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| Figure AI | |
|---|---|
| Figure AI, Inc. | |
| |
| File:Figure 02 humanoid robot.jpg | |
| Figure 02 humanoid robot at BMW facility | |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Artificial intelligence Robotics Humanoid robots |
| Founded | 2022 |
| Founder | Brett Adcock |
| Headquarters | Sunnyvale, California, United States |
| Key people | Brett Adcock (CEO and Founder) Jerry Pratt (CTO) Dana Votypka (CFO) Bob Klunk (COO) Lee Randaccio (VP of Growth)
|
| Products | Figure 01 Figure 02 Figure 03 Helix AI System
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| Valuation | $39.5 billion (October 2025)[1] |
| Website | figure.ai |
Figure AI, Inc. is an American robotics company developing AI-powered humanoid robots. Founded in 2022 by serial entrepreneur Brett Adcock, the company aims to create commercially viable autonomous humanoid robots capable of performing complex tasks in manufacturing, logistics, and domestic environments.[2] The company develops general-purpose humanoid robots and Helix, its proprietary vision-language-action (VLA) neural network system for real-world manipulation and control.[3]
Figure AI was founded in 2022 by Brett Adcock, previously known for founding Archer Aviation (which went public in 2021) and Vettery (acquired by Adecco Group for $100 million in 2018).[4] Adcock assembled a team of experts from Boston Dynamics, Tesla, Google DeepMind, Apple, and the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC), bringing together over 100 years of combined experience in AI and humanoid robotics.[5]
The company operated in stealth mode for its first year, focusing on rapid prototype development. In 2022, the company introduced Figure 01, a bipedal robot designed for manual labor in logistics and warehousing sectors. The robot achieved dynamic bipedal walking within 12 months of the company's inception, marking one of the fastest development timelines in humanoid robotics history.[6]
Figure emerged from stealth in March 2023, simultaneously announcing its first humanoid robot, Figure 01, and completing initial funding.[7] In May 2023, Figure AI raised $70 million in Series A funding led by Parkway Venture Capital, establishing a $500 million valuation.[8] An extension in July 2023 added $9 million from Intel Capital at a $350 million valuation.[9]
By March 2024, the company had grown to over 80 employees.[10]
On January 18, 2024, Figure announced its first commercial agreement with BMW Manufacturing to deploy general-purpose humanoid robots in automotive manufacturing facilities. The partnership began with a phased approach at BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina facility.[11] BMW later described the Figure 02 as being "tested successfully" in a real production environment at Plant Spartanburg during 2024, though a subsequent BMW status note indicated that "currently, there are no Figure AI robots at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg" and that no definite timetable was set for deployment, confirming the pilot status of the program.[12]
In February 2024, Figure AI secured $675 million in Series B funding at a $2.6 billion valuation. The investor consortium included:
Simultaneously, Figure announced a collaboration with OpenAI to develop next-generation AI models for humanoid robots, enabling enhanced language processing and reasoning capabilities, along with using Microsoft Azure for AI infrastructure, training, and storage.[14]
In August 2024, Figure unveiled Figure 02, representing significant technological advancement with integrated conversational AI capabilities developed in collaboration with OpenAI.[15]
In February 2025, Figure AI terminated its collaboration with OpenAI, with CEO Brett Adcock stating that large language models were becoming "smarter yet more commoditized." The company pivoted to developing proprietary AI models in-house, introducing Helix, an advanced vision-language-action model.[16][17]
On March 15, 2025, Figure introduced BotQ, a high-volume manufacturing facility designed as a state-of-the-art production center capable of producing up to 12,000 humanoid robots annually in its first generation line, with plans to scale to 100,000 robots over four years.[18]
In April 2025, Fortune raised questions about the scope of Figure's BMW pilot versus public claims. Figure disputed the article and indicated legal action.[19]
In September 2025, Figure announced a strategic partnership with Brookfield Asset Management to develop a large-scale humanoid pre-training dataset using real-world environments, creating what they described as the "world's largest humanoid pretraining dataset."[20]
In October 2025, the company closed its Series C funding round, raising over $1 billion at a $39.5 billion post-money valuation, led by Parkway Venture Capital and supported by Brookfield Asset Management, NVIDIA, Macquarie Capital, Intel Capital, and others.[21]
On October 9, 2025, TIME profiled Figure and reported the reveal of Figure 03, its third-generation humanoid robot redesigned for mass production and home use.[22]
Figure 01 was the company's first prototype humanoid robot, introduced in 2022 and publicly demonstrated in 2023. Specifications include:
Early demonstrations in 2023 showed the robot walking dynamically and handling boxes in warehouse settings.[24]
Launched in August 2024, Figure 02 represented significant technological advancement:[25]
In March 2024, following the OpenAI partnership announcement, Figure released a demonstration video showing Figure 02 performing complex, non-scripted tasks based on verbal commands, including conversation, object identification and retrieval, and explaining its reasoning for each action.[26]
| Model | Release Date | Height | Weight | Payload | Runtime | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Figure 01 | 2022 | 1.68m (5'6") | 60kg (132 lbs) | 20kg (44 lbs) | 5 hours | First bipedal prototype, five-finger hands |
| Figure 02 | August 2024 | 1.7m | 70kg (155 lbs) | 25kg per hand | 5-10 hours | 6 cameras, conversational AI, 16 DoF hands |
| Helix | February 2025 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 35 DoF, dual robot control, VLA system |
| Figure 03 | October 2025 | <Figure 02 | 9% less than Figure 02 | N/A | Continuous with wireless charging | Mass production ready, home-safe design |
Figure 03, announced October 9, 2025, represents a complete hardware and software redesign for mass production and safe home use:[27]
Technical specifications:
Safety features for home use:
Helix is Figure's proprietary vision-language-action (VLA) neural network system introduced in February 2025.[28]
Key capabilities:
BotQ is Figure's dedicated manufacturing facility designed for high-volume humanoid robot production, announced March 15, 2025:[29]
| Metric | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Initial annual production | 12,000 robots |
| 4-year target | 100,000 robots |
| Actuator production capacity | 3,000,000 units (4 years) |
| Manufacturing processes | Injection molding, die-casting, metal injection molding, stamping |
| Part production time reduction | From 1 week to <20 seconds |
The facility features:
Figure's partnership with BMW represents the first commercial deployment of humanoid robots in automotive manufacturing. The collaboration includes:[30]
Figure AI's technology integrates advanced AI with robotic hardware to create autonomous humanoids. Key innovations include:
| Round | Date | Amount | Valuation | Lead Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | 2022 | ~$100M | N/A | Bold Capital Partners |
| Series A | May 2023 | $70M | $500M | Parkway Venture Capital |
| Series A Extension | July 2023 | $9M | $350M | Intel Capital |
| Series B | February 2024 | $675M | $2.6B | Microsoft, OpenAI, NVIDIA, Jeff Bezos |
| Series C | October 2025 | >$1B | $39.5B | Parkway VC, Brookfield, NVIDIA |
Total funding exceeds $1.854 billion as of October 2025.[36]
Notable investors include:[37]
Brett Adcock (born April 6, 1986) is an American technology entrepreneur and billionaire. Prior to Figure AI, he founded:[38]
Adcock's vision for Figure is to make labor optional by providing every human with a personal humanoid robot, starting with industrial applications and expanding to home use. As of June 2024, Forbes estimates Adcock's net worth at $1.4 billion.[39]
Figure AI operates in the rapidly growing humanoid robotics market, competing with:[44]
| Company | Robot | Market Focus | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla | Optimus | Manufacturing | Target: 10,000 units by end of 2025 |
| Agility Robotics | Digit | Warehousing | First US mass production facility (10,000/year) |
| 1X Technologies | NEO Gamma | Home use | Focus on domestic applications |
| Apptronik | Apollo | Manufacturing | Tested by Mercedes-Benz |
| Boston Dynamics | Atlas | Industrial | Partnership with Hyundai |
| Unitree Robotics | Various | Multiple sectors | Chinese market leader |
Investment firm ARK Invest estimates the humanoid robotics market could reach trillions of dollars in value.[45] Goldman Sachs projects the robotics market to reach $38 billion by 2035.[46]
Figure AI's CEO Brett Adcock stated: "In the next 10 years, maybe under 10 years, the biggest company in the world will be a humanoid robot company. Every home will have a humanoid."[47]
Media coverage has highlighted both the rapid progress and the challenges facing general-purpose humanoids. In April 2025, Fortune raised questions about the scope of Figure's BMW pilot versus public claims; BMW described limited, off-hours trials during that period, while Figure disputed the article and indicated legal action.[51] A subsequent TIME feature in October 2025 profiled the company's long-term consumer ambitions and the debate over data-driven training, dexterity, safety, and societal impacts.[52]
