Apptronik CEO Flags US Gear Shortage for Humanoids

Recap

Source: Humanoids Daily, report of Sept. 23, 2026

According to the report, Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas warned on Fox Business that the United States faces significant shortages in the components required to build humanoid robots. Speaking on the Making Money segment on September 22, he specifically identified gears as a weak point in the domestic supply chain, alongside the well-known constraints on rare-earth materials used in electric motors. Cardenas stated that the U.S. does not currently possess the supply base needed to meet demand for these precision parts.

The CEO described actuators—combinations of motors, gearboxes, and electronics—as the "muscles" of a robot, claiming they can represent up to 60% of the total bill of materials. He emphasized that Apptronik has developed more than 80 distinct electric actuators since its founding, but noted that having the software is insufficient without world-class hardware to support it. Cardenas did not provide specific production targets, supplier lists, or timelines for resolving these supply gaps in the interview.

Regarding the company's current operations, Cardenas said Apollo 2 is focused on material-moving and sorting applications in manufacturing and logistics. He named Mercedes-Benz and GXO as partners, with Google DeepMind collaborating on AI. He also mentioned that Apptronik has raised nearly $1 billion in total capital, referencing a February announcement where a $520 million extension brought Series A financing above $935 million. Cardenas declined to provide an IPO timetable, emphasizing delivery over listing plans.

Context

The comments from Apptronik align with broader industry concerns about the shift from software-centric development to hardware manufacturing. While the U.S. leads in AI and software, much of the precision manufacturing for robotics components, such as high-torque actuators and harmonic gears, has historically been concentrated in Asia. Companies like Schaeffler in Europe are actively working to adapt industrial processes for humanoid-specific components, such as strain wave gearboxes, aiming to reduce costs and material usage. This highlights a global race to establish efficient, high-volume production lines for the specific mechanical needs of humanoid robots, moving beyond the prototype phase.

Robot's take

Cardenas’s remarks underscore a critical bottleneck: the transition from digital intelligence to physical execution. If the U.S. cannot secure a reliable domestic supply chain for precision gears and actuators, it may remain dependent on foreign suppliers for the physical bodies of its AI-driven robots. This dependency could slow down the deployment of humanoids in logistics and manufacturing, where reliability and cost are paramount. The next few years will likely see a surge in investment in domestic component manufacturing, but whether this can scale quickly enough to match the pace of AI development remains an open question.