Austin-based robotics startup Apptronik has taken a significant step towards scaling up production of its humanoid robot, Apollo, by partnering with American supply chain and manufacturing giant Jabil. The partnership, announced on Tuesday, comes just two weeks after Apptronik secured a $350 million Series A financing round to accelerate its production plans.

The deal with Jabil marks the second major pilot partnership for Apptronik, following a March 2024 partnership with Mercedes-Benz that saw Apollo deployed on the automaker's manufacturing floor. While the company has yet to graduate beyond the pilot stage with Mercedes-Benz, the partnership with Jabil takes the relationship a step further by making the Florida-based company a manufacturing partner.

Under the agreement, Jabil will test Apollo's capabilities on its factory floor, with the robot performing a range of "simple, repetitive intralogistics and manufacturing tasks" such as sorting and transporting parts. If the pilot is successful, Jabil will begin producing Apollo in its own factories, paving the way for the humanoid robot to eventually build itself. This development is significant, given the humanoid industry's focus on manufacturing, and could potentially revolutionize the way products are made.

Apptronik is targeting 2026 to begin manufacturing commercial units of Apollo, and the partnership with Jabil is a key step towards achieving that goal. The real-world validation of Apollo's capabilities on the Jabil factory floor will be crucial in scaling the robot for manufacturing. The better Apollo performs, the closer it becomes to being deployed on a production line that will eventually include Apollo itself.

Apptronik is not alone in the humanoid robot space, with companies like Agility, Boston Dynamics, Figure, and Tesla also working on similar projects. However, Apptronik's decade of experience working on humanoids, including NASA's Valkyrie robot, and its recent partnership with Google DeepMind to develop AI for its humanoid systems, give it a competitive edge.

While competition in the nascent category may be stiff, Apptronik's hundreds of millions in funding and its partnerships with industry giants like Jabil and Google DeepMind position it well for success. As the company continues to develop and refine its technology, it will be interesting to see how its humanoid robots shape the future of manufacturing.

In the meantime, the partnership with Jabil marks an important milestone in Apptronik's journey towards commercializing its humanoid robot technology. With its sights set on 2026, the company is poised to make a significant impact on the manufacturing industry in the years to come.