Global venture investment in robotics startups reached $9.9 billion in the third quarter of 2026, more than doubling the $4.3 billion recorded in the same period of 2025. Year-to-date funding for the sector has increased by approximately 185% compared to the previous year.
China and the U.S. dominate the sector, securing $13.2 billion and $12.1 billion in funding respectively throughout 2026. Germany follows as the third-largest market with $1.7 billion in total investment.
Major funding rounds in China included Guangzhou-based Xpeng Robotics, which raised $900 million, and Shenzhen-based AI2 Robotics, which secured $736 million in a Series C round. In the U.S., companies like Atoms and Skild AI have raised billion-dollar rounds.
Germany-based Neura Robotics also secured $1.4 billion for its cognitive robot development. The industry is currently seeing a surge in new unicorns, with 45 companies joining the unicorn board in 2026 alone, out of 75 that raised capital over the last three years.
