Agility Robotics is opening a 60,000-square-foot facility in Fremont, California, to train its humanoid robots, positioning itself close to the Tesla factory where Optimus robots are expected to begin production this year. The move highlights a growing rivalry in the humanoid robotics sector, with Agility betting that its years of real-world commercial deployment give it an edge over both Tesla's capital-rich ambitions and newer AI-driven startups such as Figure, 1X and Sunday Robotics.

Agility's robot, Digit, already generates revenue by moving totes and bins for clients including Amazon, GXO, Schaeffler and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, with the firm citing $300 million in contract orders and more than 30 prospective customers in talks. CEO Peggy Johnson, who is leading a reverse merger expected to make Agility the first pure-play humanoid robotics firm on public markets, said the company's practical, safety-first approach to automation—keeping core safety systems separate from generative AI—sets it apart, while the new Fremont site will let Digit learn skills in settings resembling its real deployments.