Tether Invests in Italian Robotics Startup Generative Bionics Amid Humanoid Hype

Tether has entered the humanoid robotics race.

The company said Monday it invested in Generative Bionics as part of a €70 million (US$81 million) round, joining a sector dominated by firms like Tesla and Nvidia.

Tether said its funding will help the startup complete industrial testing and build its first production facility ahead of planned deployments in 2026.

Generative Bionics describes its machines as “Physical AI” systems designed to fuse humanoid robotics with artificial intelligence.

“Tether invests in technologies that strengthen global digital and physical infrastructure and expand human potential,” Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said in a statement. “Humanoid robotics and Physical AI represent a powerful evolution in how intelligence and capability operate in the real world.”

For Tether, the investment continues a pattern of funding hardware and infrastructure projects beyond crypto, including artificial intelligence, media, and agriculture, and brain-computer interface technology, that sit outside its core stablecoin business.

Other firms joining Tether in the Generative Bionics fundraise included the Artificial Intelligence Fund of CDP Venture Capital, which led the round, as well as AMD Ventures, Duferco, Eni Next, and RoboIT.

Launched in 2024, Generative Bionics spun out of the Italian Institute of Technology, where researchers built more than 60 humanoid prototypes over two decades.

According to the company, 70 of the Italian Institute of Technology’s engineers joined the company and are working to turn that research into commercial robots for manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and retail environments, bringing the label “Made in Italy” to the humanoid robot market.

Generative Bionics also said it plans to debut its first complete humanoid robot at CES 2026 in Las Vegas.

“Our mission is to build a future where intelligent humanoid robots collaborate daily with people, amplifying human cognitive and physical potential,” Generative Bionics CEO and Co-Founder, Daniele Pucci, said in a statement. “Our Physical AI enables us to design and manufacture human-inspired robots that create tangible value across multiple applications.”

Betting big on robotics

Humanoid robotics drew heavy investment in 2025. In February, Figure AI raised $675 million at a valuation of $2.6 billion.

That was followed by Bedrock Robotics in July, which secured $80 million. In April, Roundhill Investments filed for a humanoid robotics ETF, reflecting growing confidence that humanoid systems could ease labor shortages and support operations in industrial settings.

Morgan Stanley has projected the market could reach $5 trillion by 2050, led by demand in logistics and manufacturing.