Robots and autonomous machines and industrial systems, oh my!
AI agents are reshaping the digital workplace, automating analysis, decisions, and workflows. But if software agents are the brains of the enterprise, humanoid robots are about to become its hands and feet.
“The next big thing is Physical AI, AI with a body,” Nvidia’s Jensen Huang declared at VivaTech 2025 a few months ago, saying, “robots, autonomous machines, industrial systems… It’s all coming.”
Unlike the robots that go viral on YouTube, these humanoids aren’t just performing choreographed stunts. They understand the world’s physics and object dynamics, and are beginning to adapt to messy environments, respond to change, and tackle tasks they weren’t explicitly trained for — like scanning package bar codes.
The implications are massive: alleviating global labor shortages, reimagining logistics and manufacturing, and even offering robotic companions at home.
Today, we spotlight five founders at the front lines of this shift who are betting their companies — and the future of physical work itself — on humanoids becoming a daily presence, as ordinary as a delivery truck on your street. The list is in alphabetical order.
Brett Adcock
Founder and CEO at Figure
What he’s doing: Figure is building general-purpose humanoids to take on physical labor across logistics, manufacturing, retail, and other industries. The company wants to create “AI with a body” that can eliminate the need for unsafe and undesirable jobs, leaving a positive impact on humanity.
Why Brett is crushing it:
- In just three years, Figure has gone from its first, unfinished-looking humanoid to Figure 02, with Figure 03 now in development. Each of these iterations improved the runtime (up to 5–7.5 hours on a 2.25–2.3 kWh battery), dexterity, and onboard compute.
- It opened BotQ, a vertically integrated facility capable of producing up to 12,000 humanoids per year, using advanced tooling and real-time manufacturing systems.
- Rolled out Helix, a vision-language-action model that enables autonomous handling of thousands of novel objects in real-world settings, right from packages to laundry.
- Raised $675M from Microsoft, Nvidia, Bezos, and OpenAI, hitting a $2.6B valuation, while already piloting commercial deployments at BMW’s factory lines.
Where you may have read about Brett:
- Figure AI founder Brett Adcock says there will soon be as many humanoid robots as humans
- Figure’s Robot Walks Blind, Proves ‘Unstoppable’ in New Tests
- Humanoid robot startup Figure AI valued at $2.6 billion as Bezos, OpenAI, Nvidia join funding
Bernt Børnich
Founder and CEO at 1X Technologies
What he’s doing: Building AI-powered, home humanoids to help with household chores and serve as real-world companions, freeing people to focus on other activities.
Why Bernt is crushing it:
- 1X started with an industrial focus but has since pivoted to consumer-centered humanoids, with an aim for safe, general assistance in homes.
- The company recently unveiled NEO Gamma, with a consumer?safe design and whole?body control for natural walking, squatting, sitting, and balanced movement.
- It announced in?home testing for “a few hundred to a few thousand” homes in 2025 to validate real?world performance and gather deployment data.
- 1X has also developed Redwood AI to power autonomous home tasks and an action?conditioned world model that predicts multiple futures and accelerates policy evaluation.
- It raised $100M in a Series B round led by EQT Ventures, following a $23.5M round led by the OpenAI Startup Fund.
Where you may have read about Bernt:
- How 1X Technologies’ Robots Are Learning to Lend a Helping Hand
- Invasion of the Home Humanoid Robots
- 1X built its latest humanoid NEO Gamma to better fit into the home
Jeffrey Cardenas
Co-founder and CEO at Apptronik
What he’s doing: Apptronik is building Apollo, a modular, affordable humanoid for warehouses and manufacturing tasks, with eventual applications extending to construction, oil and gas, electronics production, retail, and home delivery.
Why Jeffrey is crushing it:
- Born from the University of Texas’s Human-Centered Robotics Lab, Apptronik has created 15 robotic systems, including NASA’s Valkyrie.
- In February, the startup raised $350M in a Series A round, led by B Capital and Capital Factory, with Google coming in as a key backer.
- Now, it is using its deep NASA heritage and Google’s AI backing to scale Apollo’s production with Jabil and run commercial factory floor pilots with Mercedes-Benz and GXO Logistics.
- Apptronik also plans to put its Jabil-produced Apollo units on Jabil’s production line, leading to a rare case of “robots building robots.”
- It recently launched Elevate Robotics to go beyond the humanoid form factor and target heavy-duty industries.
Where you may have read about Jeffrey:
- Apptronik Developing General-Purpose Humanoid Robot
- Apptronik’s humanoid robots take the first steps toward building themselves
- NASA Experience Enables Advance of Small Business’s Humanoid Robot
- Mercedes trials humanlike robots for ‘demanding and repetitive’ tasks
Jonathan Hurst
Co-founder and Chief Robotics Officer at Agility Robotics
What he’s doing: Agility Robotics is developing Digit, a heavy-duty factory humanoid capable of unloading trucks, moving totes, and restocking shelves.
Why Jonathan is crushing it:
- Agility spun out of Oregon State University’s robotics lab, with decades of biomechanical research behind it, and is using Nvidia’s AI stack to power Digit.
- The humanoid is already being piloted by Amazon and GXO, making it one of the first in the category to target tasks like recycling totes and moving containers.
- Agility launched a 70,000 sq ft RoboFab in 2023 — the first U.S. factory built to mass-produce humanoids — to go from producing 100s to 10,000+ Digits annually.
- It also introduced Arc, a cloud-based fleet management platform that allows for the simultaneous control and deployment of multiple humanoid robots.
Where you may have read about Jonathan:
- How Agility Robotics is Expanding Digit’s Capabilities
- Agility Robotics’ Digit Shows Promise in Line-Side Operations with New ISO Safety Standard on the Horizon
- Agility Robotics is opening a humanoid robot factory, beating Tesla to the punch
Wang Xingxing
Founder and CEO at Unitree Robotics
What he’s doing: Unitree is leading the robotics wave in China with robots ranging from robo-dogs to high-performance humanoids that can run, cartwheel, handstand, punch, and spin-kick, with far more physical agility than warehouse-only models.
Why Wang is crushing it:
- In its humanoid-focused phase, Unitree debuted H1 at $90K but then followed with G1 at $16K and R1 at $6K to drive mainstream adoption, reframing the category from prototypes to accessible developer and enterprise platforms.
- With backing from giants like Alibaba and Tencent alongside government support, the company has shown how technical prowess can blend with mass-market pricing to democratize access to advanced robotics.
- Its H1 humanoid recently demonstrated headline performance, winning gold medals in track events at the first World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing.
- The company also partnered with SF-based Reborn to co-develop cutting-edge AI and make its humanoids smarter, more adaptable, and capable of complex tasks.
- Unitree is also preparing an IPO with a reported target valuation of $7B.
Where you may have read about Wang:
- China’s spring festival celebration featured a fleet of dancing robots that flexed the country’s advancements in robotics
- This humanoid robot can run, cartwheel and fist-fight – and it costs just $6K
- Unitree B2 quadruped robot is better, stronger and faster
