Hexagon's AEON: 10 Years in the Making

+ German Startup Neura Robotics Eyes Up to €1 Billion Round

Author

Maddy Wong
July 04, 2025

🧠 Weekly Brief

Hexagon's AEON: 10 Years in the Making 📍 Location: Zurich, Switzerland

What they do: Precision measurement technology leader expanding into humanoid robotics for industrial applications

Latest update: Launched AEON humanoid at Hexagon LIVE Global event, securing pilot partnerships with Schaeffler and Pilatus for manipulation, machine tending, part inspection, and reality capture

3 Key Takeaways:

  • Established player advantage: With 10 years of robotics innovation across divisions and a legacy in precision measurement, Hexagon enters humanoids with deeper industrial expertise than most pure-play robotics startups, potentially accelerating commercial adoption

  • Strategic partnership ecosystem: Technology alliances with NVIDIA (computing/simulation), Microsoft (Azure cloud training), and Maxon (actuators) create a best-in-class development stack, while pilot partnerships with Schaeffler and Pilatus provide immediate real-world validation

  • Digital twin convergence: AEON's ability to seamlessly integrate reality capture with digital twin creation represents a unique value proposition—combining physical manipulation with digital documentation that established measurement companies can uniquely deliver

Hexagon's positioning suggests the humanoid market is maturing beyond Silicon Valley startups toward established industrial technology leaders.

German Startup Neura Robotics Eyes Up to €1 Billion Round

German robotics startup Neura Robotics is targeting to raise as much as €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in new funding as the company prepares to debut a humanoid robot. The company has begun approaching potential investors for what would be one of the largest European robotics funding rounds to date.

3 Key Takeaways:

  • European mega-round emergence: A €1 billion raise would mark one of the largest robotics funding rounds in European history, signaling that European investors are finally matching the scale of US and Chinese robotics investments as the market matures

  • Humanoid timing convergence: Neura's fundraising coincides with their humanoid robot debut, suggesting the company is positioning to compete directly with established players like Figure AI, Tesla's Optimus, and Agility Robotics in the rapidly expanding humanoid market

  • German manufacturing advantage: Based in Germany with deep manufacturing heritage, Neura could leverage European industrial expertise and supply chains to differentiate from Silicon Valley and Chinese competitors, potentially appealing to investors seeking geographic diversification in robotics exposure

Hexagon's AEON: The Swiss Solution to Labor Shortages 📍 Location: Zurich, Switzerland

What they do: Industrial humanoid robot designed to complement human workers in manufacturing, transportation, and hospitality sectors

Latest update: AEON begins live industrial testing later this year, representing Hexagon's sixth-generation humanoid developed over two years

Why watch: Unlike competitors focused on human-like walking, AEON uses wheels to move four times faster than human walking speed while maintaining humanoid manipulation capabilities. The robot packs 12 cameras and 22 sensors including a panoramic camera system for 360-degree environmental perception, plus infrared and autofocus cameras for inspection tasks.

3 Key Takeaways:

  • Imitation learning breakthrough: AEON can learn new tasks simply by watching human operators demonstrate them, eliminating complex programming requirements and enabling rapid deployment across different industrial workflows

  • Multi-generational workforce crisis: Hexagon identifies a critical gap where older workers retire, middle-aged workers avoid industrial tasks, and younger generations seek different careers—creating the perfect market conditions for humanoid adoption

  • Inspection-to-manipulation pipeline: AEON's ability to scan for defects while simultaneously performing pick-and-place operations represents a convergence of quality control and automation that could redefine industrial workflows beyond traditional fixed-arm robotics

🤖 Startup Spotlight: Unitree Robotics: China's $1.3B Humanoid Unicorn

Unitree Robotics: China's $1.3B Humanoid Unicorn 📍 Location: Hangzhou, China
What they do: Develops affordable humanoid and quadruped robots for industrial and consumer applications

Latest update: Achieved $1.3B valuation in recent funding round backed by Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance's Jinqiu Capital, China Mobile, and automaker Geely

Why watch: Unitree has cracked the affordability code with its G1 humanoid priced at just $16,000—significantly undercutting Tesla's Optimus while targeting the same 5,000-unit production goal for 2025. The company claims profitability, a rare achievement in consumer robotics, and notably uses no American-made parts, maintaining complete supply chain control.

3 Key Takeaways:

  • Strategic national champion emergence: Backing from China's tech giants (Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance) plus industrial players (China Mobile, Geely) reflects Beijing's coordinated push to dominate next-generation robotics, similar to past successes in solar and telecommunications

  • Value-driven design philosophy wins: Unlike failed social robots from 2018, Unitree focuses on practical utility with quadrupeds priced at $20,000-$30,000 and humanoids at $16,000, proving that accessibility plus functionality beats novelty in robotics markets

  • Supply chain sovereignty strategy: By eliminating American components entirely, Unitree positions itself as a geopolitically resilient alternative to Western robotics companies, potentially appealing to markets seeking technology independence from US suppliers

This unicorn status signals China's serious intent to lead the $108B robotics market projected by 2028.

📈 Investor Watch

2 Humanoid Robot ETFs Now Trading as AI Boom Expands

Two new ETFs targeting humanoid robotics launched within three weeks of each other, signaling mainstream investor appetite for the sector. The KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF (KOID) launched in early June with $3.2M AUM, followed by the actively managed Roundhill Humanoid Robotics ETF (HUMN) on Thursday.

3 Key Takeaways:

  • Passive vs. active approaches emerge: KOID tracks 51 equally weighted stocks across the full humanoid ecosystem ("brain," "body," and systems integrators) with global diversification, while HUMN actively manages 30 holdings focused on direct manufacturers and critical enabling technologies like precision actuators and tactile sensors

  • Tesla dominance across both funds: Tesla leads HUMN at 12.6% allocation due to Optimus development, while also featuring prominently in KOID alongside NVIDIA (8% in HUMN), demonstrating how established tech giants are becoming the primary investment vehicles for humanoid exposure

  • Thematic ETF validation: Roundhill's entry (with $300M+ success in metaverse ETF METV) and KraneShares' participation (known for $6.5B China Internet ETF KWEB) suggest institutional confidence that humanoid robotics has moved beyond "sci-fi fantasy" to investable theme with genuine commercial potential

The rapid launch of competing ETFs indicates humanoid robotics is transitioning from niche research to mainstream investment category, offering retail investors structured exposure to this emerging sector.

🧩 Pattern of the Week

China's Robotics Moonshot: The 302 Million Robot Vision

China's robotics industry is projected to double from $47 billion to $108 billion by 2028, with Morgan Stanley forecasting 23% annual growth. The standout metric: humanoid robots are expected to explode at 63% annual growth, from $300 million in 2025 to $3.4 billion by 2030. By 2050, China envisions 302 million humanoid robots—30% of the global population. This isn't just growth; it's a coordinated national strategy under "Made in China 2025" where China already controls 40% of the global robotics market and over half of industrial robot installations. The pattern reveals a systematic approach: establish dominance in drones ($19B to $40B by 2028), then leverage that foundation to capture the emerging humanoid market during what researchers call the "milestone year" of 2025 when mass production begins. Unlike Western companies focused on individual breakthroughs, China is building an entire ecosystem—740,000 robotics firms creating a manufacturing transformation that "boosts productivity and quality instead of simply replacing workers." This coordinated industrial policy, combined with companies like Unitree's $16,000 humanoids undercutting Tesla, suggests China is executing a classic playbook: dominate through scale, then through innovation.

📚 Resource / Reading

Human-centric Robots Boost Quality Professionals' Toolkits

This Quality Magazine piece by Mike DeGrace explores how collaborative robots (cobots) are transforming quality control and inspection workflows beyond traditional automation. Using real-world examples like Zippertubing Company's UR5 integration, the article demonstrates how cobots serve as flexible platforms for multiple quality applications rather than single-purpose tools.

Notable Quotes:

"I've stood beside operators and inspection workers when a collaborative robot (or 'cobot') cell is unveiled for the first time and witnessed that 'click' of recognition when they realize that cobots are not replacements for human labor."

"What people are recognizing is that cobots offer a paradigm shift from traditional automation used in quality and inspection applications. Put simply, cobots offer capabilities that traditional robots don't, especially when it comes to flexibility, programmability, and reprogrammability."

"When you buy a cobot, you may have just one application in mind, but leading cobots are platforms for almost any number of quality applications - and not just quality applications."

This resource highlights the critical distinction between traditional industrial automation and human-centric robotics, emphasizing how cobots enhance rather than replace human capabilities in quality control environments—a key insight for understanding the broader humanoid robotics adoption curve.

🛠 Builder's Corner

Factory of the Future Is Alive": Humanoid Robots Set to Build Nvidia Chips Inside This Surreal Foxconn U.S. Plant

Foxconn plans to deploy humanoid robots at its new Houston facility starting Q1 2026 to manufacture Nvidia's GB300 AI servers. The Taiwanese manufacturing giant will showcase two robot versions in November: one with legs and another featuring a wheeled AMR base designed for cost-effective factory deployment.

What it does: The robots leverage Nvidia's Isaac GR00T N1 foundation model, featuring a dual-system architecture inspired by human cognition. "System 1" provides fast-thinking action responses like human reflexes, while "System 2" enables slow, deliberate decision-making and environmental reasoning. The system can be post-trained with real or synthetic data for specific tasks and robot platforms.

Why it matters: This represents the first major deployment of humanoid robots in semiconductor manufacturing, potentially setting the standard for AI server production. Beyond Foxconn, automotive giants Mercedes-Benz and BMW are testing similar robots, suggesting a broader industry shift toward humanoid automation. The dual-system architecture breakthrough offers unprecedented adaptability—robots can handle both routine material handling and complex multistep assembly tasks, fundamentally altering traditional manufacturing paradigms while opening new avenues for cost-effective production at scale.

This deployment could prove that humanoid robots are ready for prime-time manufacturing, not just warehouse operations.

💼 Jobs in Mechonomics

1. Staff Reinforcement Learning Engineer - Robotics XPENG | Santa Clara, CA | $215,280 - $364,320

Lead cutting-edge research in deep-learning methods for legged locomotion and whole-body control in humanoid robots. Develop end-to-end motion controllers using reinforcement learning and imitation learning while tackling critical sim-to-real transfer challenges. Work with state-of-the-art algorithms like PPO, DQN, and SAC on real-world robotics problems.

2. Robot Service Triage Specialist- 1X Technologies AS| Sunnyvale, CA | $80,000 - $120,000 (estimated)

Join the forefront of household humanoid robotics by ensuring safe, reliable operation of AI-powered robots in customer environments. Rapidly diagnose complex issues across mechanical assemblies, sensors, actuators, and firmware using proprietary 1X tooling. Execute field-level electrical debugging, coordinate repairs, and maintain detailed service analytics to support engineering feedback loops.

3. Robotic Operations Technician Figure AI | Lathrop, CA | $35 - $45/hour

Work directly with Figure's learning humanoid robots in real commercial deployments, teaching new behaviors and maintaining peak operational performance. Conduct on-site integration, execute field repairs, and serve as the critical link between customer operations and engineering teams. Handle complex electro-mechanical troubleshooting while managing customer relationships and collecting data to train AI systems.

4. Robotics Maintenance Technician Asylon | Various Locations | $60,000 - $70,000

Maintain and operate Asylon's fleet of robotic systems for commercial and Department of Defense clients. Serve as system expert across mechanical, software, and electrical subsystems while ensuring operational excellence and safety compliance. Support DoD exercises and demonstrations, coordinate FAA flight authorizations, and conduct post-mission analysis. Role involves up to 80% travel and extended deployments to military bases.

5. Mechatronics & Robotics Technician C&W Services | Various Locations | $34.78/hour

Support operations maintenance by repairing and maintaining material handling equipment, pneumatic systems, and automated packaging/distribution equipment. Complete preventative maintenance, troubleshoot electrical/mechanical problems with conveyor systems, and mentor junior technicians. Manage work orders through CMMS while maintaining safety-first culture in cutting-edge warehouse facilities.