“Agility is set to make a powerful impact, developing and shipping robots that are built to co-exist seamlessly in our lives,” Playgound’s Bruce Leak said in a release. “Since Agility’s earliest days, we’ve believed their unique technical approach stands alone in being able to deliver on the promise of practical everyday robots.”
Born out of bipedal locomotion work on a research robot named Cassie, Agility has continued to impress investors along the way, including names like the Sony Innovation Fund. Ford also famously announced plans to utilize Digit as part of a last-mile delivery strategy, though Agility’s more recent focus has shifted to unpacking trucks and moving boxes around warehouses — a need that has only accelerated during the pandemic.
“Unprecedented consumer and corporate demand have created an extraordinary need for robots to support people in the workplace,” says CEO Damion Shelton. “With this investment, Agility can ramp up the delivery of robots to fill roles where there’s an unmet need.”
This big raise will go toward expanding its operations considerably as it scales to market. In addition to its Oregon and Bay Area offices, it has opened operations in Pittsburgh — no doubt with plans to draw on CMU and the city’s history in robotics and autonomy. All told, Agility is planning to double its headcount by 2024.
