Insider Brief
- Standard Bots has raised $200 million in a Series C round led by RoboStrategy, valuing the U.S. industrial robotics company at $1 billion.
- The company said the funding will support expansion of its manufacturing operations and deployment of its AI-powered robots as manufacturers increasingly turn to automation to improve competitiveness.
- Standard Bots develops robotic arms and industrial humanoids that learn through demonstration rather than traditional programming and plans to expand its New York production facility as it scales U.S.-based manufacturing.
Standard Bots has raised $200 million in a Series C funding round led by RoboStrategy, with participation from existing investors including General Catalyst, as the U.S. robotics company looks to grow production of its AI-powered industrial robots.
The round values the company at $1 billion and the company indicated the new funding will support expansion of its manufacturing operations and deployment of its robotics platforms across U.S. industry. Standard Bots said the expansion comes as U.S. manufacturers face increasing competitive pressure and growing automation adoption, with China investing heavily in industrial robotics and deploying significantly more robots than the United States.
“AI will allow industrial robots to do 100x more tasks with full autonomy,” said co-founder and CEO Evan Beard. “You just show your robot how it’s done, and it learns through demonstration. The quickest way to get to full autonomy is through deployments, collecting real-world data, and iterating as fast as possible. Standard Bots is the furthest along in that regard with the most vertically integrated, onshore production process, and this new capital just accelerates all of that.”
Founded by Beard, David Golden and James Cordle, Standard Bots also announced plans to expand its facility in Glen Cove, New York, to 70,000 square feet as it scales production. Standard Bots said it expects to account for roughly 10% of new industrial robot deployments in the United States by next year.
American-Made Robotics
The company’s products include robotic arms and industrial humanoid systems used in applications such as machining, welding, palletizing, assembly, inspection and material handling. According to Standard Bots, its robots are deployed at companies ranging from small and midsize manufacturers to large organizations including Amazon, Lockheed Martin, NASA, Sunoco and the U.S. Army.
Standard Bots said it designs most of its components internally, including actuators, and builds its robots in-house. Another advantage it highlights is its systems allow operators to teach robots tasks through observation, reducing the need for specialized robotics expertise and making automation accessible to a broader range of manufacturers. The company plans to further expand domestic production capabilities over the next several years.
The company has also become involved in policy discussions surrounding a national robotics strategy. Standard Bots has advised lawmakers on issues including robotics adoption, manufacturing competitiveness and domestic supply chains.
RoboStrategy CEO Andrew Kang said Standard Bots’ approach of training robots through demonstration rather than traditional programming could allow a broader range of industrial tasks to be automated, while its focus on domestic manufacturing positions the company to play a significant role in the future of industrial robotics.
“Across our portfolio, we’re seeing a clear shift from experimental robotics to systems that can deliver immediate, real-world value,” added Kang. “Standard Bots stands out because they’ve solved one of the hardest problems in industrial automation: making robots that are not only powerful, but actually usable on the factory floor without specialized programming.”
