# Physical-AI startups drew $47.4 billion in first-half venture funding, Crunchbase says

_Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 7:00 AM EDT · Capital, Robotics · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Physical-AI startups drew $47.4 billion in first-half venture funding, Crunchbase says — Primary](https://news.crunchbase.com/wp-content/uploads/physical-ai.jpg)

Global venture funding for companies classified as physical AI reached $47.4 billion across 521 deals in the first half of 2026, according to Crunchbase data. The total was nearly four times the $12 billion raised across 470 deals in the second half of 2025 and nearly 80% above the first half of 2025. Crunchbase said large rounds, including Waymo's $16 billion Series D, drove the increase. Its definition includes robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, drones, industrial automation and sensors.

## Sources

- [news.crunchbase.com](https://news.crunchbase.com/venture/physical-ai-funding-startups-robotics-aerospace-h1-2026/)

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Retrieved: 2026-08-21T05:06:35.223Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)