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Kodiak Robotics vs Boston Dynamics

Side-by-side on valuation, funding, investors, founders & more

Comparison updated: April 2026

Kodiak Robotics has raised $518M — double what Boston Dynamics has pulled in.

Head-to-Head Verdict

Boston Dynamics leads on 4 of 4 metrics

Kodiak Robotics

0 wins

-Valuation
-Awaira Score
-Team Size
-Experience

Boston Dynamics

4 wins

+Valuation
+Awaira Score
+Team Size
+Experience

Key Numbers

Valuation
$2.5B
$4B
Total Funding
$518M
N/A
Awaira Score
70/100
90/100
Employees
300
1000
Founded
2018
1992
Stage
Public
Corporate
Kodiak RoboticsBoston Dynamics
Kodiak Robotics logo
Kodiak Robotics

🇺🇸 United States · Don Burnette

PublicAI RoboticsEst. 2018

Valuation

$2.5B

Total Funding

$518M

Awaira Score70/100

300 employees

Full Kodiak Robotics Profile →
Winner
Boston Dynamics logo
Boston Dynamics

🇺🇸 United States · Marc Raibert

CorporateAI RoboticsEst. 1992

Valuation

$4B

Total Funding

N/A

Awaira Score90/100

1000 employees

Full Boston Dynamics Profile →
Market Context

This is a head-to-head contest: both operate in AI Robotics and share a home market in United States. Different stages (Public vs Corporate) mean these companies face fundamentally different operational priorities.

🔬

Analyst Summary

Built from real data · Updated April 2026

Companies

In the AI Robotics market, Kodiak Robotics and Boston Dynamics represent two distinct approaches. Kodiak Robotics develops autonomous trucking technology for long-haul freight transportation. Boston Dynamics, founded in 1992 and currently valued at $4.

Funding & Valuation

Boston Dynamics ($4B) is valued slightly above Kodiak Robotics ($2.5B), keeping them in the same tier. Kodiak Robotics has raised $518M in disclosed funding.

Growth Stage

Kodiak Robotics is the younger company by 26 years, having launched in 2018 compared to Boston Dynamics's 1992 founding. Growth stages differ: Kodiak Robotics (Public) versus Boston Dynamics (Corporate), a distinction that matters for both deal structure and competitive positioning. Headcount tells a story too: Kodiak Robotics has 300 employees and Boston Dynamics has 1000.

Geography & Outlook

Both companies are headquartered in 🇺🇸 United States, competing for the same regional talent pool and customer base. Boston Dynamics scores 90 on Awaira's composite index versus Kodiak Robotics's 70, a wide margin reflecting substantially stronger fundamentals. Under Don Burnette and Marc Raibert respectively, both companies continue to chart aggressive growth paths.

Funding Velocity

Kodiak Robotics

Total Rounds4
Avg. Round Size$129.5M
Funding Span4 yrs

Boston Dynamics

Total Rounds3
Avg. Round SizeN/A
Funding Span7 yrs

Funding History

Kodiak Robotics has completed 4 funding rounds, while Boston Dynamics has gone through 3. Kodiak Robotics's most recent round was a Series D of $274M, compared to Boston Dynamics's Corporate. Kodiak Robotics is at Public while Boston Dynamics is at Corporate — different points in their growth trajectory.

Team & Scale

Boston Dynamics has the bigger team at roughly 1000 people — 3x the size of Kodiak Robotics's 300. Boston Dynamics has a 26-year head start, founded in 1992 vs Kodiak Robotics's 2018. Both are based in United States.

Metrics Comparison

MetricKodiak RoboticsBoston Dynamics
💰Valuation
$2.5B
$4BWINS
📈Total Funding
$518M
N/A
📅Founded
2018WINS
1992
🚀Stage
Public
Corporate
👥Employees
300
1000
🌍Country
United States
United States
🏷️Category
AI Robotics
AI Robotics
Awaira Score
70
90WINS

Key Differences

💰

Valuation gap: Boston Dynamics is valued 1.6x higher ($4B vs $2.5B)

📅

Market experience: Boston Dynamics has 26 years more (founded 1992 vs 2018)

🚀

Growth stage: Kodiak Robotics is at Public vs Boston Dynamics at Corporate

👥

Team size: Kodiak Robotics has 300 employees vs Boston Dynamics's 1000

⚔️

Direct competitors: Both operate in the AI Robotics market segment

Awaira Score: Boston Dynamics scores 90/100 vs Kodiak Robotics's 70/100

Which Should You Choose?

Use these signals to make the right call

Kodiak Robotics logo

Choose Kodiak Robotics if…

  • Stronger investor backing — raised $518M
  • Kodiak Robotics develops autonomous trucking technology for long-haul freight transportation
Boston Dynamics logo

Choose Boston Dynamics if…

Top Pick
  • Higher Awaira Score — 90/100 vs 70/100
  • More established by valuation ($4B)
  • More market experience — founded in 1992
  • Boston Dynamics, founded in 1992 and currently valued at $4

Funding History

Kodiak Robotics raised $518M across 4 rounds. Boston Dynamics raised N/A across 3 rounds.

Kodiak Robotics

Series D

Jan 2023

Lead: SoftBank Vision Fund 2

$274M

Series C

Sep 2021

Lead: SoftBank Vision Fund 2

$119M

Series B

Jan 2020

Lead: Sequoia Capital

$85M

Series A

Jan 2019

$40M

Boston Dynamics

Corporate

Dec 2020

Lead: Hyundai Motor Group

Corporate

Jun 2017

Lead: SoftBank Group

Corporate

Dec 2013

Lead: Google

Investor Comparison

No shared investors detected between these two companies.

Unique to Kodiak Robotics

SoftBank Vision Fund 2Sequoia CapitalMenlo VenturesVentures

Unique to Boston Dynamics

Hyundai Motor GroupSoftBank GroupGoogle

Users Also Compare

FAQ — Kodiak Robotics vs Boston Dynamics

Is Kodiak Robotics bigger than Boston Dynamics?
By valuation, Boston Dynamics is the larger company at $4B versus $2.5B — a 1.6x difference. Size can also be measured by team: Kodiak Robotics employs 300 people while Boston Dynamics has 1000 employees.
Which company raised more funding — Kodiak Robotics or Boston Dynamics?
Kodiak Robotics has raised $518M in disclosed funding across 4 known rounds. Boston Dynamics's funding history is not publicly available.
Which company has a higher Awaira Score?
Boston Dynamics leads with an Awaira Score of 90/100, while Kodiak Robotics sits at 70/100. That 20-point gap reflects real differences in funding, scale, and traction — it's not a vanity metric.
Who founded Kodiak Robotics vs Boston Dynamics?
Kodiak Robotics was founded by Don Burnette in 2018. Boston Dynamics was founded by Marc Raibert in 1992. Visit each company's profile on Awaira for a full founder biography.
What does Kodiak Robotics do vs Boston Dynamics?
Kodiak Robotics: Kodiak Robotics develops autonomous trucking technology for long-haul freight transportation. Founded in 2018, the company designs software and hardware systems that enable heavy-duty trucks to operate without human drivers on highways. Kodiak's core technology focuses on perception, planning, and control systems specifically optimized for commercial trucking operations, addressing the logistics industry's driver shortage and operational efficiency challenges. The company has developed a modular autonomous driving platform deployable across different truck platforms and has conducted extensive testing on public roads in multiple U.S. states. Kodiak's approach emphasizes highway autonomy rather than urban delivery, positioning it within a competitive autonomous vehicle market that includes companies like Aurora, Waymo, and TuSimple. The company achieved a $2.5 billion valuation following significant funding rounds, accumulating $518 million in total capital. Kodiak has partnered with logistics operators and fleet companies for real-world testing and deployment. The autonomous trucking sector targets substantial addressable markets given the scale of U.S. freight transportation. Growth prospects depend on regulatory approval, infrastructure development, and successful commercial deployment at scale. The company's trajectory reflects investor confidence in autonomous heavy-vehicle technology despite remaining technical and regulatory obstacles. Kodiak focuses exclusively on highway autonomous trucking rather than diversifying into urban or mixed-use autonomous vehicles. Boston Dynamics: Boston Dynamics, founded in 1992 and currently valued at $4.0 billion, is a robotics company specializing in advanced mobile robots and locomotion technology. The company develops quadruped and bipedal robots designed for inspection, mapping, and data collection in challenging environments. Its flagship products include Spot, a quadruped robot used for industrial inspection, hazard assessment, and research applications, and Atlas, a bipedal humanoid robot focused on manipulation and mobile tasks. Boston Dynamics' core technology emphasizes dynamic balance, agile movement, and perception systems that enable robots to navigate complex terrain and interact with their surroundings. The company operates as a corporate entity within a larger parent organization structure. Its robots have been deployed in various sectors including construction, manufacturing, utilities, and research institutions for tasks such as infrastructure inspection, contamination surveys, and autonomous data gathering. Boston Dynamics competes in the robotics sector alongside companies developing industrial automation and autonomous systems. The company maintains partnerships with technology firms and enterprise customers seeking advanced robotic solutions. Its competitive positioning centers on sophisticated locomotion capabilities and real-world deployment experience. Growth trajectory focuses on expanding commercial applications and scaling production capabilities for enterprise markets. Boston Dynamics combines advanced biomimetic robotics with practical enterprise applications, differentiating itself through sophisticated locomotion technology and field-proven autonomous systems.
Which company was founded first?
Boston Dynamics got there first, launching in 1992 — that's 26 years of extra runway. Kodiak Robotics didn't arrive until 2018. In AI, that kind of head start means more training data, deeper customer relationships, and a bigger talent moat.
Which company has more employees?
Kodiak Robotics has about 300 employees; Boston Dynamics has about 1000. A bigger team usually means more revenue or heavier VC backing, but in AI, small teams can build at massive scale.
Are Kodiak Robotics and Boston Dynamics competitors?
Yes — they're direct rivals. Both Kodiak Robotics and Boston Dynamics compete in AI Robotics, targeting many of the same buyers. If you're evaluating one, you should be looking at the other.

Bottom Line

Boston Dynamics has a clear lead here — Awaira Score of 90 vs Kodiak Robotics's 70. The difference comes down to market positioning and strategic focus.

Who Should You Watch?

Boston Dynamics has a slight edge on paper, but Kodiak Robotics isn't far behind. The AI space moves fast — today's underdog can be tomorrow's category leader. Follow both profiles on Awaira to track funding rounds, team changes, and score updates.

Deep Dive