Figure AI Seeks $1.5 Billion Funding at $39.5 Billion Valuation, Signaling Surge in Humanoid Robotics

Robotics Startup Figure AI in Talks for New Funding at $39.5 Billion Valuation

Figure AI Inc., a startup developing humanoid robots, is in talks with investors to raise $1.5 billion at a valuation of $39.5 billion, according to people familiar with the matter -- a move that signals the tech industry's intensifying interest in robots that look and move like humans. The deal is set to be led by Align Ventures and Parkway Venture Capital, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The terms of the transaction are not finalized and could still change.

Robotics startup Figure AI in talks for new funding at $39.5 billion valuation, Bloomberg News reports

(Reuters) - Robotics startup Figure AI is in talks with investors to raise $1.5 billion in funding that would value the company at $39.5 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Align Ventures and Parkway Venture Capital are expected to lead the deal, the report said, adding that the terms of the transaction are not yet finalized and could change. Align Ventures and Figure AI did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report. Last year, Figure AI said it raised $675 million in a funding round, with investors such as Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, valuing the company at $2.6 billion. Major tech companies, including Nvidia, Meta Platforms and Tesla, alongside various startups, are diving into the competitive field of humanoid robotics, driven by advanced AI models that are accelerating innovation in robotics and automation. Meta Platforms is establishing a new division within its Reality Labs unit to develop AI-powered humanoid robots that can assist with physical tasks, according to an internal company memo viewed by Reuters on Friday. In 2024, Tesla's chief executive Elon Musk said that the company's humanoid robots, called Optimus, could potentially be ready by the end of the following year. Humanoid robots have sparked renewed investor interest as AI-powered software expands the possibilities for human-robot interaction and collaboration. (Reporting by Priyanka.G in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi)

Figure AI is in talks to raise $1.5B at 15x its last valuation | TechCrunch

Silicon Valley-based robotics startup Figure AI is in talks to raise a massive $1.5 billion round at a $39.5 billion valuation, Bloomberg reports. That's a whopping 15 times higher than Figure's $2.6 billion post-money valuation for its $675 million Series B last year. Figure's current round is expected to be led by Align Ventures and Parkway Venture Capital, Bloomberg reported. Figure builds humanoid robots for commercial and residential purposes. Humanoid robots are all the rage thanks to the AI boom: Austin-based Apptronik just raised $350 million while Meta is reportedly looking to get into robotics, too. Figure has already sold some robots to BMW. Its founder Brett Adcock posted last month that Figure has signed on a second (unnamed) commercial customer and sees the potential to ship 100,000 humanoid robots.

Report: Figure Aims to Raise $1.5 Billion for Humanoid Robots | PYMNTS.com

Figure is reportedly in talks with investors to raise $1.5 billion for its work in developing humanoid robots. The startup aims for a valuation of $39.5 billion, though the talks are ongoing and the terms could change, Bloomberg reported Friday (Feb. 14), citing unnamed sources. The company made a breakthrough in reasoning abilities and now believes that its products could be ready for use in homes in a few years, according to the report. Figure did not immediately reply to PYMNTS' request for comment. The company was valued at $2.6 billion when it raised $675 million in a Series B funding round in February 2024. Its investors at that time included Microsoft, OpenAI Startup Fund, Nvidia, Jeff Bezos (through Bezos Expeditions), Parkway Venture Capital, Intel Capital, Align Ventures and ARK Invest. "Our vision at Figure is to bring humanoid robots into commercial operations as soon as possible," Figure Founder and CEO Brett Adcock said in a February 2024 press release. "This investment, combined with our partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft, ensures that we are well-prepared to bring embodied AI into the world to make a transformative impact on humanity." In August, Figure unveiled its second-generation humanoid robot, Figure 02, saying the product's dexterity and advanced AI enable it to perform "a wide range of tasks across commercial applications and, in the near future, the home." On Feb. 4, Adcock said in a post on X that he decided that Figure would leave its collaboration agreement with OpenAI after making a "major breakthrough on fully end-to-end robot AI" that Figure built entirely in-house. "We're excited to show you in the next 30 days something no one has ever seen on a humanoid," he said in the post. In a Wednesday (Feb. 12) post on X, Adcock said that Figure was the ninth most in-demand company in the secondary market in January. "Investor demand for Figure is off the charts, I've never had more inbound in my life," he said in the post. The report of a new funding round by Figure came on the same day that it was reported that Meta is forming a new team that will be devoted to developing AI-powered humanoid robots.