Humanoid raises $152 million in a Series A funding round at a post-money valuation of $1.35 billion, becoming Europe’s first pure-play humanoid robotics unicorn. The London-based company, founded in May 2024, has secured approximately £1.8 billion in pre-orders for its HMND 01 wheeled robot despite commercial deliveries not yet having begun — and has lined up Bosch as its manufacturing partner to produce up to 100,000 units.
Key Highlights
- $152 million raised in Series A (July 2026)
- $1.35 billion post-money valuation
- Europe’s first pure-play humanoid robotics unicorn
- £1.8 billion in pre-orders secured
- Lead investor: Prime Movers Lab
- Partners: Schaeffler (1,000-unit order), Bosch (100,000-unit manufacturing capacity)
- Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
- Founded: May 2024
Company Overview
Humanoid is building wheeled humanoid robots designed for industrial use — a design philosophy that prioritises practical deployment over the bipedal walking demonstrations that dominate media coverage of the robotics sector. The company’s HMND 01 robot uses a wheel-based locomotion system that trades the technical complexity of bipedal balance for the reliability, stability, and payload capacity required in real manufacturing and logistics environments.
This pragmatic approach appears to be resonating with industrial buyers. The £1.8 billion pre-order book — secured before a single commercial unit has shipped — is one of the most remarkable validation signals in European deep tech history. Schaeffler, the German automotive and industrial components manufacturer, has placed an initial order for 1,000 units, providing both revenue visibility and a credible reference customer for enterprise sales.
Funding Details
The Series A was led by Prime Movers Lab, the US deep tech venture fund, with participation from Schaeffler, Bosch, Fubon Financial Holding Venture Capital, and Aglaé Ventures. The investor base is strategically constructed: Bosch and Schaeffler are not merely financial backers — they are industrial partners with direct stakes in the success of Humanoid’s manufacturing and commercial roll-out.
Bosch’s involvement is particularly significant. The company has committed production capacity for up to 100,000 Humanoid units, which means one of the world’s largest engineering manufacturers has bet its own factory capacity on Humanoid’s commercial success.
The HMND 01 Robot
The HMND 01 is Humanoid’s debut commercial product. Designed for industrial and warehouse environments, it uses a wheeled base for reliable locomotion in structured environments, upper-body manipulation capabilities for interacting with objects and machinery, and an AI control layer for task execution and navigation. A beta version is planned for the fourth quarter of 2026, with full commercial deliveries to follow.
The choice of wheels over legs is deliberate. In industrial settings, the vast majority of tasks do not require climbing stairs or navigating unstructured terrain — they require moving quickly and reliably across flat factory floors whilst manipulating objects with precision. Wheels deliver both of those things better than legs at the current state of robotic technology.
Market Opportunity
The global humanoid robot market is attracting extraordinary levels of investment in 2026. Goldman Sachs has projected the humanoid robot market could reach $38 billion by 2035, driven by labour shortages in manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing across developed economies. The UK alone faces persistent skills shortages in logistics and light manufacturing — exactly the sectors Humanoid’s HMND 01 is designed to serve.
Humanoid’s European positioning is a significant advantage in an industry dominated by US and Chinese companies. European industrial buyers — particularly in Germany, France, and the UK — increasingly prefer to source critical automation technology from domestic or allied suppliers, and Humanoid is the only European pure-play humanoid company at unicorn scale.
Why This Funding Matters for UK Startups
Humanoid raises $152 million at a moment when the UK government is actively seeking to build a domestic robotics and AI hardware industry. The company’s £1.35 billion valuation — achieved in just over two years from founding — demonstrates that European deep tech can compete at the global frontier in hardware, not just software.
For the UK startup ecosystem, this is a landmark moment. Humanoid joins a small group of British deep tech companies — alongside Wayve, Graphcore, and Arm — that have achieved billion-dollar valuations in genuinely hard technology categories. The combination of Prime Movers Lab’s backing, Bosch’s manufacturing commitment, and Schaeffler’s commercial order makes this one of the most comprehensively validated deep tech raises in UK history.
Future Roadmap
With $152 million secured, Humanoid will deliver its HMND 01 beta in Q4 2026, begin fulfilment of Schaeffler’s 1,000-unit order, and scale manufacturing with Bosch towards the 100,000-unit capacity the partnership enables. Longer term, the company is expected to expand its product line beyond the HMND 01 and pursue additional industrial partnerships across European manufacturing sectors.
Conclusion
Humanoid raises $152 million to build Europe’s defining humanoid robotics company. With a $1.35 billion valuation, £1.8 billion in pre-orders, Bosch manufacturing capacity, and a Schaeffler commercial partnership, the London-based startup has assembled the industrial and financial backing needed to turn a bold robotics vision into a global manufacturing business. Follow BestStartup UK for the latest UK startup funding news, technology breakthroughs, and founder stories.
FAQ
How much did Humanoid raise in its Series A?
Humanoid raised $152 million in a Series A round in July 2026, led by Prime Movers Lab at a post-money valuation of $1.35 billion.
What is the HMND 01 robot?
The HMND 01 is Humanoid’s wheeled humanoid robot designed for industrial and warehouse environments. It uses wheels rather than legs for reliable locomotion and upper-body manipulation for interacting with objects and machinery.
The HMND 01 beta is planned for Q4 2026.
Who invested in Humanoid’s Series A?
Prime Movers Lab led the round, with participation from Schaeffler, Bosch, Fubon Financial Holding Venture Capital, and Aglaé Ventures.
Why is Humanoid called Europe’s first humanoid robotics unicorn?
Humanoid achieved a $1.35 billion post-money valuation in its Series A, making it the first European company focused purely on humanoid robotics to cross the $1 billion valuation threshold.
How many pre-orders does Humanoid have?
Humanoid has secured approximately £1.8 billion ($2.4 billion) in pre-orders for its HMND 01 robot, including a 1,000-unit order from Schaeffler, before commercial deliveries have begun.
