Agility Robotics clears SEC hurdle, is set to become first public U.S. humanoid robotics firm

PITTSBURGH — A robotics startup with a sizable presence in Pittsburgh gained regulatory approval to go public through a merger that would make it the first public American humanoid robotics company.

Oregon-headquartered Agility Robotics⁠ develops a line of humanoid robots named Digit, which are designed to function and move like a human and be able to be deployed in pre-existing environments that are designed for humans. The company is set to go public later this year through a merger with Churchill Capital Corp. XI (NASDAQ: CCXI), a special purpose acquisition company, and the two announced today that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission declared its S-4 business combination form effective. Churchill XI’s shareholders will now vote on November 2 to potentially approve the proposed merger. The deal was first announced in June of this year.

Agility made history in 2023 when it became the first company to formally deploy humanoid robots after signing a multi-year contract with GXO Logistics. The company also has partnerships with Amazon and motion technology firm Schaeffler, and has been backed by a slew of notable investors including SoftBank and Nvidia.