Figure AI is a US-based robotics company focused on developing general-purpose, AI-powered humanoid robots designed to perform a wide range of tasks in both industrial and domestic environments. Founded in 2022, the company aims to address global labor shortages by deploying humanoid robots capable of learning and executing end-to-end operations safely and autonomously. Figure’s robots are engineered to integrate into the workforce across manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, retail, and eventually home settings. The company’s vision is to create robots that can think for themselves and perform tasks such as doing dishes, laundry, and unpacking groceries, marking a significant step toward bringing autonomous robotics into everyday life.
Leadership
Brett Adcock (Founder & CEO): Brett Adcock is an experienced entrepreneur, previously co-founding Archer Aviation, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft company, and Vettery, a talent marketplace. His background spans aviation, technology startups, and AI-driven businesses.
Jerry Pratt (Chief Technology Officer): Jerry Pratt joined Figure from the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), where he spent two decades leading advanced robotics projects. He was instrumental in developing humanoid robots and led a team that used the Atlas robot to compete in the DARPA Robotics Challenge.
Core Technologies
Humanoid Robotics Platform: Figure’s robots, including Figure 01 and Figure 02, are designed with a human-like form factor to operate in environments built for people. This design enables them to use tools, climb stairs, lift objects, and perform complex manipulations.
AI-First Approach: The robots use advanced AI models for perception, reasoning, and autonomous task execution. Figure’s collaboration with OpenAI led to the development of custom AI models that enable conversational interaction and rapid learning of new tasks.
Vision-Language-Action (VLA) Neural Network: The latest Helix system integrates a generalist VLA neural network, allowing robots to interpret their surroundings, respond to natural language commands, and interact with objects they have never seen before.
Integrated Hardware: Figure 02 features integrated cabling, onboard NVIDIA RTX GPU modules, six RGB cameras, microphones, speakers, and redesigned five-fingered hands with 16 degrees of freedom. Helix further advances this with 35 degrees of freedom and dual GPU systems for high-level planning and low-level control.
Autonomous Collaboration: The Helix system enables multiple robots to work together, sharing a single set of neural network weights for consistent behavior and collaborative task execution.
Key Capabilities
General-Purpose Manipulation: Capable of picking up and manipulating a wide variety of objects, including those not previously encountered.
Industrial Automation: Tested in automotive manufacturing (BMW) and demonstrated in logistics and warehouse environments, performing tasks such as sorting packages and handling bins.
Domestic Assistance: Demonstrated abilities include putting away groceries, doing dishes, and other household chores autonomously.
Conversational AI: Robots can interact with humans using natural language, facilitated by custom AI models and integrated audio hardware.
Collaborative Operation: Multiple robots can coordinate on complex tasks, such as assembly line work or collaborative household chores.
Investors
Major Investors: Figure AI has attracted significant investment from Parkway Venture Capital, Jeff Bezos, Microsoft, Nvidia, Intel, Amazon’s and OpenAI’s venture arms, among others.
Funding Rounds:
May 2023: Raised $70 million led by Parkway Venture Capital.
February 2024: Secured $675 million in venture funding, valuing the company at $2.6 billion.
Company Status: Figure AI is a privately held company.
Notable Clients
BMW: Figure announced a partnership with BMW to deploy humanoid robots in automotive manufacturing facilities, where the robots have been tested in real-world industrial settings.
Other Commercial Customers: Figure states that its robots are operational with their first commercial customers, though specific names beyond BMW have not been publicly disclosed.
