Service-industry intelligence
News
Service-industry news for the European robotics market: new model launches, distributor and service-partner announcements, EU entity changes, and warranty developments. Each item links to its source. February 2026 27 Feb — BMW Group launched its first European humanoid-robot pilot in…
Watch Russian robot walk out to ‘Rocky’ theme, face-plant on stage – USA Today
On 2025-11, in Moscow, the long-anticipated public debut of Russia's AI-powered humanoid robot, AIDOL, did not go as planned. The event, which was broadcast live, was meant to showcase the machine's advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to a wide audience. Instead, the robot's first moments on stage became the story, for all the wrong reasons. According […]
Is Musk Conceding Ground? And Does XPENG’s IRON Signal China’s Lead in the Humanoid Robot Race? – CleanTechnic
In a development that has caught the attention of observers across both the automotive and robotics industries, Elon Musk has made what is being described as a rare public acknowledgment of competition. The acknowledgment appears to be directed at Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPENG, a company that has been steadily building its reputation in the […]
Mimic Robotics raises $16 million to deploy ‘frontier physical AI’ across industries
In a development that underscores the accelerating convergence of artificial intelligence and physical machinery, Zurich-based robotics company Mimic Robotics has secured $16 million in funding. The capital injection is earmarked for the deployment of what the company describes as "frontier physical AI" across a range of industrial sectors. The announcement, which surfaced in early November […]
This $20K Humanoid Robot Promises to Tidy Your Home. But There Are Strings Attached – CNET
In late 2025, the robotics community found itself facing a familiar question dressed in a new, more human-shaped package. A humanoid robot named NEO, priced at $20,000, has been presented as a machine that could learn and perform household chores. The mechanism for this learning is teleoperation, a process where a human operator remotely guides […]
Watch this Russian humanoid robot fall flat on its face seconds into its debut to the ‘Rocky’ theme – Business
In November 2025, a Moscow technology conference became the stage for an awkward milestone in Russian robotics. AIDOL — an acronym for Artificial Intelligence Dynamic Organism Lab — presented its humanoid robot to the public for the first time. The machine, which shares its name with the company, shuffled onto the stage to the strains […]
Flexion to use Series A to build sim-to-real, AI systems powering humanoids – The Robot Report
In a significant development for the European robotics sector, Zurich-based Flexion Robotics AG has secured $50 million in Series A funding. The investment round, announced in late 2025, is earmarked for the development of sim-to-real AI systems designed to power humanoid robots. The company, founded in 2024, is building a reinforcement learning and sim-to-real platform […]
Partner Robotics picks up funding to deploy more construction robots – The Robot Report
Partner Robotics, a construction robotics developer based in Dongguan, China, has closed a Series A funding round in the eight-figure RMB range. The exact figure was not disclosed in the announcement, but the company confirmed the round falls between 10 million RMB and 99 million RMB. At current exchange rates, 10 million RMB is approximately […]
Foxglove raises $40M to scale its data platform for roboticists – The Robot Report
Foxglove, a San Francisco-based startup, has closed a $40 million Series B funding round. The company builds a data and observability platform aimed at robotics companies. According to the source material, this latest injection of capital brings Foxglove's total funding to more than $58 million since its founding in 2021. The funding news was reported […]
Uber partners with Starship Technologies to launch robot deliveries in UK – Reuters
The food delivery industry is undergoing a quiet but significant transformation, one that is increasingly visible on sidewalks and in the skies above major cities. At the center of this shift is a wave of partnerships between established delivery platforms and autonomous vehicle specialists, with the goal of reducing operational costs and redefining how meals […]
Self-driving taxis to trial in Europe. Is Belgium prepared? – The Brussels Times
A quiet but significant shift is taking place on Belgian roads, one that could reshape how passengers move through Brussels, Antwerp, and beyond. The country is moving toward a future where self-driving taxis are not a speculative concept but a practical service undergoing real-world validation. The most concrete signal of this trajectory came when Flanders, […]
Stereotaxis nets FDA clearance for redesigned surgical robot – MedTech Dive
In November 2025, Stereotaxis received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its redesigned surgical robot, the GenesisX. The clearance marks a significant step for the company, which has been working to overcome the infrastructure hurdles that limited the uptake of its earlier robotic systems in hospital settings. The GenesisX is built around […]
Kyivstar launches Europe’s first direct-to-cell service – Telecoms
On 2025-11, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, Kyivstar, activated what it describes as Europe’s first direct-to-cell satellite connectivity service, built on Starlink’s satellite technology. The launch was announced by the company on a Monday, according to reporting from Reuters, and was subsequently confirmed through statements from Kyivstar’s CEO, Oleksandr Komarov, and from Starlink itself. The service […]
Waymo is starting robotaxi testing in three more cities – The Robot Report
Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit under Alphabet, has announced plans to extend its robotaxi operations into three additional U.S. cities: New Orleans, Louisiana; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Tampa, Florida. The company posted what it called “new city alerts” on its website in November 2025, confirming its intent to begin laying the groundwork for commercial launches in […]
Nvidia’s AI empire: A look at its top startup investments – TechCrunch
Nvidia’s investment footprint across the artificial intelligence landscape has expanded considerably over the past two years, according to data compiled by PitchBook and reported by TechCrunch. The chipmaker participated in roughly 67 venture rounds in 2025, up from 54 in 2024 and just 12 in 2022. Its formal corporate venture arm, NVentures, completed 30 deals […]
Energy Robotics secures $13.5 million Series A to scale critical infrastructure inspections with AI and roboti
Energy Robotics, a company that develops AI software for autonomous inspection using robots and drones, has closed a Series A funding round of $13.5 million. The round was co-led by Blue Bear Capital and Climate Investment, with additional participation from Futury Capital, Hessen Capital, Kensho VC, and TADTech. The announcement was made in early October […]
Europe Eyes 2026 As 1st Ariane 64 Flight Pushes – Payload Space
Europe’s flagship launch program is facing another schedule adjustment, with the debut of the Ariane 64 rocket slipping from its previously anticipated 2025 window to 2026. The announcement came from Arianespace last week, though the company did not disclose the specific reasons behind the pushback. This marks a notable shift for a program that has […]
NEO humanoid designed for household use, available for preorder – The Robot Report
In October 2025, 1X Technologies opened pre-orders for NEO, a humanoid robot designed specifically for household use. This marks a notable shift for the company, which had previously been developing robotics for other applications before pivoting in August 2024 to focus exclusively on the in-home consumer market. The pre-order launch represents what industry observers describe […]
Figure 03: Everything We Know About the New Humanoid Robot – CNET
In October 2025, Figure AI, a robotics company headquartered in Silicon Valley, introduced its third-generation humanoid robot, the Figure 03. The announcement came with a demonstration video that placed the machine squarely in a domestic environment, showing it performing a range of household chores. The footage depicts the robot folding laundry, lifting eggs from a […]
Figure AI designs Figure 03 humanoid for AI, home use, and scaling – The Robot Report
Figure AI, the California-based humanoid robotics company led by CEO Brett Adcock, has announced its third-generation humanoid platform, designated Figure 03. The company states that its engineering and design teams have completed what it describes as a comprehensive redesign of both hardware and software, with the stated goal of producing a robot better suited for […]
Figure 03 Is The Robot in Your Kitchen – Time Magazine
In September 2025, a team from TIME magazine visited a weekend home in the Bay Area of California to observe a deployment that the publication would later feature as part of its Best Inventions of 2025 coverage. The subject was the Figure 03, a humanoid robot developed by California-based Figure, and the setting was a […]
Leju raises $200M for humanoid production as Unitree unveils H2 – The Robot Report
In a significant signal of capital flowing into China’s humanoid robotics sector, Leju Robotics Technology Co. has reportedly raised approximately $200 million (1.5 billion yuan) to scale up production of its humanoid robots. The news, first reported by The Robot Report, arrives as rival Unitree Robotics unveiled its H2 Destiny humanoid, a machine the company […]
Intel spin-out RealSense secures $50M funding, partners with NVIDIA – Mobi Health News
In a move that had been anticipated for some time, Intel's computer vision unit has formally completed its separation from the parent corporation and now operates as an independent entity under the RealSense name. The transition was accompanied by the closure of a $50 million Series A funding round, as well as the confirmation of […]
Energy Robotics secures Series A funding to scale critical infrastructure inspections – The Robot Report
Energy Robotics has completed a Series A funding round aimed at scaling its operations in critical infrastructure inspection. The company will use the capital to advance the development and deployment of robotic systems designed for inspecting infrastructure assets, with a stated focus on reducing failures, explosions, emissions, and the financial losses that accompany such events. […]
Waymo to launch robotaxis in London next year, marking European debut – Los Angeles Times
On 2025-10, Alphabet's autonomous vehicle subsidiary Waymo publicly confirmed its intention to bring a commercial driverless ride-hailing service to London. The announcement positions the British capital as the company's first European market and its second international deployment, following the recent start of testing in Tokyo earlier in the same year. The company stated that it […]
Waymo expands into Europe with 2026 London robotaxi debut – Automotive World
Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit under Alphabet, has confirmed plans to introduce its robotaxi service in London, with commercial operations expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. This will mark the company’s first entry into the European market and its second international deployment, following the start of testing in Tokyo earlier in the […]
Chinese robotaxi companies outnumber Waymo in global commercialization push – Los Angeles Times
The global robotaxi race is no longer a simple story of American technological dominance. While Waymo remains the most visible player in the United States, a new competitive picture is emerging from data that tracks commercialization progress across the industry. According to the Road to Autonomy Indices, a database developed by the AV research and […]
First look: DJI’s Romo robot vacuum – The Verge
In a move that few industry observers anticipated, DJI — the company best known for its consumer and commercial drones — has brought its first robot vacuum to the European market. The device, called the Romo P, is now available in Europe at a price of €1,899. The launch follows the product’s initial debut in […]
World’s First Commercially Available Hybrid-Architecture Humanoid Robot Moves Into Mass Production: Kepler Mar
In a development that has been anticipated across the robotics industry for several years, the world's first commercially available hybrid-architecture humanoid robot has now entered mass production. The robot, which carries the name Kepler, is being manufactured by Union Delta, a Chinese industrial unit. The price point for this machine is set at $94,999, a […]
Figure reaches $39B valuation in latest funding round – TechCrunch
In what is now one of the largest private funding rounds in the humanoid robotics sector to date, San Jose, California-based Figure has closed a Series C round that values the company at $39 billion on a post-money basis. The round brought in over $1 billion in committed capital, according to the company's announcement on […]
Humanoid Robotics Company Raises $1 Billion For Nvidia Chips, AI Data Collection, Production – Forbes
In September 2025, Figure AI closed a Series C financing round that brought in more than one billion dollars. The company, founded in 2022, now carries a valuation of approximately $39 billion, making it the most highly valued humanoid robotics enterprise in the world at the time of the announcement. The investor group for this […]