Standard Bots, the largest U.S. manufacturer of AI-native industrial robots, announced a $200 million Series C financing led by RoboStrategy and existing investor General Catalyst, valuing the company at $1 billion.
The funding will support the expansion of the company’s manufacturing footprint in Glen Cove, New York, where Standard Bots is increasing its facility to 70,000 square feet. The company said the expanded operation will strengthen its ability to design, assemble, and deploy American-made robots at scale.
Founded by Evan Beard, David Golden, and James Cordle, Standard Bots develops industrial robot arms and humanoid robots that can be taught through demonstration rather than traditional coding. The approach is designed to simplify deployment and lower the barriers to automation for manufacturers of all sizes.
The company serves customers ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small and midsized manufacturers, with users including Sunoco, Lockheed Martin, Amazon, NASA, and the U.S. Army. Standard Bots said it is on pace to account for 10% of all new industrial robot deployments in the United States by next year.
According to the company, its robots support applications including machining, welding, palletizing, assembly, inspection, grinding, fastening, and dispensing, while offering prices about 30% lower than those of legacy robotics manufacturers. Standard Bots designs most of its components internally and plans to manufacture the entire production chain domestically by 2027.
The company has also emerged as a key voice in U.S. robotics policy, advising the White House and Congress on a National Robotics Strategy. Among its recommendations are incentives for manufacturers to adopt robotics and restrictions on Chinese-made industrial robots and components.
Standard Bots believes its AI-native approach and vertically integrated U.S. manufacturing model position it to play a significant role in modernizing American industry and strengthening domestic manufacturing competitiveness.
KEY QUOTES:
“AI-native robots are the essential power tool of the 21st century – the tool that will grow American manufacturing and help every worker to be a force at work. AI will allow industrial robots to do 100x more tasks with full autonomy. You just show your robot how it’s done, and it learns through demonstration. The quickest way to get to full autonomy is through deployments, collecting real-world data, and iterating as fast as possible. Standard Bots is the furthest along in that regard with the most vertically integrated, onshore production process, and this new capital just accelerates all of that.”
Evan Beard, Co-Founder, CEO, and Chief Engineer, Standard Bots
“Across our portfolio, we’re seeing a clear shift from experimental robotics to systems that can deliver immediate, real-world value. Standard Bots stands out because they’ve solved one of the hardest problems in industrial automation: making robots that are not only powerful, but actually usable on the factory floor without specialized programming. Their approach to physical AI—teaching robots through demonstration—dramatically expands the range of tasks that can be automated. Combined with their commitment to building and scaling manufacturing in the U.S., we believe Standard Bots is uniquely positioned to define the next generation of industrial robotics.”
Andrew Kang, CEO, RoboStrategy
“The democratization of robotics is no longer a slogan; it’s happening on factory floors across America. For years, robotics’ potential to bring manufacturing back home has been held back by cost and complexity. Evan and the Standard Bots team are helping remove those barriers, giving manufacturers of all sizes access to automation that was once out of reach. We believe they’ll be instrumental in building the next generation of American manufacturing.”
Max Rimpel, Partner, General Catalyst
“Standard Bots is a critical enabler of American industrial capacity. Its combination of AI-native robotics, domestic manufacturing, and execution at scale positions it to become one of the defining companies of the next generation.”
Samir Parikh, Managing Partner, GiantLeap Capital
