Humanoid robotics company Agility Robotics has agreed to go public through a merger with Churchill Capital Corp XI (NASDAQ: CCXI) in a deal that values the company at $2.5 billion before the transaction. The merger is expected to provide more than $620 million in gross proceeds to support production, customer deployments and product development.
Once the deal closes, the combined company will operate as Agility Robotics and trade under the ticker AGLT on a major North American stock exchange. The transaction is expected to close later in 2026, subject to shareholder approval, regulatory clearance and other customary conditions.
The announcement comes as investment in humanoid robotics accelerates worldwide. Manufacturers, logistics providers and technology companies are increasingly exploring AI-powered robots to address labour shortages, improve productivity and automate repetitive physical work.
Agility is among a small group of companies with humanoid robots already operating in commercial environments rather than research labs or pilot projects.
Its flagship robot, Digit, is currently deployed by companies including Schaeffler, GXO Logistics, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada and Mercado Libre. The robots perform repetitive tasks in manufacturing plants, warehouses and distribution centres.
According to the company, Digit has logged more than 65,000 operating hours across nine customer facilities. The deployments have generated operational data that is being used to improve Agility’s AI models and robotics software.
The company is now preparing the commercial launch of Digit v5, its next-generation humanoid robot. Agility describes the system as the world’s first AI-enabled cooperatively safe humanoid robot. The technology is designed to allow robots and people to work together safely in the same environment without the physical barriers commonly used in industrial automation.
Chief Executive Peggy Johnson said humanoid robots are becoming an important part of modern industrial operations as companies seek to strengthen supply chains and address workforce shortages. She said Agility is focused on scaling deployments and expanding its technology platform as enterprise demand grows.
The company estimates the addressable U.S. market across manufacturing, logistics and distribution at roughly $1 trillion.
Agility said it has secured more than $300 million in multi-year contracted orders for Digit v5, subject to contractual milestones. It also has a pipeline of more than 30 enterprise customers evaluating the technology through its Customer Acceleration Program, which helps companies prepare for large-scale humanoid deployments.
The company believes data collected from real-world operations provides an important competitive advantage. Every commercial deployment generates information that improves Digit’s physical AI capabilities, expands the range of tasks it can perform and shortens future development cycles.
Agility was founded in 2015 by Jonathan Hurst, Damion Shelton and Mikhail Jones after research at Oregon State University. Since then, the company has focused on moving humanoid robotics from academic research into commercial production.
Its leadership team combines experience in robotics, enterprise software and advanced manufacturing. Besides Johnson, the executive team includes Co-Founder and Chief Robot Officer Jonathan Hurst, Chief Business Officer Daniel Diez, Chief Financial and Operating Officer Jennifer Hunter, Chief Technology Officer Pras Velagapudi, Chief Hardware Officer Marco Marroquin and General Counsel and Chief People Officer Ana Lang.
Agility’s technology platform extends beyond the robot itself. The company has built Agility Arc, a cloud-based software platform that manages robot deployment, fleet orchestration and operational monitoring across customer facilities.
The company has also invested heavily in domestic manufacturing. Its RoboFab production facility has the capacity to manufacture up to 10,000 humanoid robots annually. Around 75% of Digit’s components are sourced from suppliers in the United States, supporting domestic manufacturing and supply chain resilience.
Agility has attracted backing from several major investors and strategic partners, including NVIDIA, Amazon, Foxconn, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, DCVC, Playground Global, Abico and Schaeffler.
The company also collaborates with Google DeepMind and NVIDIA on physical AI technologies. NVIDIA recently selected Agility as the launch partner for its Halos platform, a full-stack safety system designed for physical AI and humanoid robots.
Churchill Capital Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Klein said Agility has demonstrated commercial traction through real-world deployments and enterprise customer relationships. He said the company is well positioned to expand its leadership as humanoid robotics moves into broader industrial adoption.
The transaction includes approximately $420 million held in Churchill XI’s trust account, assuming no shareholder redemptions. It also includes roughly $200 million in PIPE financing priced at $10 per share, led by Foxconn with participation from existing and new institutional investors.
Agility plans to use the proceeds to fulfil existing customer commitments, expand deployments, increase production of Digit v5 and continue investing in robotics, physical AI, safety systems, enterprise software and manufacturing infrastructure.
Existing Agility shareholders will roll over 100% of their equity into the combined company and will be subject to a 180-day lock-up following the merger. The boards of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction. It now awaits approval from Churchill XI shareholders, review by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, stock exchange approval and other customary closing conditions before completion later this year.
