Axios C-Suite: A glimpse at the humanoid future
By Jim Vandehei
Published on April 10, 2026.
Figure AI, a humanoid robot manufacturer founded in 2022, is now valued at $39 billion after raising over $1 billion in its Series C, a 15x valuation jump in just 18 months. Investors include Nvidia, Microsoft, Jeff Bezos, Intel, Salesforce and the OpenAI Startup Fund. The company charges roughly $1,000/month per robot, a "Robot-as-a-Service" subscription that covers hardware, software updates and maintenance. The competition in the humanoid robotics race includes Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and a wave of Chinese competitors. The country has over 140 humanoid robot manufacturers and plans to build 50,000 units by the end of 2027.
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