Schaeffler-Humanoid deal could deliver more than 50,000 robots
15 May 2026 
UPDATED: The German engineering group Schaeffler has signed an agreement with the UK robotics and AI developer, Humanoid, to supply it with a “seven-digit” number of actuators for the joints of its wheeled humanoid robots in the period to 2031. The figure suggests that London-based Humanoid expects to sell at least 50,000 of its robots over the coming five years – assuming there are around 20 actuators per robot. Schaeffler will become Humanoid’s “preferred” actuator supplier covering “more than 50%” of its needs – so the actual number of robots that Humanoid expects to sell could be well over 50,000.
Humanoid has also signed an agreement with Bosch to manufacture its HMND 01 humanoid robots for the European market. It says that the contract manufacturing deal marks the transition to scaled production of its robots. Bosch will also provide strategic oversight and technical expertise through a structured Design for Excellence (DfX) framework spanning hardware design, production, supply chain, and cost optimisation. The two companies have also completed a proof-of-concept in which humanoids transferred boxes autonomously from a conveyor to a trolley at a Bosch logistics site in Germany.
Humanoid’s founder and CEO, Artem Sokolov, said recently that the company has pre-orders for around 34,000 robots, with deliveries planned for the coming three years. These orders could generate about $2.4bn in annual recurring revenue. He also revealed that that he is targeting an IPO (initial public offering) for the business, probably in the US in 2029 or 2030.
Meanwhile, Schaeffler’s CEO, Klaus Rosenfeld, told Reuters recently that he expects to win orders worth “hundreds of millions euros” from the humanoid robotics industry by 2030. The company’s products – including actuators, bearings and strainwave gears – represent about half of the component costs of a humanoid robot, and Schaeffler expects to capture about 10% of this market by 2030. It is already working with around 45 humanoid robot manufacturers around the world, including discussing orders and jointly developing products.
Schaeffler’s phased supply-and-deployment agreement with Humanoid also covers plans to deploy “a four-digit number” of Humanoid’s wheeled machines in Schaeffler’s manufacturing operations around the world by 2032. The first systems are due to go live in Germany before the end of 2026.
The new agreement follows a series of successful proof-of-concepts, and a strategic partnership between the two companies announced in January 2026.
The initial deployment phase, running from December 2026 to June 2027, will take place at two Schaeffler sites in Germany. At its Herzogenaurach site, the focus will be on box-handling in a live production environment. The programme at Schaeffler’s Schweinfurt site will start with a three-month capability demonstration and integration testing period, followed by a three-month phase validating stable, continuous operation approaching full-scale production.
The agreement is based on a Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) model under which Humanoid will supply Schaeffler with robotic systems and related services for end-to-end deployment and operation, including connections to fleet management software, maintenance and performance management.
Humanoid, founded by Sokolov in 2024, aims to become the world’s leading supplier of general-purpose industrial humanoid robotics within two years. It currently employs more than 200 engineers, researchers and innovators at its headquarters in London, and at offices in Boston and Vancouver.
“Together with Schaeffler, one of our key industrial partners, we are taking an important step toward making humanoid robotics part of global manufacturing operations,” says Sokolov. “We have already seen strong results from our proof-of-concept together, and now we are taking the next step to staged deployment. Moving into real-world operations is where the true value of humanoid robots is proven.”
“The partnership with Humanoid underscores Schaeffler’s position as a trusted technology partner in advanced robotics,” adds Schaeffler’s chief operating officer, Dr Jochen Schroeder. “By supporting the phased deployment of humanoid systems in real manufacturing environments and serving as a preferred supplier of actuators, we are contributing to the industrial scaling of this technology while further strengthening our role in future-oriented motion solutions.”
Humanoid’s chief product officer, Sotirios Stasinopoulos (left), with Robert Bosch’s chief technology officer, Dr Mathias Pillin (right), during a test of the robots’ handling capabilities.Humanoid’s partnership with Bosch follows the completion of a joint proof-of-concept (POC) in March 2026, focused on an application in which Humanoid’s HMND 01 robots transferred boxes autonomously from a conveyor to a trolley in a Bosch logistics site in Bühl, Germany. The POC involved handling five different box sizes with multiple footprints, heights and weights. The goals included developing advanced scanning and handling capabilities, managing inputs from multiple conveyors, and demonstrating system adaptability in dynamic environments.
As well as the manufacturing and early deployment partnership, the two companies will also explore the integration of Bosch technologies, including actuators, drives, sensors and other advanced components, into future Humanoid robots.
“For Humanoid, this agreement is a critical step in our roadmap, bridging the gap between POC validation and large-scale deployment,” says Humanoid’s Artem Sokolov. “Our goal has always been to shorten the path between innovation and real-world integration, and this agreement reflects that approach. Together with Bosch, as a strong strategic manufacturing partner, we are committed to bringing humanoid robots into industrial settings, scaling their deployment, and accelerating adoption across logistics, manufacturing and beyond.”
“This partnership is built on the shared belief in the great potential of robotics in industry”, adds Peter Svejkovsky, Bosch’s head of intellectual property. “Bosch’s goal is to advance the scaling of humanoid robotics and to further develop this field of the future. With our global production infrastructure and deep industrialisation expertise, we are the perfect partner to take the step from prototype to volume manufacturing.”
