Daily AI & Robotics Wrap: Humanoid Advancements Drive Investment and Deployment
Figure AI Secures Over $1 Billion in Funding, Reaching $39 Billion Valuation
Figure AI Inc., a prominent developer of autonomous general-purpose humanoid robots, has announced a significant milestone, surpassing $1 billion in committed capital through its Series C funding round. This latest investment brings the company’s post-money valuation to an impressive $39 billion, a substantial increase from its $2.6 billion valuation last year.
The funding round was led by Parkway Venture Capital and saw participation from a consortium of major tech and investment firms, including Nvidia Corp., Intel Capital, Qualcomm Ventures, Salesforce Inc., LG Technology Ventures, T-Mobile Ventures, Brookfield Asset Management, Macquarie Capital, Align Ventures, and Tamarack Global.
According to Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock, the capital will be instrumental in accelerating the company’s efforts to deploy general-purpose humanoid robots into real-world environments at scale. Key areas of investment include expanding robot production at its BotQ manufacturing facility, building out Nvidia GPU infrastructure to enhance AI training and simulation capabilities, and significantly expanding data collection from human activities.
Figure AI’s goal is to develop robots with “human-level intelligence” that can perform a wide range of tasks in both commercial and household settings. The company has already demonstrated its Figure 02 and Figure 03 robots performing tasks such as folding laundry and loading dishwashers, showcasing advancements in their Helix vision-language-action (VLA) model.
Figure AI Partners with Brookfield to Build World’s Largest Humanoid Pretraining Dataset
In a strategic move to accelerate the development and deployment of its humanoid robots, Figure AI has announced a partnership with Brookfield, one of the world’s largest alternative asset managers. This collaboration aims to create the largest and most diverse real-world humanoid pretraining dataset, crucial for advancing Figure’s proprietary Helix AI model.
Brookfield, with over $1 trillion in assets and extensive real estate holdings, including 100,000 residential units and millions of square feet in commercial and logistics spaces, will provide Figure with an unparalleled platform for data collection. This initiative involves capturing human video data across various Brookfield environments to train humanoid robots on how to move, perceive, and act in human-centric spaces.
Beyond data collection, the partnership will also explore broader AI infrastructure collaboration, including support for next-generation GPU data centers and real estate for robotic training environments. Brookfield has also invested in Figure’s Series C funding round, further solidifying its commitment to integrating artificial intelligence to enhance productivity in real assets and businesses.
Humanoid Robots See Increased Industry Adoption in Packaging and Logistics
The commercial deployment of humanoid robots is gaining traction across various industries, with companies like Apptronik and Agility Robotics securing high-profile trials and partnerships. Apptronik, for instance, has an agreement with Mercedes-Benz to explore automotive applications for its Apollo robot and has initiated a pilot program at Jabil’s manufacturing facilities.
Agility Robotics’ Digit humanoid robot has been deployed at Amazon for tote recycling and at a GXO facility for logistics and manufacturing tasks. These deployments underscore a growing trend where humanoids are being utilized for repetitive tasks, material replenishment, and other physically demanding roles in environments designed for humans.
Advancements in both hardware and software are driving this increased adoption. Apptronik’s Apollo has seen notable improvements, partly due to a partnership with Google DeepMind, which provides access to advanced AI technology, including large language models (LLMs). The humanoid robot market is projected to grow significantly, from an estimated $2.02 billion in 2024 to $15.26 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 39.2%.
HD Hyundai Samho Collaborates on AI Humanoid Robots for Shipbuilding
In a significant development for industrial applications of humanoid robotics, HD Hyundai Samho has partnered with LG CNS and HD Hyundai Robotics to develop AI-powered humanoid robots and logistics automation technologies for the shipbuilding industry. The memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed on September 15, aims to enhance safety, efficiency, and productivity in shipyard operations.
The collaboration will focus on creating humanoid robots capable of executing complex shipbuilding tasks, including measurement, forming, control, and welding. Additionally, the partnership will develop an automated logistics system utilizing Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs).
HD Hyundai Samho will contribute manufacturing data and on-site infrastructure, while LG CNS will provide an AI-driven data convergence platform tailored for shipbuilding. HD Hyundai Robotics will develop AI-based motion control technologies, and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) will support advancements in robotics, simulation, and welding. This initiative seeks to push automation beyond existing equipment capabilities, addressing intricate tasks in assembly, outfitting, and inspection.
Tesla’s Optimus and the Race for Human-Level Dexterity
Tesla continues to make headlines with its Optimus humanoid robot, with recent updates indicating significant progress and heightened market anticipation. Morgan Stanley highlighted that Tesla announced a new incentive plan and a roadmap for mass production of humanoid robots on September 5, driving positive sentiment in the market.
Recent disclosures include an image of the Optimus Gen2.5 and an announcement by Elon Musk at the All-In Summit that the design for Optimus Gen3 is nearing completion, with its hand dexterity expected to match that of humans. Musk also indicated an upcoming meeting at Tesla to focus specifically on the production plan for Optimus, alongside discussions on AI/autonomous driving and vehicle production.
Tesla’s long-term incentive plan for its CEO includes a key operational milestone of delivering one million Optimus robots within the next decade, signaling ambitious goals for the humanoid sector. These frequent updates from Tesla and other leading players like Figure AI are contributing to a “positive cycle of technological breakthroughs, order confirmations, and capital catalysis” in the humanoid robotics industry.