Tether enters the humanoid industrial robot sector, participates in $81.5 million Italian fundraising project

Tether has recently continued to expand its presence in the AI and robotics sector, and on 12/9 participated in the $81.5 million fundraising round for the Italian startup Generative Bionics. The company, spun off from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), specializes in humanoid industrial robots designed to work in hazardous and high-labor production environments. Generative Bionics plans to begin deploying its first batch of mass-produced robots to the manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and retail industries in early 2026.

Tether and Multiple Institutions Participate in Fundraising, Aiming to Build Humanoid Industrial Robots

Generative Bionics has recently completed its $81.5 million fundraising round, with participation from Tether, AMD Ventures, Italy’s national Artificial Intelligence Fund, and several other investors.

The company’s robots are developed with “Physical AI” (Physical AI) as the core concept. These humanoid robots are tasked with lifting heavy objects, handling repetitive labor operations, and entering dangerous factories, logistics centers, or other labor-intensive environments, addressing the limitations of traditional robotic arms that can only operate on fixed tracks.

Tether Actively Expands Diversified Investment Strategy, Laying Out AI and Robotics Technology

This investment continues Tether’s strategic shift over the past year. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has repeatedly emphasized that the company is transitioning from a simple stablecoin issuer to a “digital and physical infrastructure investor.”

He stated that Tether’s investments in AI computing, brain-computer interfaces, GPU facilities, and Bitcoin mining equipment are aimed at reducing global reliance on a handful of large tech companies. He believes Generative Bionics’ technological direction aligns with Tether’s goal of “enhancing societal resilience and driving real-world innovation,” which is why they decided to join this fundraising round.

First Batch of Humanoid Robots to be Deployed in 2026, Targeting Multiple Sectors

Generative Bionics stated that the company is recruiting about 70 experts in robotics, manufacturing, and systems engineering from IIT to expand mass production capabilities. The first batch of mass-producible industrial humanoid robots is expected to be deployed in industries in early 2026.

Targeted sectors include manufacturing, logistics centers, high-pressure healthcare environments, and retail. The company emphasized that the goal is to introduce robots into everyday human work environments, rather than experimental deployments requiring complete site redesigns.

Tether Reportedly in Talks to Invest in Neura Robotics, Accelerating AI Expansion

Tether is indeed actively expanding its investment footprint in AI and robotics. According to reports, Tether is considering leading a $1.2 billion fundraising round for German robotics startup Neura Robotics. Discussions have begun, and Neura’s valuation could range from $9.29 billion to $11.6 billion.

Tether made over $10 billion in profit in the first three quarters of this year and continues to seek investment diversification, already venturing into AI, data centers, energy infrastructure, and Bitcoin mining.

(Tether AI Countdown Begins! Supports BTC and USDT Payments, Building a Decentralized AI Ecosystem)

This article, Tether Enters Humanoid Industrial Robotics, Participates in $81.5 Million Italian Fundraising, first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.