Apptronik’s new CPO hire a major step in right direction - The Robot Report
The Robot Report # Apptronik’s new CPO hire a major step in right direction By Mike Oitzman | Appronik is preparing for a major growth phase as it begins manufacturing and selling its Apollo humanoid robot.
Key takeaways
The most recent headlines show that the humanoid‑robot market is moving from prototype showcases to large‑scale manufacturing and strategic acquisitions. 1X’s NEO platform, which began preorder in October 2025, has entered full‑scale production at a 58,000‑square‑foot factory in Hayward, California, and the company says it will be able to build up to 100,000 units a year by the end of 2027, aiming to bring a $20,000 home assistant robot capable of chores, scheduling and basic interaction to U.S. households. At the same time, Meta has announced the purchase of Assured Robot Intelligence, a startup that develops foundation models for whole‑body humanoid control, signaling the social‑media giant’s intent to integrate advanced AI‑driven robots into future consumer products. In the industrial arena, Schaeffler is partnering with Hexagon Robotics to roll out 1,000 AEON humanoids across multiple factories starting in late 2026, with a longer‑term goal of 1,000 units by 2032, while its collaboration with VinDynamics aims to extend actuator technology to additional robot makers. Apptronik, bolstered by a fresh $935 million Series A round, has appointed former Waymo executive Daniel Chu as chief product officer and is preparing to launch its Apollo humanoid for commercial use in logistics, elder‑care and other sectors. Market analysts at Roland Berger project that, if current development trajectories hold, worldwide revenues from humanoid robots could reach $300 billion by 2035, potentially climbing to $750 billion under optimistic scenarios. Finally, the startup Foundation has begun testing its general‑purpose humanoid robots in a supply‑transport demo in Ukraine and has secured a $24 million Pentagon contract, underscoring growing interest in military applications despite remaining challenges such as battery life and durability.
The Robot Report
Apptronik’s new CPO hire a major step in right direction
By Mike Oitzman |
Appronik is preparing for a major growth phase as it begins manufacturing and selling its Apollo humanoid robot. | Credit: Apptronik
Apptronik has signaled its transition from experimental robotics to commercial powerhouse by tapping Daniel Chu, the visionary behind Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing launch, as its new chief product officer. By securing a leader who successfully navigated the leap from lab-bound AI to real-world infrastructure, Apptronik is positioning its humanoid robots as the next great frontier in scalable, mass-market technology.
Daniel Chu will lead Apptronik’s product roadmap. | Credit: Apptronik The addition of Chu—and veterans from Amazon, Boston Dynamics, and Paramount+—marks a pivotal shift for the Austin-based startup from ambitious R&D to aggressive market entry. Backed by a fresh $935 million Series A and the impending reveal of its flagship humanoid, Apptronik is no longer just building robots; it is building the commercial infrastructure to integrate general-purpose automation into everything from industrial warehouses to the future of eldercare.
Chu’s career has prepared him to lead Apptronik’s long-term product trajectory as the company prepares to bring general-purpose robots first into commercial applications, and eventually into healthcare and the home. “We are at a defining moment in robotics where the technology has finally met the magnitude of the mission,” stated Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and CEO of Apptronik. “Bringing Daniel Chu on board is an essential step in that journey. His unique experience scaling both world-class autonomy and human-centric health platforms is exactly what we need to build the next generations of AI-powered robots and work towards our ‘North Star’ of assistive care and eldercare.”
“Our expanded leadership team represents the best minds from the companies that defined the last decade of technology, and they’ve joined Apptronik to define the next one,” Cardenas added. “We have the talent, the technology, and the momentum to bring AI-powered humanoid robots to the world at scale.”
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