Intro
Agile Robots was co-founded by Dr. ZhaoPeng Chen, a robotics scientist formerly at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and Prof. Oussama Khatib, the world renowned director of the Stanford Robotics Lab and a pioneer of human-robot interaction and operational-space control. Their combined expertise — Chen's highly applied mechatronics and control engineering, and Khatib’s foundational robotics research — set the scientific foundations that positioned Agile Robots as a high-credibility, high-tech European robotics company from day one. The company’s founding vision was to merge human-centric robotic intelligence with safe, precise, and industrial-grade hardware.
Agile Robots grew out of this deep research background and quickly evolved into a full-stack robotics company building hardware, software, control systems, and AI perception under one roof. From the start, the founders emphasized that true embodied intelligence requires tight integration between actuation, sensing, control theory, and AI — a philosophy visible across all of Agile Robots’ products. As the company expanded, it established its main engineering hub in Munich while setting up satellite centers in China and India, enabling both advanced R&D and scalable manufacturing.
Since its registration as Agile Robots SE in 2024, the company has been on an aggressive growth trajectory. Under Dr. Chen’s leadership as CEO, the company invested heavily in expanding its Munich headquarters, hiring large engineering teams, and building a European production ecosystem. In 2025, Agile Robots unveiled its milestone product, Agile ONE, a full-body humanoid robot designed for industrial and logistics environments — an achievement that reflects the founders’ long-term goal of bridging academic robotics with real-world commercial applications.
The company’s strategic intent is shaped by Chen and Khatib’s shared belief that humanoid robots will operate seamlessly in human-designed environments, taking on tasks where traditional industrial robots fall short. Their objectives include creating robust humanoid platforms, delivering industry-ready AI-driven automation systems, and building an ecosystem of hardware + software + integration services. Early achievements such as Agile ONE, rapid global expansion, and strong industry interest show that the founders’ academic-to-commercial translation strategy is taking hold — positioning Agile Robots as one of Europe’s most ambitious entrants in the humanoid robotics space.
Robots
- Agile ONE:
Agile Robots' first industrial humanoid platform. Designed to emulate human proportions and multi-DOF motion; the company emphasizes that both hardware and AI control stacks were developed in-house and that production is planned in Germany. - Diana 7:
A high-performance 7-DoF robotic arm designed for precision tasks requiring dexterity and human-like reach. It features lightweight construction, high repeatability, and sensitive force control, making it suitable for electronics assembly, medical assistance, research labs, and collaborative industrial workflows. - Yu 5 Industrial:
The Yu 5 series consists of versatile 5-kg-payload collaborative industrial manipulators built for reliability, speed, and safe human-robot interaction. With advanced collision detection, precise motion control, and flexible mounting configurations, Yu 5 arms are used in manufacturing, inspection, small-parts handling, and general automation.
Specialism
- Full-stack development (hardware, firmware, control, perception and cloud orchestration developed in house).
- Focus on humanoid / embodied AI — designing robots to operate in human environments (stairs, shelves, human-scale interfaces) rather than fixed industrial cells.
- European engineering and local manufacturing intent— emphasis on “Made in Bavaria” R&D and manufacturing for robustness and industrial standards.
- Integrated AI and Automation Software — positioning robots as part of a software/service ecosystem.
Business Viability
Agile Robots appears to be a well-positioned, well-funded industrial automation and humanoid robotics scale-up with clear ambitions (Agile ONE, Munich HQ, global offices). The company’s success will depend on execution: moving from demo to durable, maintainable robots that deliver visible ROI to industrial customers, and on securing the manufacturing and commercial scale needed to lower per-unit costs. If they can execute manufacturing in Germany while closing paid pilot deals, their market prospects look promising — but risks remain typical for hardware-heavy robotics startups.
