Many humanoid robotics firms backed by buyers face basic challenges with price and reliability that won’t be solved any time quickly, a report by CB Insights exhibits. In accordance with buyers, VCs particularly now ought to embrace a revenue-first philosophy.
December 16, 2025. Current main enterprise capital (VC) reviews from KPMG and PitchBook verify that AI stays within the lead, accounting for greater than half of all investments this 12 months. Information from CB Insights exhibits that buyers’ consideration contained in the AI market is shifting quickly towards industrial humanoid robotics. Consequently, buyers argue the flood of AI capital is pushing robotics towards a speculative zone, with too many startups promising breakthroughs with out business proof.
Final quarter, industrial humanoid robotics captured 17 offers – essentially the most of any class. AI was nonetheless the first vacation spot for buyers, break up into a number of classes, reminiscent of coding AI brokers and copilots (14 offers), end-to-end software program growth AI brokers (12), and others.
Speedy progress of the sector has already sparked fears of a bubble from the Chinese language main financial planning business, which mentioned that the humanoid robotics business must “steadiness the velocity towards the dangers of bubbles,” Bloomberg reported.
Buyers’ urge for food for humanoid robots is basically pushed by AI, as a result of AI offers humanoids a business potential that was beforehand not attainable.
In accordance with Daiva Rakauskait?, the associate and supervisor of Aneli Capital, an organization that manages a €35 million fund for early-stage Central and Japanese European startups, there are robust similarities between right this moment’s AI-driven funding increase and the dotcom bubble within the early 2000s, leaving many startups uncovered. She expects an AI bubble burst in 2-3 years.
“Many AI startups that may’t but generate income will fail, however we’re reaching a consensus on that available in the market. Whereas the identical dangers persist in humanoid robotics, many buyers are likely to overlook this,” says Rakauskait?. “Nonetheless, it is very important distinguish robotics from humanoid robotics; industrial and logistics robots already generate income and might ship measurable outcomes, whereas humanoids cannot but show their business worth.”
At present, firms world wide display prototypes of robots performing actions from working to boxing, sparking curiosity from customers and buyers. Nonetheless, in the true world, they’ve few sensible business functions.
Related challenges additionally persist for industrial humanoid robotics. These firms face challenges with inference (skill to make selections in actual time), dexterity (how effectively the robotic can bodily deal with issues), reliability, and price, which restrict the preliminary use circumstances to factories and warehouses with predictable units of duties, CB Insights report claims.
In accordance with Rakauskait?, particularly now, when investments are pushed by hype, VCs shouldn’t overlook the basics and prioritize revenue-first philosophy, the place actual cash issues greater than progress in any respect prices.
“Investments in robotics and AI are essential for the longer term growth of humanity. However buyers ought to stay disciplined and again firms which have practical targets primarily based on economics, not hype. From day one, startups ought to purpose for early income streams by means of licensing, partnerships and have a transparent mannequin of monetization within the close to future. The identical revenue-first philosophy may be utilized to any discipline,” Rakauskait? says.
Regardless of early indicators of a bubble in humanoid robotics, she stays assured within the broader robotics sector, the place cheaper {hardware} and fast advances in AI are accelerating real-world deployment.
In accordance with Rakauskait?, robotics is an particularly promising discipline for the CEE startups. The area is positioned near Germany, the most important industrial robotics market in Europe, which offers a serious strategic development to scaling.
“The area additionally has plenty of hidden expertise. That is why we devoted our new fund for this area, aiming to assist the proficient founders with hands-on steerage and fast decision-making. Many hype-driven buyers pull again as soon as the hype fades. But to create actual innovators, VCs should assist them by means of their full journey. That is precisely what we’re going to do,” Rakauskait? concludes.
About Aneli Capital
Aneli Capital is a fund administration firm that manages an early-stage enterprise capital fund, Aneli Enterprise Capital Fund, primarily based in Vilnius. The fund (measurement of €35 million), licensed by the Financial institution of Lithuania, was launched in November 2025 to develop startups throughout Lithuania, the Baltics, Poland, and the broader CEE area. It backs startups in ICT, robotics, power, house, photonics, and good manufacturing. Led by a staff with over three a long time of expertise in enterprise investing and fund administration, Aneli takes an lively, hands-on position in serving to founders strengthen their operations, construct sustainable progress, and put together for follow-on funding.
