Humanoid robot maker Agility goes public, and shows what its robots cost

Agility Robotics, maker of the Digit humanoid robot, began trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange on November 5. The paperwork behind the listing gives a rare look at what these robots cost. Renting one runs about $25,000 upfront plus $8,500 a month. Buying one outright costs $200,000. Most rivals are private and have shared far less.

What changed

Agility, based in Salem, Oregon, went public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. That is a shell company set up to take another business public. The deal required filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and those filings spell out the company's pricing and costs. In 2024, Agility became the first to run humanoid robots full time at a customer warehouse.

What the robots cost

The filings describe two ways to get a Digit robot. The figures are labeled illustrative, so treat them as the company's own examples.

• Rent: about $25,000 per robot for delivery and setup, then $8,500 a month for software and upkeep.
• Buy: $200,000 for the robot, $20,000 for delivery and setup, then $36,000 a year for software and upkeep.

Agility's chief financial officer told investors on October 6 that renting could replace $200,000 a year in labor costs with $100,000 a year in robot costs. Buying could replace $1.1 million in labor costs with about $400,000 in robot costs over five years.

What the robot does

Customers would get the newest model, Digit 5, starting in 2027. It walks on two legs, has swappable hands and can lift up to 50 pounds. A fast-charging battery from UK company Nyobolt gives 90 minutes of running time from a nine-minute charge. Agility says the robot can work more than 20 hours in a 24-hour period. Current customers include GXO, Schaeffler and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.

What is not certain

The filings mention a $300 million order from an unnamed customer for 1,000 Digit 5 robots on a three-year subscription. That money is not guaranteed. Agility must hit certain contract milestones, product features and specifications first.

Agility's own costs matter too. It estimates each Digit 5 costs $150,000 in parts. It expects that to fall to $75,000 at 1,000 robots a year and $30,000 at 10,000 a year. It puts a robot's useful life at about five years.

What happens next

Public filings now mean outsiders can check Agility's claims quarter by quarter. China's Unitree also opened its books when it listed in Shanghai in August 2026. For anyone running a warehouse or factory, the open question is whether real-world results match the company's math once Digit 5 arrives in 2027.