PitchBook: VC investment in global robotics and physical AI jumped to $26B in 2025 from $4.2B in 2019, and has already topped $23B as of May 20 this year
Investors bet big on infrastructure and 'physical AI,' enticed by prospect of revenue opportunities
Lead Source
How this story grew
More
TechSnif Coverage
Robotics VC Funding Explodes to $26B, Up 6x Since 2019
Venture capital is flooding into robotics and physical AI, with investment jumping from $4.2B in 2019 to $26B in 2025.
Venture capitalists are pouring money into robots and physical AI at a staggering pace. According to PitchBook data reported by the Wall Street Journal, global VC investment in the space hit $26 billion in 2025 — a more than sixfold increase from the $4.2 billion invested in 2019.
The momentum isn't slowing down. As of May 20, investment had already topped $23 billion, putting the sector on track to potentially surpass last year's total.
The driving force? Investors are chasing real revenue opportunities in infrastructure and so-called "physical AI" — systems that interact with the real world rather than just pushing pixels on screens.
That's a massive bet that the next wave of AI won't live in the cloud alone. It'll walk, grip, weld, and deliver. The money says Wall Street believes it.