COMPANY PROFILE / DRONES AND ROBOTICS
ANYbotics
– Reading what “certified” covers: legged inspection robots for explosive areas
ANYbotics (Zurich, Switzerland) is a private company that makes ANYmal, an inspection robot that walks on four legs. It climbs stairs, patrols a plant by itself and records the condition of equipment with cameras and sensors. What sets it apart is ANYmal X, a model for places where explosive gas may appear. The company says it is certified for Zone 1 under ATEX and IECEx, and the certifier Bureau Veritas has announced that it carried out the IECEx work. But the scope is bounded by zone, gas and temperature, and the certificates this article found in the public IECEx database are two 2022 unit verifications covering four robots. Using only company material, certifier and customer releases and the public database, this article sets out what could and could not be confirmed.
- ANYbotics in 30 seconds, and where it sits in drones and robotics
- Logo and name
- Where this company sits in the drones and robotics world
- Company size (finances not disclosed)
- Resources committed to robots and drones
- What it has done so far
- Plans ahead
- What the company seems to be aiming for
- Partnership map
- Technology, products and services (scope of explosion protection)
- Risks the company faces
- Glossary / References / Claim-to-source audit
1. ANYbotics in 30 seconds, and where it sits in drones and robotics
SwitzerlandHagenholzstrasse 83a. Also San Francisco, and Barcelona from June 2026
robots (main)Secondary: enabling software (the Shift operations software)
ANYmal XD is the standard model, X the explosion-protected one (company)
Zone 1, IIBANYmal X. 0-40 °C, IP67 (company data sheet). Scope in section 10
ANYbotics makes inspection robots that walk on four legs (legged robots). They patrol plants that handle gas and oil on a set route by themselves, recording the condition of equipment with cameras, thermal cameras and microphones (company description). Sourced
The company’s defining feature is ANYmal X, a model for places where explosive gas may appear (hazardous areas). The company data sheet says it is certified for Zone 1 under ATEX (the EU directive on explosion-protected equipment) and IECEx (the international certification scheme) Sourced. But the scope is bounded by (1) Zone 1 only (not Zone 0); (2) gas group IIB (not IIC, which includes hydrogen and acetylene); (3) temperature class T4 (surface at or below 135 °C); (4) ambient temperature 0-40 °C. The standard ANYmal D is not presented as an explosion-protected model.
This article also searched the public IECEx database itself. The certificates it found are two “Unit Verification” certificates from 2022 covering four individual robots, and the applicant is a PETRONAS research subsidiary (section 10). The meaning of “certified” is the centre of this article.
The company obtained ISO/IEC 27001 (information security) on 6 February 2026, partnered with Yokogawa on software integration on 10 February, opened a Barcelona office on 16 June and announced the Shift operations software on 1 October Sourced.
Its February 2026 release says ANYmal X has had prototype deployments and “will formally launch later this year”, and on 25 October 2026 its product page still says the “2026 specifications” are coming soon Not yet confirmed. Whether the ANYmal X announced in 2022 and the one to be launched in 2026 share the same specifications and certification scope could not be confirmed.
2. Logo and name
The logo is the company’s trademark. This article does not recreate it with generated images; it uses the image taken from the header of the official website (the white-on-dark version) as img/anybotics_logo.png, placed on a dark panel.
Notes on naming: the company is written ANYbotics (capital ANY) and its robots ANYmal (ANYmal D, ANYmal X). The legal form seen in company releases and the IECEx certificates is ANYbotics AG, a Swiss stock company. The company page says “14 years” while a September 2026 document says “16 years”; this article uses the founding year, 2016.
Official website: https://www.anybotics.com/3. Where this company sits in the drones and robotics world
It makes (1) legged inspection robots (ANYmal D and ANYmal X) and (2) software for running the robots and handling inspection data (Shift). Its customers are the operators of “process industry” plants: oil and gas, chemicals, power, metals and mining (company description). Unlike an industrial robot repeating one motion on a production line, this is a robot that takes over the round a person would otherwise walk.
See also our explainer on legged and inspection robots in this series.
An inspection robot’s workflow
4. Company size (finances are not disclosed; what can be seen)
ANYbotics is private and does not publish revenue, profit or total headcount in official material. Because this series does not use press reports or analyst estimates, only published figures are listed Sourced.
| Item | What could be confirmed | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue, profit | Not stated on the website or in releases | – | Could not be confirmed |
| Expert staff | “Over 200 experts dedicated to innovation”, 35 nationalities | 12 Dec 2024 | Sourced (company) |
| Total funding | US$60 million added; total above US$130 million | 12 Dec 2024 | Sourced (company) |
| Units built | The 100th ANYmal built and delivered (assembled with Zollner). No later cumulative figure found | 20 Dec 2023 | Sourced (company) |
| Scale of use | “Hundreds of thousands of autonomous inspections a month”; “Shift runs across more than 200 robot deployments”. No independent check found | Sep-Oct 2026 | Sourced (company claim) |
| Sites | Zurich (HQ), San Francisco, Barcelona (third hub) | 16 Jun 2026 | Sourced (company) |
When finances are hidden, these three checks help Our calculation.
(1) Where the money comes from: specialist investors plus investors tied to the oil and gas industry (Aramco Ventures, Climate Investment). (2) Customer moves: trial (Equinor, BASF) then purchase or evaluation (Petrobras) can be followed step by step. (3) The scope of certification: how far the public record shows what “certified” covers (zone, gas, temperature, which units). This article weighs (3) most heavily.
5. Resources committed to robots and drones
Because the company’s size is hard to see, the four resource types – people, money, outside investments or acquisitions, and ties to universities and public bodies – are listed as confirmed or not confirmed. “Not stated” is also a finding.
| Resource | Details | Type |
|---|---|---|
| People | Over 200 experts, 35 nationalities (December 2024). Hubs in Zurich, San Francisco and Barcelona. Co-founder Péter Fankhauser is CEO | Sourced |
| Money (R&D, funding) | R&D spending is not disclosed. Funding: US$60 million in December 2024 (led by Qualcomm Ventures and Supernova Invest, with TDK Ventures and others), over US$130 million in total. Climate Investment joined as a strategic investor in September 2025 (no amount stated) | Sourced |
| Outside investments, acquisitions, joint ventures | ANYbotics’ own investments in or acquisitions of other companies could not be confirmed. Co-development with PETRONAS (joint R&D from 2019, commercial agreement 2022). Software links with Yokogawa (February 2026), GE Vernova (December 2025) and SLB (long-term preferred partnership) | Sourced / not confirmed |
| Universities, research and public bodies | Origin at ETH Zurich; co-founder Marco Hutter is an associate professor there and Roland Siegwart a professor (company page). Research ANYmal units delivered to 25 universities and institutes (company claim). Two papers (IROS 2016, Science Robotics 2019). No contracts with public agencies such as NASA or DARPA could be confirmed | Sourced / not confirmed |
Status of the main products
All performance values are company-stated. ANYmal D and ANYmal X numbers use different equipment and conditions, so they are not a basis for ranking.
| Name | Type | Main specifications (company-stated) | Use and track record (dated) | Regulatory scope | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANYmal D | Four-legged inspection robot (not explosion-protected) | Normal walking speed 0.75 m/s, about 2 km per charge (90-120 min), IP67, extra payload 10 kg, thermal camera -40 to 550 °C (official page) | In use at Equinor’s carbon capture and storage facility (June 2025) | CE, FCC and Anatel compliance (company). No explosion-protection certification stated | On offer |
| ANYmal X | Explosion-protected inspection robot | Weight 60.1 kg (with inspection payload and gas sensor), walking speed up to 1.0 m/s (0.5 m/s recommended), battery 932.4 Wh, run time 60-120 min, ambient 0-40 °C, IP67 (data sheet copied February 2025) | Five-week trial with over 30 autonomous missions at Equinor’s test facility (2023); evaluation at BASF (2023); Petrobras bought six for about US$4 million (announced November 2023) | IECEx and ATEX Zone 1, IIB (company). The public database shows unit certificates for four robots (section 10) | Announced 2022. Company says “formal launch” in 2026 (Not yet confirmed) |
| Shift (operations software) | Platform for inspection data and operations | Four modules: Fleet, Insight, Connect, Maps. Managed cloud, customer cloud or on-premise (company) | Over 200 robot deployments, and over 33,000 autonomous inspections in 16 months at a Vigier Cement plant (company, October 2026; robot model not stated) | ISO/IEC 27001 certified (February 2026, company) | On offer (announced October 2026) |
6. What it has done so far
| When | Event | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2009-2010 | Co-founders study electrically driven legged robots at ETH Zurich (the company page says 2009, a 2026 document says 2010) | University research is the starting point; the ANYmal paper appears in 2016 |
| 2016 | ANYbotics founded (company); ANYmal paper at IROS | Research moves into an industrial company |
| 2018 | ETH publishes a walking controller trained by deep reinforcement learning (Science Robotics, 2019) | Start of learned locomotion; the company says every ANYmal since 2021 uses it |
| 2019 | Joint R&D on ANYmal X begins with PETRONAS (PETRONAS) | The seed of the explosion-protected model |
| Sep 2020 | Partnership with maxon, which develops and produces the actuators, 12 per robot | From small series towards volume |
| 22 Mar 2022 | ANYmal X announced; commercial agreement with PETRONAS | The explosion-protected model appears |
| Aug and Sep 2022 | Two IECEx unit-verification certificates (four robots) issued; applicant PETRONAS RESEARCH SDN. BHD. | The public certification record |
| 20 Oct 2022 | Signs an open letter against weaponizing general-purpose mobile robots | A stated policy on use |
| Jun-Aug 2023 | Five-week trial at Equinor’s K-Lab; evaluation at BASF | Field checks in explosive zones |
| Nov-Dec 2023 | Petrobras announces six ANYmal X; the 100th ANYmal is built | Both a purchase and a production record |
| 12 Dec 2024 | Raises another US$60 million (over US$130 million in total) | Expansion in the United States |
| Jun, Sep, Dec 2025 | Northern Lights (ANYmal D), Climate Investment joins, link with GE Vernova | Wider range of industries |
| Feb 2026 | ISO/IEC 27001 (6th), partnership with Yokogawa (10th); company says ANYmal X formally launches in 2026 | Strengthens software and information security |
| Mar-Oct 2026 | New Chief Revenue Officer Thierry Obédé (March), Barcelona hub (June), Shift announced (1 October) | From single robots to operating services |
7. Plans ahead
All of the above are the company’s plans and targets, not achieved facts Not yet confirmed.
None of the following could be confirmed in official material or the public database Not yet confirmed.
The 2026 specifications, weight and certification scope of ANYmal X / the ATEX type-examination certificate number and certifier / any IECEx certificate covering the model as a whole (type) / list price, revenue and profit / cumulative shipments and robots in service / independent checks of company figures such as “over 600 reserved” or “300+ units intended” / what PETRONAS actually deployed by 2025.
8. What the company seems to be aiming for in robots and drones
This section includes points the company does not state directly. They are inferences from primary sources, written with their grounds.
| What can be read | Primary-source basis | Type |
|---|---|---|
| It is shifting from selling robots to providing inspection operations (robots plus software) | The Shift launch (fleet operation, turning anomalies into work orders); a Chief Revenue Officer from the maintenance-software industry appointed in March 2026; the company says it owns “Physical AI, Industrial AI and Workflow Integration” (September 2026) | Inference |
| The explosion-protected model centres on oil, gas and chemicals; the standard model is spreading to power, metals and cement | ANYmal X trials and purchases are with Equinor, BASF, Petrobras and PETRONAS. Shift cases are Vigier Cement (cement), Steelmet (metals) and Kanadevia Inova (waste-to-energy) | Inference |
| It treats robots that can enter explosive zones as an area to differentiate through certification | Both the company and the certifier Bureau Veritas call it a “world first”. Whether “only” will stay true cannot be confirmed | Inference |
| It plans to refresh ANYmal X as a new generation | Although deliveries and orders began in 2022, a “formal launch” is announced for 2026 and the product page says “2026 specifications” are coming. The company does not explain why | Inference |
| It aims to become a command centre that also runs other makers’ robots | The plan to support third-party robots in Shift (October 2026); a company target, so Not yet confirmed | Sourced (company target) |
| It publicly opposes weaponizing its robots | The October 2022 open letter and the company page | Sourced |
ANYmal X was announced in March 2022, certification work was done that year, orders opened at the end of 2022, and a six-unit purchase was announced in 2023 Sourced. Yet the February 2026 release says ANYmal X has had prototype deployments and will “formally launch” in 2026. This article reads that as possibly meaning a switch to a new generation (the 2026 version) Inference.
The grounds: the product page, where a 2025 data sheet used to be, now says the “2026 specifications” are coming soon, and a September 2025 company text calls ANYmal X “forthcoming”. The company gives no reason, so whether the early model’s certification carries over to a new generation cannot be confirmed Not yet confirmed.
9. Partnership map for drones and robotics
10. Technology, products and services
Reading the scope of the explosion-protection certification
| Item | What could be confirmed | How to read it | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| IECEx marking | Ex db eb ib op is pxb sb IIB T4 Gb (certificate, data sheet) | A combination of several protection types; Gb is for Zone 1 | Sourced |
| ATEX marking | II 2G IIB T4 (data sheet) | II = not mining, 2 = category 2 (EU directive: places where an explosive atmosphere occurs occasionally), G = gas; IIB and T4 as above | Sourced / explainer |
| Zone | The company says it can be used in Zone 1; Zone 0 is outside the scope | Zone 1 = a place where explosive gas appears occasionally in normal operation (explainer) | Sourced / explainer |
| Gas group | IIB. The data sheet’s example gases include acetone, ammonia, butane, propane, methane, toluene, xylene, ethylene and ethanol | In the IECEx slides the IIC representatives are hydrogen, acetylene and carbon disulphide (the most easily ignited). Places with IIC gases are outside the scope | Sourced / explainer |
| Temperature class | T4 | Surface temperature at or below 135 °C (IECEx slides) | Sourced |
| Ambient temperature | 0-40 °C (data sheet) | Cold or hot sites are out of range. The marking field of the certificate shows no temperature | Sourced |
| How protection works | Main body purged with nitrogen and kept at overpressure (pxb); movement motors in flameproof enclosures (d); connection ports and Wi-Fi intrinsically safe (i); shell and legs conductive | Keeps flammable gas out of the body. A safety function leads the robot out of the hazardous zone if pressure is lost (certificate text) | Sourced |
| Conditions of use | Follow the purging instructions before each use; do not charge in a hazardous location; use only the original charger adapter; avoid falls from height (specific conditions on the certificate) | Even when “certified”, operating rules must be followed | Sourced |
On 25 October 2026 this article searched the public IECEx certificate database for “ANYmal”. It found two Unit Verification certificates and two test reports Sourced.
A unit verification covers only the individual units named by serial number. EPS 22.0047X (13 August 2022) covers two ANYmal X robots (serial numbers …002 and …003) and EPS 22.0071X (19 September 2022) covers two others (…004 and …005). The applicant is PETRONAS RESEARCH SDN. BHD. and the manufacturer is ANYbotics AG; the issuer is a Bureau Veritas body. The certificates state that a quality assessment report does not apply.
The company data sheet says “certified under ATEX and IECEx for Zone 1”, but what this article could confirm in the public database is the four robots above, and no certificate covering the model as a whole (type) turned up in the search. For ATEX there is no public database, so the certificate number and certifier could not be confirmed. This does not mean such certificates do not exist; the search terms (“ANYbotics” returned nothing, “ANYmal” returned four records) or the database coverage may be the limit Not yet confirmed. Which certificate covers which production unit is something a buyer should check with the company (this is not legal advice).
Explosion protection brings to mind a heavy metal case, but ANYmal X mainly fills its body with nitrogen and keeps it slightly above outside pressure (pressurization). The pressurized nitrogen pushes outwards, so flammable gas outside cannot get in. That makes seals at lids, joints and cable entries the key to limiting leaks (the seal material is not stated in the data sheet).
Static electricity can also ignite gas, so the certificate says the shell and legs are made conductive so charge does not build up. Temperature class T4 requires that heat from motors and battery keeps surfaces at or below 135 °C. The drives are actuators developed and built by maxon (twelve per robot), and the movement motors sit in flameproof enclosures. The battery is a swappable lithium-ion pack (932.4 Wh) that the data sheet says meets the UN 38.3 transport test, which is a shipping test and separate from explosion-protection certification. The certificate also bars charging the battery in a hazardous location.
How the robot learns to walk
ANYmal’s walking builds on the reinforcement learning method shown in a 2019 Science Robotics paper by ETH Zurich researchers. In reinforcement learning, a computer tries a motion many times in simulation and learns a controller that keeps the robot upright. The company says every ANYmal shipped since 2021 uses this approach Sourced. For more, see our explainer on imitation learning and reinforcement learning.
11. Risks the company faces
| Risk | Details | Type |
|---|---|---|
| The scope of certification is limited | Limited to Zone 1, IIB, T4 and 0-40 °C. Not for Zone 0, places with hydrogen or acetylene, or outside the temperature range | Sourced |
| Publicly recorded certification covers four robots | The IECEx database showed two unit verifications (four robots). A type-wide certificate could not be confirmed; neither could ATEX | Sourced / not confirmed |
| 2026 specifications are not published | The company says the formal launch is in 2026, but on 25 October no specifications were out. Whether certification carries over cannot be confirmed | Sourced / Not yet confirmed |
| Finances are not visible | Revenue, profit and shipments are not disclosed. Company figures (“over 600 reserved”, hundreds of thousands of inspections a month) have no independent check that could be found | Sourced |
| Customers may be concentrated in some industries | Trial and purchase of the explosion-protected model are mainly in oil and gas and chemicals. The standard model reaches power and metals, but the split is not disclosed | Inference |
| Reliance on outside parts and assembly | Drives from maxon and assembly together with Zollner (company announcements). Supply problems or prices could affect output | Inference |
| Cyber and data responsibility | It handles inspection data, so information security matters. ISO/IEC 27001 obtained in February 2026 | Sourced |
12. Glossary
- Legged robot
- A robot that walks on legs. Strong on stairs and rough ground; usually more complex and costly than wheeled ones.
- Inspection robot
- A robot that patrols equipment in place of a person and records its condition.
- Explosion protection (Ex)
- Design and certification so that equipment does not become an ignition source where explosive gas may be present.
- ATEX
- Marking under the EU directive 2014/34/EU on equipment for explosive atmospheres.
- IECEx
- The International Electrotechnical Commission’s certification scheme for explosion-protected equipment. Certificates are published online.
- Zone 0 / 1 / 2
- Classes of places by how often explosive gas is present: continuously, occasionally in normal operation, or rarely (explainer). Zone 1 is the middle.
- Gas group IIA / IIB / IIC
- A ranking of how easily gases ignite. IIC is the most easily ignited (hydrogen, acetylene).
- Temperature class T4
- A class meaning the equipment surface does not exceed 135 °C.
- Equipment protection level Gb
- The level for equipment usable in Zone 1 (Ga for Zone 0, Gc for Zone 2).
- Pressurization (p)
- Filling an enclosure with protective gas at higher pressure than outside so flammable gas cannot enter.
- Flameproof (d)
- An enclosure that withstands an internal explosion and keeps flame from escaping.
- Intrinsic safety (i)
- Limiting circuit energy so sparks or heat cannot ignite gas.
- Unit verification
- Certification of individual units identified by serial number, not of the whole model.
- IP67
- A protection rating: dust-tight, and able to withstand temporary immersion.
- Reinforcement learning
- Learning good motions by repeated trials in a simulated environment.
- Shift
- ANYbotics’ operations platform, which connects robot operations and inspection data to work orders.
13. References
- ANYbotics – Product page “ANYmal X” (checked 25 October 2026). Shows “ATEX & IECEx certified up to Zone 1 IIB”, IP67, the inspection payload and “2026 ANYmal X specifications coming soon”. https://www.anybotics.com/robotics/anymal-x/
- ANYbotics – Product page “ANYmal” (checked 25 October 2026). Company-stated values for ANYmal D (normal walking speed 0.75 m/s, about 2 km per charge [90-120 min], IP67, extra payload 10 kg, thermal camera -40 to 550 °C) and CE, FCC and Anatel compliance. https://www.anybotics.com/robotics/anymal/
- ANYbotics – “ANYmal X Technical Specifications” (Internet Archive copy taken 7 February 2025; the current URL on the company site was not found on 25 October 2026, and the site says the 2026 specifications are coming soon). IECEx and ATEX markings, 0-40 °C, IP67, weight 60.1 kg, walking speed, 932.4 Wh battery, run time, example gases. http://web.archive.org/web/20250207051131/http://anybotics.com/anymal-x-technical-specifications.pdf
- ANYbotics – Press release “ANYmal X — The World’s First Ex-Proof Legged Robot” (22 March 2022). Launch of ANYmal X, the commercial agreement with PETRONAS, the early-adopter programme. https://www.anybotics.com/news/anymal-x-the-worlds-first-ex-proof-legged-robot/
- IECEx (IEC System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres) – Public certificate database: certificate IECEx EPS 22.0047X (Unit Verification, issued 13 August 2022, status Current, viewed 25 October 2026). Applicant PETRONAS RESEARCH SDN. BHD., manufacturer ANYbotics AG, equipment ANYmal X type AM-XD100A, serial numbers 1’000’001’002 and 1’000’001’003, marking Ex db eb ib op is pxb sb IIB T4 Gb, issued by Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services Germany GmbH, specific conditions of use apply. https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/deliverables/CERT/1533689/view
- IECEx (IEC System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres) – Public certificate database: certificate IECEx EPS 22.0071X (Unit Verification, issued 19 September 2022, status Current, viewed 25 October 2026). Serial numbers 1’000’001’004 and 1’000’001’005; otherwise as above. https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/deliverables/CERT/1564136/view
- Bureau Veritas – News release “Bureau Veritas unlocks milestone in inspection expertise with world’s first Ex-certified legged robot for global oil and gas industry” (15 June 2023). Says the certification work was completed in 2022 by its teams in Malaysia and Germany, and that it is IECEx certification. https://marine-offshore.bureauveritas.com/newsroom/bureau-veritas-unlocks-milestone-inspection-expertise-worlds-first-ex-certified-legged
- PETRONAS – Media release “PETRONAS Partners With ANYbotics AG To Commercialise ANYmal X” (23 March 2022). Joint R&D since 2019, the commercial agreement, scaling deployment up to 2025. https://www.petronas.com/media/media-releases/petronas-partners-anybotics-ag-commercialise-anymal-x
- ANYbotics and Yokogawa – Press release “Yokogawa and ANYbotics to Integrate OpreX Robot Management Core Software with ANYmal Robotic Inspection Solutions” (10 February 2026). The partnership, the description of ANYmal D and ANYmal X, and the statement that ANYmal X had prototype deployments and “will formally launch later this year”. https://www.anybotics.com/news/yokogawa-and-anybotics-to-integrate-oprex-robot-management-core-software-with-anymal-robotic-inspection-solutions/
- ANYbotics – Press release “ANYbotics Launches Shift” (1 October 2026). The four Shift modules, more than 200 robot deployments, over 33,000 autonomous inspections at a Vigier Cement plant, the move from Data Navigator to Shift, and plans to support third-party robots. https://www.anybotics.com/news/shift-launch/
- ANYbotics – Press release “ANYbotics Raises Additional $60 Million to Drive U.S. Expansion” (12 December 2024). The extra US$60 million, total funding above US$130 million, lead investors, more than 200 experts from 35 nationalities. https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-raises-additional-60-million-to-drive-u-s-expansion/
- ANYbotics – Announcement “ANYbotics Welcomes Climate Investment as Strategic Investor” (page date 22 September 2025). Participation as a strategic investor (no amount stated) and a list of existing investors. https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-climate-investment-strategic-investor/
- ANYbotics – Press release “Petrobras and ANYbotics Join Efforts to Automate Offshore FPSO Inspections” (dated 20 November 2023). Six ANYmal X units for US$4 million, field test on FPSO P-74, and the company statement of “over 600” robots reserved. https://www.anybotics.com/news/petrobras-and-anybotics-join-efforts-to-automate-offshore-fpso-inspections/
- ANYbotics – Case study “ANYmal X completes Five-Week Test Program at Equinor Lab” (1 June 2023). Five weeks and over 30 autonomous inspection missions at Equinor’s K-Lab (Kårstø, Norway). https://www.anybotics.com/news/anymal-x-completes-five-week-test-program-at-equinor-lab/
- ANYbotics – Case study “ANYmal X Tested for Autonomous Robot Inspections in Ex-zones at BASF” (4 August 2023). Evaluation at Ludwigshafen; each mission about 20 minutes with 20 inspection points. https://www.anybotics.com/news/anymal-x-basf-ludwigshafen-deployment/
- ANYbotics – Case study “ANYmal deployed at Northern Lights CCS Facility” (23 June 2025). ANYmal D at Equinor’s carbon capture and storage facility. https://www.anybotics.com/news/equinor-deploys-anymal-at-northern-lights-ccs-facility/
- ANYbotics and maxon – Announcement “ANYbotics and maxon Enter into a Strategic Partnership” (15 September 2020). maxon develops and produces the ANYmal actuators, twelve per robot. https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-and-maxon-enter-into-a-strategic-partnership/
- ANYbotics – Announcement “ANYbotics Celebrates 100th ANYmal Milestone” (20 December 2023). The 100th ANYmal built, assembled with Zollner. https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-celebrates-100th-anymal-milestones/
- ANYbotics – Announcement “ANYbotics Opens New Office in Barcelona” (16 June 2026). Barcelona as the third hub. https://www.anybotics.com/news/barcelona-office-opening/
- ANYbotics – Announcement “ANYbotics Achieves ISO 27001 Certification” (6 February 2026). Information-security certification (ISO/IEC 27001). https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-achieves-iso-27001-certification/
- ANYbotics – “ANYbotics Manifesto: Building the Autonomous Workforce for the Process Industry” (page date 9 September 2026). History, research origin, reinforcement-learning locomotion, monthly autonomous inspection counts (company claims). Market-size and downtime-loss figures on the same page are third-party estimates and are not used here. https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-manifesto/
- ANYbotics – Company page (checked 25 October 2026). Founded 2016, ETH Zurich origin, management and board, stance against weaponization. https://www.anybotics.com/about-us/company/
- ANYbotics – Open letter “General Purpose Robots Should Not Be Weaponized” (20 October 2022). A pledge not to weaponize advanced-mobility general-purpose robots. https://www.anybotics.com/news/general-purpose-robots-should-not-be-weaponized/
- European Union – Directive 2014/34/EU (equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres, the ATEX directive), Annex I: equipment groups and categories (category 2 is for places where an explosive atmosphere is “likely to occur occasionally”). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32014L0034
- IECEx – Conference slides “Overview of Explosion Protection Techniques” (BARTEC, IECEx 2018 International Conference). Protection-type letters (d, p, e, i, op), gas groups (IIC, IIB, IIA) and representative gases, temperature class (T4 = 135 °C), equipment protection level (Gb = Zone 1). https://www.iecex.com/assets/Uploads/D2S2-Ex-Protection-Techniques-BARTEC.pdf
- Hutter et al. – Paper “ANYmal – a highly mobile and dynamic quadrupedal robot” (IEEE/RSJ IROS 2016). DOI 10.1109/IROS.2016.7758092 (checked with Crossref). https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS.2016.7758092
- Hwangbo et al. – Paper “Learning agile and dynamic motor skills for legged robots” (Science Robotics, 30 January 2019). DOI 10.1126/scirobotics.aau5872 (checked with Crossref). https://doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.aau5872
- ANYbotics – Announcement “ANYbotics Partners With SLB to Advance Autonomous Robotics Operations in Oil & Gas” (page date 28 October 2024). A long-term preferred partnership with SLB. https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-partners-with-slb-to-advance-autonomous-robotics-operations-in-oil-gas/
- ANYbotics – Case study “ANYbotics & GE Vernova: Advancing Energy Inspections” (9 December 2025). Integration with GE Vernova’s asset performance software. https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-ge-vernova-ai-robotic-energy-inspections/
- ANYbotics – Company website (source of the name, address and logo image). https://www.anybotics.com/
14. Claim-to-source audit
| Claim in the text | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Company name ANYbotics AG, headquarters, founded 2016, ETH Zurich origin, San Francisco site | Sourced | Reference 22, 30 https://www.anybotics.com/about-us/company/ https://www.anybotics.com/ |
| Barcelona as the third hub (16 June 2026) | Sourced | Reference 19 https://www.anybotics.com/news/barcelona-office-opening/ |
| Over 200 experts, 35 nationalities, extra US$60 million, total above US$130 million, lead investors | Sourced | Reference 11 https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-raises-additional-60-million-to-drive-u-s-expansion/ |
| Climate Investment joins as a strategic investor (no amount stated) | Sourced | Reference 12 https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-climate-investment-strategic-investor/ |
| Revenue, profit, R&D spending and cumulative shipments are not stated in official material | Not yet confirmed | Not on the company website or in the references; this article does not estimate them. https://www.anybotics.com/ |
| The 100th ANYmal built, assembled with Zollner | Sourced | Reference 18 https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-celebrates-100th-anymal-milestones/ |
| Hundreds of thousands of autonomous inspections a month (company claim), reinforcement learning, research units delivered, research start in 2010 | Sourced | Reference 21 Company claim; no independent check found https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-manifesto/ |
| Four Shift modules, more than 200 robot deployments, over 33,000 inspections at Vigier Cement, plan for third-party robots | Sourced | Reference 10 Company claim and plan https://www.anybotics.com/news/shift-launch/ |
| ANYmal D values (0.75 m/s, about 2 km, IP67, extra 10 kg, thermal -40 to 550 °C), CE, FCC and Anatel compliance | Sourced | Reference 2 Company-stated values https://www.anybotics.com/robotics/anymal/ |
| ANYmal X values (60.1 kg, up to 1.0 m/s, 932.4 Wh, 60-120 min, 0-40 °C, IP67) | Sourced | Reference 3 Company-stated values (February 2025 copy) http://web.archive.org/web/20250207051131/http://anybotics.com/anymal-x-technical-specifications.pdf |
| The company says ANYmal X is “ATEX & IECEx certified up to Zone 1 IIB”; 2026 specifications coming soon | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.anybotics.com/robotics/anymal-x/ |
| IECEx marking Ex db eb ib op is pxb sb IIB T4 Gb; ATEX marking II 2G IIB T4 | Sourced | Reference 3, 5 http://web.archive.org/web/20250207051131/http://anybotics.com/anymal-x-technical-specifications.pdf https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/deliverables/CERT/1533689/view |
| IECEx certificates EPS 22.0047X and 22.0071X are unit verifications covering four robots identified by serial number | Sourced | Reference 5, 6 Certificate text https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/deliverables/CERT/1533689/view https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/deliverables/CERT/1564136/view |
| Applicant PETRONAS RESEARCH SDN. BHD., manufacturer ANYbotics AG, issuer Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services Germany GmbH | Sourced | Reference 5, 6 https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/deliverables/CERT/1533689/view https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/deliverables/CERT/1564136/view |
| Specific conditions of use (nitrogen purge, no charging in hazardous areas, original adapter, conductive shell, 48 V DC battery) | Sourced | Reference 5, 6 https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/deliverables/CERT/1533689/view https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/deliverables/CERT/1564136/view |
| No type-wide certificate or ATEX certificate could be confirmed (search “ANYmal” gave four records, “ANYbotics” none) | Not yet confirmed | Result of this article’s search on 25 October 2026; not a claim that none exist. https://www.iecex-certs.com/#/deliverables/CERT/1533689/view |
| Bureau Veritas completed the IECEx certification work for ANYmal X in 2022 | Sourced | Reference 7 https://marine-offshore.bureauveritas.com/newsroom/bureau-veritas-unlocks-milestone-inspection-expertise-worlds-first-ex-certified-legged |
| Joint R&D with PETRONAS from 2019 and a commercial agreement in March 2022 | Sourced | Reference 8, 4 https://www.petronas.com/media/media-releases/petronas-partners-anybotics-ag-commercialise-anymal-x https://www.anybotics.com/news/anymal-x-the-worlds-first-ex-proof-legged-robot/ |
| ANYmal X launch (22 March 2022); “300+ units intended” is a company claim | Sourced | Reference 4 Company claim https://www.anybotics.com/news/anymal-x-the-worlds-first-ex-proof-legged-robot/ |
| Petrobras bought six ANYmal X for US$4 million, field test on FPSO P-74; “over 600 reserved” is a company claim | Sourced | Reference 13 Includes a company claim https://www.anybotics.com/news/petrobras-and-anybotics-join-efforts-to-automate-offshore-fpso-inspections/ |
| Five weeks and over 30 autonomous missions at Equinor’s K-Lab (trial) | Sourced | Reference 14 https://www.anybotics.com/news/anymal-x-completes-five-week-test-program-at-equinor-lab/ |
| Evaluation at BASF; about 20 minutes and 20 inspection points per mission | Sourced | Reference 15 https://www.anybotics.com/news/anymal-x-basf-ludwigshafen-deployment/ |
| ANYmal D at Equinor’s CCS facility (June 2025) | Sourced | Reference 16 https://www.anybotics.com/news/equinor-deploys-anymal-at-northern-lights-ccs-facility/ |
| maxon develops and builds twelve actuators per robot (2020) | Sourced | Reference 17 https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-and-maxon-enter-into-a-strategic-partnership/ |
| Partnership with Yokogawa (10 February 2026); ANYmal X had prototype deployments and will formally launch in 2026 | Sourced | Reference 9 The launch is a company plan https://www.anybotics.com/news/yokogawa-and-anybotics-to-integrate-oprex-robot-management-core-software-with-anymal-robotic-inspection-solutions/ |
| The formal launch date of ANYmal X and Shift’s third-party robot support | Not yet confirmed | Reference 9, 10 Company plans, not achieved facts https://www.anybotics.com/news/yokogawa-and-anybotics-to-integrate-oprex-robot-management-core-software-with-anymal-robotic-inspection-solutions/ https://www.anybotics.com/news/shift-launch/ |
| Long-term partnership with SLB; link with GE Vernova | Sourced | Reference 28, 29 https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-partners-with-slb-to-advance-autonomous-robotics-operations-in-oil-gas/ https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-ge-vernova-ai-robotic-energy-inspections/ |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certification (6 February 2026) | Sourced | Reference 20 https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-achieves-iso-27001-certification/ |
| Open letter against weaponization (20 October 2022) | Sourced | Reference 23 https://www.anybotics.com/news/general-purpose-robots-should-not-be-weaponized/ |
| ATEX category 2 is for places where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur occasionally | Sourced | Reference 24 Annex I of Directive 2014/34/EU https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32014L0034 |
| Protection-type letters (d, p, e, i, op), IIC representative gases, T4 = 135 °C, Gb = Zone 1 | Sourced | Reference 25 https://www.iecex.com/assets/Uploads/D2S2-Ex-Protection-Techniques-BARTEC.pdf |
| Research papers on ANYmal (IROS 2016, Science Robotics 2019) | Sourced | Reference 26, 27 https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS.2016.7758092 https://doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.aau5872 |
| The four steps of an inspection robot’s job; steps 1-2 robot and 3-4 software | Our calculation | Our own grouping in this article |
| The four company types (humanoids and physical AI / industrial and specialist robots / drones and eVTOL / components and enabling software) | Our calculation | Our own classification in this article; example names are from this series |
| Three ways to read a private robot company | Our calculation | Our own summary in this article |
| The reading that it is moving from selling robots to providing operations | Inference | Reference 10, 21 Our interpretation https://www.anybotics.com/news/shift-launch/ https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-manifesto/ |
| The reading that explosion-protected units centre on oil, gas and chemicals while standard units spread to other industries | Inference | Reference 10, 13 Our interpretation https://www.anybotics.com/news/shift-launch/ https://www.anybotics.com/news/petrobras-and-anybotics-join-efforts-to-automate-offshore-fpso-inspections/ |
| The reading that the “formal launch” may mean a new generation | Inference | Reference 9, 1 The company gives no reason https://www.anybotics.com/news/yokogawa-and-anybotics-to-integrate-oprex-robot-management-core-software-with-anymal-robotic-inspection-solutions/ https://www.anybotics.com/robotics/anymal-x/ |
| The reading that it treats certification as a differentiator | Inference | Reference 7, 4 Our interpretation https://marine-offshore.bureauveritas.com/newsroom/bureau-veritas-unlocks-milestone-inspection-expertise-worlds-first-ex-certified-legged https://www.anybotics.com/news/anymal-x-the-worlds-first-ex-proof-legged-robot/ |
| Possible concentration in some industries and reliance on outside parts and assembly | Inference | Reference 17, 18 Our interpretation https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-and-maxon-enter-into-a-strategic-partnership/ https://www.anybotics.com/news/anybotics-celebrates-100th-anymal-milestones/ |
Last updated: 25 October 2026 / Troy Technical
This article is based on ANYbotics’ own material, releases from certifiers and customers, the public IECEx database, the EU directive and peer-reviewed papers. It uses no analyst estimates or press-only figures (market-size and loss figures that appear in company documents are third-party estimates and are not used). Items marked “Inference” are our interpretation of primary sources, not statements by the company. This is neither legal nor investment advice.