Prime Movers Lab led the Series A round for the London-based startup, with participation from strategic investors Schaeffler, Bosch and other backers. Humanoid said the round gives it a valuation of US$1.35 billion, and it will use the new capital to develop its technology and roll its robots out to customers. (The Logic)

Talking point: As its name suggests, Humanoid is developing robots that resemble people, although it’s starting its mass rollout with a model that has wheels instead of legs. The 250-person firm has a Vancouver technical office staffed by several former employees of Sanctuary AI, a local firm that also started out trying to build humanoids. Humanoid the company targets customers in manufacturing, logistics and other industrial fields that want to supplement their human workforce. Schaeffler, which produces auto parts, has agreed to put the robots in some of its German factories. Chinese manufacturers have cornered the early humanoid market, but U.S. firms like Figure, Agility and Tesla all have big backers.