Tether backs Italian robotics startup Generative Bionics with $81 million for humanoid robots

Tether Joins $81 Million Funding Round for Italian Robotics Startup

Tether, the stablecoin company behind the world's largest stablecoin, has participated in a €70 million ($81 million) funding round for Generative Bionics, marking one of Europe's largest investments in the humanoid robotics sector 1

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. The round was led by CDP Venture Capital, Italy's state-backed venture investor, through its Artificial Intelligence Fund, with additional participation from AMD Ventures, Duferco, Eni Next, and RoboIT 2

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. This investment demonstrates Tether's AI investment strategy beyond its core stablecoin operations, as the company continues to diversify into hardware and infrastructure projects spanning artificial intelligence, media, agriculture, and brain-computer interfaces 3

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Physical AI Systems Drive Industrial Robotics Innovation

Generative Bionics describes its technology as Physical AI systems, representing the fusion of robotics and AI designed to create intelligent humanoid robots capable of human-centric interaction 2

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. Launched in 2024 as a spinoff from the Italian Institute of Technology, the company brought 70 engineers who spent two decades building more than 60 humanoid prototypes into commercial development 2

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. According to Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, "Humanoid robotics and Physical AI represent a powerful evolution in how intelligence and capability operate in the real world" 2

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. The company's approach enables robots to handle unpredictable environments through advanced sensing, perception, and large AI models that provide adaptive capabilities beyond traditional automation 4

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Robots for Industrial Use Target 2026 Deployment

Tether's funding will support the development of edge AI solutions and accelerate industrial validation of Generative Bionics' humanoid platform, helping the startup complete industrial testing and build its first production facility ahead of planned deployments in 2026 2

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. The company is finalizing its first industrial deployment contracts, which will be announced in early 2026, marking the introduction of humanoids into real production environments 4

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. Generative Bionics CEO and Co-Founder Daniele Pucci stated that the company aims to design and manufacture human-inspired robots that create tangible value across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and retail environments 2

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. The startup plans to debut its first complete humanoid robot at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, bringing the "Made in Italy" label to the humanoid robot market 2

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Market Projections Signal Massive Growth Opportunity

Analyses project that the humanoid robotics market will exceed €200 billion ($232 billion) by 2035, with Morgan Stanley estimating the sector could reach $5 trillion by 2050, driven by demand in logistics and manufacturing 2

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. This growth trajectory reflects increasing confidence that humanoid systems could ease labor shortages and support operations in industrial settings 2

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. The investment landscape has shown strong momentum, with Bedrock Robotics securing $80 million in July and Roundhill Investments filing for a humanoid robotics ETF in April 2

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. Tether's support for Generative Bionics aligns with its broader strategy to back emerging technologies that expand human potential while reducing reliance on centralized systems overseen by Big Tech 3

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. The company's investment portfolio includes brain-computer interfaces via Blackrock Neurotech and a collaboration with Northern Data and Rumble to deploy a 20,000-GPU global compute network for open, privacy-preserving AI development 3

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