,” explained Damion Shelton, CEO of Agility Robotics. “With this investment, Agility can ramp up the delivery of robots to fill roles where there’s an unmet need.” Agility has evolved quickly to focus on true commercial robots that work collaboratively and side-by-side with people in a familiar and non-threatening way. Their robots can easily walk, climb stairs, navigate unstructured environments, carry packages, stack goods, and work indoors or out, all of which are skills that were elusive within robotics development even a short time ago. The company’s robots are now deployed in the factories and warehouses of top U.S. logistics companies, as well as Ford Motor Co. and some of the country’s most elite research institutions, including Ohio and Michigan. The capital raise underscores the continued reliance on automation to drive efficiency, even as the economy grows more turbulent. Faced with a tight labor market and supply chain woes, logistics operations are increasingly relying on automation to fill key gaps, shifting reliance slowly away from human workers. Agility’s most advanced robot will be deployed at customers’ sites later this year. The Series B was led by led by DCVC and Playground Global.
