Apptronik has announced the formation of Elevate Robotics Inc., a new wholly owned subsidiary that will operate independently and focus on industrial automation beyond the humanoid form. Elevate Robotics will develop multipurpose automation solutions aimed at tasks requiring capabilities that exceed typical human physical limitations. The new company will be led by Paul Hvass, formerly co-founder of Plus One Robotics. Its founding team includes engineers and roboticists involved in the development of Apptronik’s earlier systems, including the humanoid robot Apollo.
Apptronik, which has developed over 15 robotic systems during the past decade, will continue to focus on Apollo and humanoid robotics. Elevate is expected to commercialize non-humanoid robotic technologies for applications in sectors involving heavy-duty industrial-scale work.
“We founded Apptronik to build general purpose robots that empower humans. On our path to realizing this mission we’ve developed all kinds of groundbreaking robotics technology for humanoid robots and beyond,” said Jeff Cardenas, Apptronik co-founder and CEO. “Elevate shares Apptronik’s core, human-centered DNA and vision of building robots to help humanity, and they’re applying novel technology to tackle heavy-duty tasks in various sectors.”
Apptronik maintains an ongoing commercial collaboration with Mercedes‑Benz centered on its Apollo humanoid robot. Under this agreement, Mercedes‑Benz has invested in Apptronik and is piloting Apollo units at its factories in Berlin and Hungary, deploying the robots to deliver parts to assembly lines, perform quality inspections, and assist with physically demanding and repetitive tasks. These trials aim to integrate humanoid robots into existing human-centric manufacturing environments without requiring costly facility redesigns.
