Aramco in talks to back London robotics startup Humanoid at $1 billion value

Aramco is in discussions to invest in London-based robotics startup Humanoid as part of a planned $200 million raise that would value the company at about $1 billion, Sifted reported. The talks matter because a unicorn-priced round would put another European humanoid robotics company into a funding tier usually reserved for better-capitalized U.S. and Asian hardware bets.

Humanoid is building two robots, according to Sifted: one aimed at industrial applications and another intended for use in homes. The report did not say how much Aramco might invest, whether the round has closed, who else is participating, or what revenue, deployment or customer metrics support the proposed valuation.

The raise, if completed on the reported terms, would be a large round for a European robotics startup. Hardware companies in the category face capital needs that are different from software startups: they must fund engineering, supply chains, testing, safety work and manufacturing capacity before large-scale commercial adoption is proven. That makes the identity and patience of backers material, particularly when strategic investors are involved.

What is known

• Humanoid is based in London.
• The company is seeking $200 million, Sifted reported.
• The proposed valuation is around $1 billion.
• Aramco is in talks to back the company.
• Humanoid is working on one robot for industrial settings and one for domestic use.

The report leaves several commercial questions unanswered. It does not disclose whether Humanoid has paying customers, how many robots it has built, when products are expected to ship, or whether the industrial and home machines share the same technical platform. Those omissions matter in humanoid robotics, where investor interest often runs ahead of evidence that general-purpose robots can be produced reliably and sold at workable margins.

The deal talks also land during a broader funding push for European robotics. Sifted recently reported that Munich-based Microagi raised $55 million in what it described as Germany’s largest seed round, for software that teaches robots to work in factories and homes. Other European startups in the field include Uma, which Sifted said launched nine months ago to build capabilities for humanoid robots in industrial and domestic environments, and Amsterdam-based Monumental, which raised $32 million with backing from Khosla Ventures.

For Humanoid, a $200 million round at a $1 billion valuation would signal investor willingness to price European robotics companies before broad commercial proof is public. For Aramco, the reported talks would fit the pattern of large strategic investors looking beyond their core sectors for automation exposure. The report does not state whether Aramco’s interest is financial, strategic or tied to industrial use cases.

This story draws on original reporting from Sifted.