Robotics Digest: November 2025

In November, the development of humanoid robotics continued to accelerate, but so did the divergence in how that progress is understood. Companies advanced toward manufacturing at scale, major funding rounds signaled confidence in both software and hardware models, and new deployments pushed robots further into real environments.

At the same time, the field is beginning to fragment, not in ambition, but in interpretation. What humanoids are for, where they belong, and which design paths are worth pursuing are now open questions. This is no longer a story of technical capability alone. It is becoming a conversation about direction.

‍
1. NEURA Robotics is in talks to raise €1 billion led by Tether

NEURA Robotics is reportedly finalizing a €1 billion funding round led by Tether. If completed, the raise would value the German company at €10 billion, placing it among the highest-valued private robotics ventures globally.

Founded in 2019, NEURA has focused on cognitive robotics for industrial use, developing modular systems that combine mechatronics with perception and language capabilities. The company positions its robots as autonomous co-workers rather than programmable tools, reflecting a shift in how automation is being integrated into production lines.

While many robotics firms remain limited to demonstration-scale projects, NEURA has emphasized reliability, factory readiness, and human-robot collaboration. This funding round, if closed, would suggest increasing confidence in both the company’s commercial traction and the broader appetite for capital-intensive robotics platforms in Europe.

‍

2. XPeng prepares IRON humanoid for manufacturing

Chinese automaker XPeng has announced that its humanoid platform, IRON, is progressing toward scaled manufacturing by 2026. The project is led by XPeng Robotics, a subsidiary established in 2016 and backed by over $1 billion in funding to date.

Unlike most players in the humanoid space, XPeng is drawing directly from its automotive manufacturing infrastructure, including its experience with complex supply chains, precision assembly, and systems integration. This allows the company to approach robotics not as a research initiative, but as a production challenge.

IRON is designed for indoor mobility, logistics, and service environments. Its development has been closely tied to advances in perception, balance control, and real-time planning, areas where XPeng is able to apply insights from its autonomous driving program.

If production begins as planned, XPeng would be among the first companies globally to produce full-size humanoid systems in high volume with the goal of commercial deployment.

‍

3. Apptronik frames humanoids as the next strategic race

In a recent interview, Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas described humanoid robotics as “the space race of our time,” pointing to the speed at which private and national interests are converging on the field.

Apptronik’s Apollo system has entered a growing number of pilot programs, particularly in logistics and light manufacturing. The company is focused on making general-purpose systems that can operate in human-built environments without extensive retraining or customization.

Cardenas suggested that only a small number of U.S. firms have the engineering depth and organizational scale to compete meaningfully. He also warned that the opportunity to lead may be limited to those able to deliver functional systems within the next two to three years.

‍

4. UBTECH draws scrutiny with delivery claims

UBTECH, one of China’s most visible robotics companies, reported over $112 million in orders for its Walker S2 humanoid, calling it the first mass delivery of general-purpose robots.

The claim has sparked skepticism. Critics questioned whether the deployments meet industry standards for general-purpose systems, and whether the scale justifies the term “mass delivery,” which remains loosely defined in robotics.

Nonetheless, the volume of commercial orders, particularly from state-backed buyers, shows how humanoids are being positioned in the Chinese market. As provincial governments and industrial parks adopt robotics as part of national strategy, firms like UBTECH are moving from demonstration toward sustained procurement.

The episode reflects a broader transition in the sector. Companies are no longer judged by how sophisticated their prototypes appear in controlled environments, but by whether their systems are being adopted at scale by customers willing to pay.

5. Physical Intelligence raises $600 million for software-only robotics

Physical Intelligence, a U.S. startup backed by Jeff Bezos and several leading venture firms, has raised $600 million at a valuation of $5.6 billion. The company is developing general-purpose control systems for robots, with no proprietary hardware of its own.

Its software stack is focused on enabling robots to perform contact-rich, fine-motor tasks in real time. Rather than relying on traditional motion planning or imitation learning alone, the company combines reinforcement learning with large-scale model pretraining across simulated and real environments.

This approach reflects a growing view that software will define which robots succeed commercially. As more companies build hardware platforms, firms like Physical Intelligence are positioning themselves as the intelligence layer, offering systems that can generalize across different robot forms and adapt quickly to new tasks.

‍

6. XMAQUINA confronts a strategic divide

Proposal BOT-08, which would allocate $203k toward an equity position in Foundation Robotics, has drawn more attention and disagreement than any vote in the DAO to date.

Foundation is a young but fast-moving U.S. company building full-size humanoid systems. Its technology stands out for both its actuator design and AI approach. But what has made the proposal so polarizing is the company’s focus. Unlike most of its peers, Foundation is not distancing itself from military applications. It is actively working with defense customers and sees national security as a core market.

What followed has been less a dispute over a single deal, and more an open conversation about what kind of future the community wants to support. Some see Foundation as a rare opportunity to gain exposure to a technically credible company with real traction in an under-addressed segment. Others question whether public capital from a decentralized, community-led ecosystem should ever be directed toward dual-use systems.

It has been revealing to see how strongly members feel about the direction of humanoid robotics. Not just where it’s going, but where it should go.

Bullish on Robotics? So Are We.

XMAQUINA is a decentralized ecosystem, giving a global community early exposure to the world’s leading robotics companies before they disrupt trillion-dollar industries.

Now, you don’t have to be sidelined. Own the rise of humanoids.

Join our Discord and connect with thousands of futurists building the XMAQUINA DAO.

Follow us on X for the latest updates.