About this episode

The episode discusses the surge in robotics investment as physical AI emerges as the next wave following AI and crypto.

This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/robotics-the-wave-after-ai . Robotics VC hit a record $16.3B in Q1 2026 as physical AI emerges as crypto and AI’s next wave — here’s the investment case, risks, and IPO pipeline. Check more stories related to futurism at: https://hackernoon.com/c/futurism . You can also check exclusive content about #robotics , #tech-industry , #physical-ai-investing , #humanoid-robotics-ipo-2026 , #robotics-venture-capital , #agility-robotics-aglt , #ai-supply-chain-investment , #ndfeb-magnet-supply-chain , and more. This story was written by: @quinnhillerich . Learn more about this writer by checking @quinnhillerich's about page, and for more stories, please visit hackernoon.com . Robotics and physical AI investment hit a record $16.3 billion across 492 deals in Q1 2026, building on years of overlap with existing AI infrastructure in chips, sensing, and power. Agility Robotics’ SPAC merger and Unitree’s Shanghai IPO mark the start of a public-market pipeline for humanoid robotics, while upstream suppliers and Big Tech remain the most accessible exposure today. Real risks persist — dexterity, capital intensity, China’s…

Topics covered

• robotics
• AI
• venture capital
• investment
• technology
• public markets

Keywords

• robotics
• physical AI
• venture capital
• investment risks
• IPO pipeline
• humanoid robotics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: HackerNoon, Agility Robotics, Unitree

Places: China

More episodes of Futurism Tech Brief By HackerNoon

• Why Fora’s $1B Valuation Proves the Future of Travel Belongs to Augmented Human Advisors · July 21, 2026 · 11 min
• EigenQ and Intel Partner to Harden Deployed Xeon Systems Against Quantum Threats · July 18, 2026 · 4 min
• The Open Chip Revolution Has Reached the Real World · July 10, 2026 · 45 min
• What If the Fermi Paradox Is Asking the Wrong Question? · July 9, 2026 · 5 min
• How to Automate Social Media Posts From Canva Designs With an API · July 3, 2026 · 7 min
• Building a Visual Guide to PQC Handshakes · June 26, 2026 · 6 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Futurism Tech Brief By HackerNoon podcast page.