SEC Clears Agility Robotics' Path to Nasdaq, Putting Its Digit Humanoid Maker on Track to List

One Step From the Stock Market

Agility Robotics, the Oregon company behind the warehouse humanoid Digit, has cleared a key regulatory hurdle on its way to becoming a publicly traded company. On October 13, the US Securities and Exchange Commission declared effective the registration paperwork for its merger with Churchill Capital Corp XI, a listed shell company.

If shareholders approve, the combined business is expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker AGLT. That would make Agility one of the first companies focused purely on humanoid robots to be listed in the United States, giving ordinary investors a direct way to own a stake in a sector that has so far been funded mostly by venture capital.

How a Shell Company Merger Works

Agility is going public through what is known as a SPAC, short for special purpose acquisition company. A SPAC raises money on the stock market first, holds it in a trust and then merges with a private company, which inherits the listing. It is a faster route than a traditional initial public offering, though it carries its own risks.

The SEC's decision means the regulator has finished reviewing the Form S-4, the detailed document that explains the deal, the company's finances and its risks to investors. It is not an endorsement of the business. It simply allows Churchill XI to send that document to its shareholders and ask them to vote.

Six Hundred Million Dollars on the Table

According to the companies, the deal is designed to bring in more than 620 million dollars in gross proceeds. About 424 million would come from the cash held in Churchill XI's trust, assuming no shareholders ask for their money back, and roughly 200 million from a separate share sale to investors led by Foxconn, the giant electronics manufacturer.

That first figure is a best case. In SPAC deals, shareholders often redeem their shares for cash rather than stay invested, which can shrink the money the company actually receives. The vote is scheduled for November 2, and the companies expect the deal to close later in November if approval and other conditions are met.

Meet Digit, the Robot With Bird-Like Legs

The company's product is Digit, a two-legged humanoid roughly the height of an average adult, with legs that bend backward at the knee like a bird's. It is built for one job above all: picking up and moving plastic totes, the bins used in warehouses and factories, so human workers can focus on less repetitive tasks.

Agility says earlier versions of Digit have logged more than 65,000 hours of real-world work. Its next model, Digit 5, is promised to lift more, run longer on a charge and handle objects with greater dexterity. The company expects early-access customers to receive it in early 2027, so those improvements remain plans for now.

Real Customers, Real Orders

Unlike many humanoid makers, Agility can point to paying clients. The filing names German industrial supplier Schaeffler, logistics group GXO and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, which signed a robot-as-a-service deal, effectively renting robots and support, after a successful trial. Agility says it has nine committed customer sites today and aims for up to 25 by the end of 2027.

The company also reports more than 300 million dollars in committed orders for Digit 5. That number comes with conditions attached, tied to contract milestones and to the robot meeting promised features and specifications. Its sales pipeline, it says, includes more than 30 potential customers, with a goal of around 100 by the end of 2027.

A Factory Built for Ten Thousand Robots

To meet that demand, Agility runs RoboFab in Salem, Oregon, a factory dedicated to building humanoids that it says is designed to produce up to 10,000 robots a year. In July 2026 the company also opened a hardware and artificial intelligence development hub in Fremont, California, alongside its offices in Pittsburgh.

The money from the listing is earmarked for exactly this kind of growth. Agility says it will use the proceeds to fill existing orders, expand deployments, ramp up production of Digit 5 and invest in Arc, its cloud software that helps companies plug the robots into their operations and manage whole fleets of them.

Big Names Behind the Bet

Agility's backers read like a who's who of technology investing. The company lists chipmaker NVIDIA, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, DCVC, Playground Global, Schaeffler, Foxconn and Abico among its strategic investors and partners. It was also chosen as the launch partner for NVIDIA Halos, a safety system designed for robots that work around people.

Safety is central to Agility's pitch. Humanoids that walk among warehouse staff must stop or slow down reliably when someone gets close, and the company has expanded a partnership with FORT Robotics focused on that kind of cooperative safety. Ahead of the listing, it also named three new board members: Merline Saintil, Derek Aberle and Pierre Gentin.

What Investors Will Be Watching

Going public brings scrutiny. As a listed company, Agility will have to report its revenue, costs and progress every quarter, giving the public its clearest look yet at the real economics of humanoid robots. That transparency could reassure investors, or expose how long the road to profit still is.

Several uncertainties remain. Shareholders must still approve the deal, redemptions could reduce the cash raised and Digit 5 has yet to reach customers. Still, with regulators' review complete and a vote set for November 2, Agility is closer than any American humanoid specialist to ringing the opening bell on Nasdaq.