Toyota Spin-out Walden Robotics Debuts Wheeled Humanoids with $300M Seed Round

Walden Robotics has emerged from stealth with a $1.1 billion valuation and a strategy to replace walking legs with wheels. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company is deploying AI-powered humanoid robots designed specifically for the rigors of industrial manufacturing.

The startup launched with $300 million in seed funding, a round co-led by Toyota and Deviation Capital. The investment group also includes Nvidia, Boeing, Samsung Ventures, and CoreWeave Ventures. This financial backing supports the company's mission to move embodied AI from the research phase into real-world production environments.

Practicality Over Bipedalism

Walden Robotics is a spin-out from the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) that occurred in January 2026. While much of the humanoid sector—including Tesla's Optimus and firms like 1X and LimX—has focused on the challenge of bipedal movement, Walden has opted for a wheeled base. According to the company, this design choice ensures compliance with strict factory safety rules and allows the robots to carry larger batteries and more significant computing power than a legged system could support.

To handle complex tasks, the robots utilize Large Behavior Models (LBMs). These models allow the machines to learn new industrial processes through demonstration and iterative practice, rather than relying solely on rigid, pre-programmed scripts.

Industrial Integration

The company is already proving the utility of its design in the field. Since February, Walden robots have been deployed in a North American Toyota plant, where they perform essential tasks such as cleaning machinery and loading car parts.

CEO Russ Tedrake emphasizes that the company's approach is rooted in a respect for existing manufacturing workflows. "If you listen to the people on the factory floor, they aren’t ready, and they don’t want them yet," Tedrake stated, referring to the instability of traditional humanoids. He noted that providing real value to customers requires a deep understanding of how manufacturing is currently executed.

The Shift Toward Practical Humanoids

Walden's success in a live production environment suggests a broader industry shift toward "practical humanoids." By maintaining a human-like upper body for versatility while abandoning the inefficiency of walking, the company provides a blueprint for achieving industrial ROI without waiting for the perfection of bipedal locomotion.

As the company scales, the industry will be watching whether other manufacturers adopt this hybrid approach to bypass the safety and energy hurdles associated with legged robots. The focus now shifts to how quickly these LBM-driven machines can expand their repertoire of tasks across the broader automotive supply chain.