Figure AI

Figure AI envisions a future where human potential is profoundly amplified through the seamless integration of advanced humanoid robots into our daily and industrial lives. Our mission is to render labor optional by creating intelligent, versatile robots that transform the nature of work and human productivity.

At the core of this vision is our groundbreaking Helix AI platform, which empowers our robots with unmatched dexterity and cognitive abilities, enabling them to operate autonomously in complex, real-world environments. We are pioneering a new era of robotics by vertically integrating hardware and AI innovations to deliver scalable, reliable general-purpose humanoids.

Committed to a multi-decade journey of innovation and impact, Figure AI strives to solve workforce challenges today while building a future where humanoid robots are commonplace both in industries and households, reshaping how humans live and work for generations to come.

We've been tracking Figure AI since Brett Adcock launched it in 2022, and honestly, this company keeps surprising us. While everyone's debating whether humanoid robots are overhyped, Figure's quietly building something that feels both ambitious and refreshingly practical.

What caught our attention first wasn't the flashy demos or the big-name investors. It was Adcock's track record—this guy successfully built and scaled Archer Aviation before diving headfirst into robotics. That kind of serial entrepreneurship usually means someone who understands the gap between cool prototypes and actual products people will pay for.

The Vertical Integration Play

Here's where Figure gets interesting: they're not just assembling parts from other companies. They're developing their own actuators, batteries, neural control systems, and even their AI platform called Helix. It's a bold move that most startups couldn't pull off, but it gives them control over the entire stack.

We're particularly intrigued by their decision to move away from large language models toward their own specialized AI. That shift suggests they've learned something important about what actually works in real-world robotics versus what looks good in demos.

Real Partnerships, Real Progress

The BMW deal is what made us sit up and pay attention. Getting a major automaker to commit to testing your robots in actual production lines? That's not marketing fluff—that's validation from people who understand manufacturing at scale.

Their funding story is equally impressive. Raising $675 million from investors like Jeff Bezos, Microsoft, and Nvidia in 2024 shows serious institutional confidence. But what we find more telling is their plan to use robots to build robots at their BotQ facility. If they can pull that off, the economics could be game-changing.

Why We're Cautiously Optimistic

Figure's timeline feels realistic compared to some of their competitors. They're not promising household robots next year—they're targeting commercial applications first, then gradually expanding to consumer markets by 2030. That progression makes business sense.

The company's focus on addressing labor shortages in dangerous or repetitive jobs also feels like the right entry point. We've seen too many robotics companies try to solve everything at once and end up solving nothing particularly well.

Our biggest question mark is execution at scale. Building 12,000 robots annually is a massive manufacturing challenge, and the jump from prototype to production line has killed plenty of promising robotics companies. But if anyone's going to figure it out, our money's on the team that's already thinking 30 years ahead.