Google, Mercedes-Benz back Apollo robot in race against Tesla Optimus

Apptronik, a US robotics firm backed by Google and Mercedes-Benz, has raised $520 million at a $5 billion valuation to advance its humanoid robot Apollo, positioning itself ahead of competitors like Tesla’s Optimus. Apollo, standing 5’8″ and weighing 160 pounds, is designed for industrial and commercial use, capable of carrying 55 pounds and operating for four hours on battery power. It combines legs and wheels for versatile mobility in complex environments such as factories and warehouses, where it is already deployed at partners including Mercedes-Benz, GXO Logistics, and Jabil to streamline manufacturing and logistics tasks. Google DeepMind is collaborating with Apptronik to integrate advanced AI, powered by Gemini 3 and Gemini Robotics AI, enabling Apollo to perform diverse real-world tasks without retraining. The robot can follow natural language commands, learn from demonstrations, plan multi-step actions, and handle unfamiliar objects, demonstrating capabilities like packing lunches and sorting laundry in lab tests. Apollo’s modular design allows it