INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

ROBOTICS

The report ' s central finding is one of concentration: cumulative funding across the UK ' s 357 robotics companies stands at US $ 2.2 billion, with US $ 258m raised in 2026 YTD – exceeding the US $ 150m raised in 2025.

The figures indicate a rebound in funding activity after a quieter period, but the pattern of investment shows that capital is not being distributed evenly across the sector. Instead, larger rounds are accounting for a substantial proportion of the money being invested in UK robotics businesses.

The story is less about more capital entering the market broadly and more about larger cheques going to fewer companies, concentrated in key hubs such as Cambridge and London and driven by standout names including CMR Surgical, Humanoid and Automata.

UK robotics raised US $ 258m across 12 rounds in 2026 YTD, up from US $ 150m across eight rounds in 2025 and US $ 51m across 19 rounds in 2024. The 2026 YTD increase was driven by larger deals, led by Humanoid ' s US $ 152m Series A and Automata ' s US $ 45m Series C. By comparison, 2025 was dominated by CMR Surgical ' s US $ 131m Series D.

Humanoid attracted US $ 152m through a Series A, while Automata followed with US $ 45m through a Series C in January, together accounting for 76 % of the UK ' s US $ 258M robotics funding in 2026 YTD.

This concentration underlines the influence that a small number of substantial transactions can have on annual funding totals. Humanoid alone represented a significant share of investment during the period, while Automata ' s financing further strengthened the contribution from larger rounds.

While investors backed Humanoid ' s potential to scale humanoid robots across industrial and logistics applications, Automata attracted investment for its AI-powered lab automation platform. The two companies illustrate different areas of robotics development attracting capital, spanning industrial applications and laboratory automation.

UK robotics recorded one acquisition in 2026 YTD, REEF ' s purchase of KAIKAKU, compared with one in 2025 and two in 2024. The sector has recorded 15 acquisitions overall, with acquired companies raising an average of US $ 4.4m before exit and being acquired 4.1 years after first funding.

Five additional exits were recorded as acqui-hires. IPO activity remains limited to two listings: Coda Octopus in 2004 and AB Dynamics in 2013. The figures highlight the relatively limited role that public listings have played in the sector ' s exit landscape.

Cambridge leads UK robotics funding with US $ 1.3 billion raised across 13 rounds and 12 companies, exceeding London and Bristol combined. London follows with US $ 582m across 75 rounds and 103 companies, highlighting a stark difference in funding concentration despite London ' s much larger company base.

The comparison demonstrates how the geographical distribution of companies does not necessarily correspond with the distribution of investment. Cambridge has attracted substantially more capital through far fewer rounds and companies, while London has developed a considerably broader robotics company base.

Overall, Tracxn ' s figures show stronger UK robotics funding in 2026, with investment concentrated among selected companies and hubs. •

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