What Aldebaran Robotics does

Aldebaran Robotics is a French robotics company founded in 2005 in Paris that designed, manufactured, and sold the NAO platform — a programmable autonomous humanoid robot marketed primarily for education and healthcare applications. The NAO hardware line, currently comprising NAO6 and the newly launched NAO7, is paired with a vertically integrated software stack that includes the Choregraphe visual programming environment, an SDK for custom development, the NAO Activities application suite, and Robot Settings tooling. The company has accumulated more than 20,000 deployed units across 70+ countries and has been cited in over 3,600 academic studies in engineering and human-robot interaction, with documented use cases spanning K–12 and university education (including special education), autism therapy, physical rehabilitation, pediatric care, and elderly cognitive and social stimulation.

The company's commercial model combines enterprise B2B sales to educational institutions, healthcare providers, and research organizations with a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel (maxtronics.com), supported by a 30+ international partner network that handles local distribution and after-sales service. Revenue mechanics rest on hardware unit sales as the primary stream, supplemented by software licensing for Choregraphe and SDK packages and recurring support and professional services. The company holds GDPR compliance and European safety standards certifications, which constitute a regulatory moat for deployment in sensitive European education and healthcare settings.

In 2025 Aldebaran Robotics filed for bankruptcy, citing per-unit losses and the broader financial sustainability challenges facing the humanoid robotics industry. Its products, engineering heritage, and partner ecosystem have been acquired and continued by Maxtronics Robotics SAS, headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France. Total disclosed equity funding prior to the bankruptcy was approximately $20.34M across three rounds (2005 seed, 2007 $7.34M, 2011 $13M led by Intel Capital).

Name

Aldebaran Robotics

Website

https://aldebaran.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Aldebaran Robotics, the French creator of the NAO programmable humanoid robot, served global education, healthcare, and research markets with over 20,000 deployed units before filing for bankruptcy in 2025, after which its product line and engineering heritage were continued by Maxtronics Robotics SAS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanoid Robotics

NAICS

Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411), Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (335), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993), Industrial Design Services (54142)

SIC

Electronic Components & Accessories (3670), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanoid & General-Purpose Robots (HDAAAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robotics Learning Platforms (EDAFANAB), Robot Hardware, Actuators & Components (sensors, grippers, motors) (HDAAAIAL), Educational & Hobby Robotics Kits (Consumer) (CRACARAG)

Keywords

• Humanoid robots
• Educational robotics
• Human robot interaction
• Robot programming software
• Assistive healthcare robots

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. NAO Robot Hardware Sales: Sale of NAO humanoid robot units (NAO6, NAO7) to educational institutions, healthcare providers, research organizations, and individuals globally. Hardware forms the primary revenue stream, with over 20,000 units produced and delivered.
2. Software Licenses and SDK: Revenue generated from Choregraphe software suite, SDK packages, and robot settings software for professional development and custom NAO applications.
3. Support and Services: Global support services including technical assistance, training, and maintenance packages for NAO robot deployments.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aldebaran Robotics designs, manufactures, and sells the NAO programmable humanoid robot platform (NAO6 and forthcoming NAO7) along with the Choregraphe visual programming software, NAO Activities content management software, and an SDK for custom development. The robots are deployed in education (primary schools through universities, special education, and engineering research) and healthcare (autism therapy, physical rehabilitation, pediatric care, and geriatric/elderly cognitive stimulation).

Product overview

Aldebaran Robotics, now operated by Maxtronics following its bankruptcy in 2025, offers a portfolio of programmable humanoid robots centered on the NAO platform. The product line consists of the NAO6 (current generation), the forthcoming NAO7, and the companion NAO Activities software suite. Choregraphe visual programming software and an SDK are also provided for developers to create custom applications. These robots are designed for education, healthcare, and elderly care, with over 20,000 units deployed across 70+ countries and used in more than 3,600 academic studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NAO6 A fully programmable humanoid robot designed for education (primary through university, including special education), healthcare (autism therapy, rehabilitation, pediatric care), and elderly care applications, with advanced human-robot interaction capabilities; trusted in 70+ countries with 20,000+ units produced and delivered.
• NAO7 Next-generation programmable humanoid robot in the NAO family, designed for education, healthcare, and elderly care applications with advanced human-robot interaction capabilities.
• NAO Activities Activity management software enabling teachers, researchers, caregivers, and therapists to create and deploy engaging experiences on NAO robots in education and healthcare settings.
• Choregraphe Visual programming tool that enables educators and developers to create behaviors and applications for NAO robots without requiring advanced coding skills, while supporting professional development via SDK integration.
• NAO SDK Software development kit enabling professional developers and researchers to build custom applications and integrations for the NAO humanoid robot platform.
• Robot Settings Configuration software for managing and adjusting NAO robot settings for deployment in education and healthcare environments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ NAO robots deployed globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Partners NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMaxtronics maintains 30+ international partners supporting global distribution and deployment of NAO robots. These partners provide local sales support, implementation assistance, and after-sales service across 70+ countries where NAO is deployed.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SoftBank Robotics: Maker of the Pepper and NAO robots (formerly Aldebaran-owned). The most direct peer, competing in humanoid service robots for education, retail, and healthcare with similar use cases and customer base.
• PAL Robotics: Spanish humanoid and mobile manipulator maker (TIAGo, TALOS, ARI). Directly comparable in offering research- and service-grade humanoid platforms to universities and healthcare institutions across Europe.
• Agility Robotics: Developer of Digit, a bipedal humanoid robot targeting logistics and industrial applications. A directly comparable humanoid platform builder with overlapping customer base in commercial deployment pilots.
• Apptronik: Builder of the Apollo humanoid robot for industrial and commercial use. A directly comparable full-stack humanoid robot company targeting deployment alongside humans in workplaces.
• 1X Technologies: Norwegian humanoid robot maker (Neo, Eve) backed by OpenAI. Directly comparable in producing human-scale humanoid robots with AI-driven interaction capabilities.
• Figure AI: US humanoid robot developer (Figure 01/02) targeting commercial and industrial applications. A direct competitor in the general-purpose humanoid category with significant funding.
• Hanson Robotics: Creator of the Sophia humanoid robot targeting social interaction, research, and education. A direct peer in expressive humanoid robots designed for human-facing use cases.

Emerging players

• Unitree Robotics: Chinese maker of quadruped and humanoid robots (H1, G1) at lower price points. An emerging peer offering lower-cost humanoid platforms that could pressure NAO's education pricing.
• Robotis: Korean maker of educational and research robotics kits (THORMANG, OP3, Dynamixel). Comparable as a programmable humanoid platform sold primarily into education and research markets.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Dynamics: Established robotics leader (Atlas, Spot) now owned by Hyundai. A broad incumbent in humanoid robotics with R&D scale and commercial deployment that overshadows NAO.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AldebaranR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aldebaran-robotics

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aldebaran Robotics