GXO, Apptronik scale humanoid robot deployments as partnership expands

GXO Logistics announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with AI-powered robotics company Apptronik to expand development of Apptronik technology for deployment at scale through a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model.

The companies said that the announcement expands upon their initial partnership announced in 2024.

Building on shared progress

Under the agreement, GXO and Apptronik said that they will expand joint trials of Apollo, Apptronik’s humanoid robot, in live operations across a range of warehouse workflows, including:

• Goods-to-person and person-to-goods picking
• Case and tote movement
• Packing
• And sortation

Beginning in 2027, the companies said that the trials will validate the safety, security and technical requirements for scaled deployment - with each use case assessed and sequenced against jointly agreed productivity, safety and operational KPIs - and demonstrate how humanoids can work alongside existing automation and GXO team members.

“Humanoid robots are the latest evolution of intelligent automation, and their increasing dexterity will make them one of the most transformative applications of physical AI in logistics,” said Patrick Kelleher, CEO of GXO. “GXO has deep experience turning advanced automation into operational value at scale. Our expanded work with Apptronik builds on that expertise as we identify and scale the applications where humanoids can deliver the greatest impact for our customers and team members.”

Subject to the success of the deployments and the ability to meet agreed performance, safety and operational KPIs, the companies said that they intend to progress toward global rollout of up to 1,000 Apollo humanoid robots over the next four years, with initial deployment in North America in late 2027. The commercial framework is expected to follow a RaaS structure, allowing GXO to scale humanoid deployment through a flexible, service-based offering.

“We started working with GXO in 2024, and through our partnership we’re defining what it takes to put humanoid robots to work in logistics - measured against real operational KPIs in live facilities, and delivering real value,” said Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and CEO of Apptronik. “GXO has the network and the operating discipline to take this technology to real scale, across one of the largest logistics footprints in the world. Our expanded partnership with GXO shows what’s possible when you pair a leading logistics provider with robots designed from the start for thoughtful collaboration with people.”

GXO and Apptronik continue Apollo humanoid training and rollout

Earlier in 2026, Apptronik said that Apollo wrapped a successful pilot deployment with GXO in the U.S. focused on autonomous picking for small consumer goods. Additionally, Apptronik and GXO said that they have conducted data collection and live autonomous evaluations on more than 50 different logistics tasks in Apptronik’s Robot Park humanoid robot training facility.  

Apptronik said that Apollo is designed to perform repetitive, physically demanding tasks in warehouse environments. The company said that its technology is expected to help address labor availability, improve throughput and uptime and enable employees to focus on higher-value activities.

GXO said that it has a long track record of testing and scaling advanced automation, robotics and AI across its global network. The company said that its expanded relationship with Apptronik paves the way for humans and humanoids to work together at scale.