Humanoid Robotics Heats Up: Agility Reportedly Raising $400M with SoftBank Backing

SoftBank’s latest robotics move signals a renewed push into humanoid automation. Earlier in 2025, the Japanese tech giant reportedly held acquisition talks with Oregon-based Agility Robotics, exploring a deal valued at over $900 million. While the acquisition didn’t materialize, SoftBank pivoted to a strategic investment — joining Agility’s $400 million Series C funding round, which valued the company at $1.75 billion pre-money.

SoftBank has long been bullish on robotics and AI, with past investments in Boston Dynamics and its own humanoid robot, Pepper. Its renewed interest in Agility signals a pivot toward humanoid logistics automation.

As of now, Agility Robotics has not released an official press release confirming the $400 million funding round. However, multiple reputable outlets — including The Information, GeekWire, and Tech Funding News — have reported on the deal based on insider sources and term sheet details.

Who Is Agility Robotics?

• Agility Robotics is the maker of Digit, a bipedal humanoid robot designed for warehouse and logistics tasks.
• Digit can walk, climb stairs, and handle packages — making it a strong candidate for augmenting or replacing human labor in fulfillment centers.
• The company is already piloting Digit with major retailers like Amazon, giving it a real-world edge.

Deal Breakdown

• Acquisition Talks: SoftBank considered buying Agility outright for over $900M.
• Funding Pivot: Instead, it joined a $400M round led by WP Global Partners.
• Strategic Goal: Scale mass production of Digit and expand commercial deployment.

Competitive Landscape

Company	Flagship Robot	Focus Area	Funding/Valuation (2025)
Agility Robotics	Digit	Warehouse logistics	$400M round, $1.75B pre-money
Figure AI	Figure 01	General-purpose labor	Backed by OpenAI, Microsoft
Tesla	Optimus	Factory automation	Internal R&D, no external funding

Why It Matters

• SoftBank’s move reflects a strategic shift — from owning robotics IP to backing scalable platforms with real-world traction.
• With humanoid robotics moving from R&D to commercialization, logistics and manufacturing are emerging as the first battlegrounds.
• Agility’s Digit is no longer just a prototype — it’s a product on the verge of mass deployment.
• With SoftBank’s backing, the humanoid race just got a lot more interesting.