Humanoid Robot Startup Figure AI Raises $675 Million From Tech Giants
Figure AI secures a massive $675 million funding round at a $2.6 billion valuation, backed by Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and Microsoft. The startup partners with OpenAI to advance the AI capabilities of its general-purpose humanoid robot.
Figure AI secures $675 million in funding at a $2.6 billion valuation, drawing major investments from Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and Microsoft. The startup designs a general-purpose humanoid robot called Figure 01 to take on dangerous and undesirable jobs across manufacturing, shipping, and retail industries. As part of this new funding round, Figure partners with OpenAI to develop next-generation AI models specifically tailored for humanoid machines.
The company showcases Figure 01 walking on two legs and using five-fingered hands to move plastic crates onto a conveyor belt. Figure aims for these robots to complete everyday tasks autonomously, though the company acknowledges this requires building significantly more robust AI systems. Figure explicitly excludes military or defense applications, focusing instead on commercial sectors that experience severe labor shortages.
Figure enters a highly competitive and nascent market that includes Tesla's Optimus, Amazon-backed Agility Robotics, and Boston Dynamics. Analysts at Goldman Sachs project the humanoid robot market to reach $38 billion by 2035, with over 250,000 units potentially shipping in 2030. Experts note that while interest remains high, the industry needs several major technological leaps before widespread commercial rollout becomes a reality.