Axios C-Suite: A glimpse at the humanoid future
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images
A humanoid robot made by Figure AI strolled alongside First Lady Melania Trump into the East Room last month — the first time, almost certainly not the last, that one has strolled the White House.
- It delivered opening remarks at Trump's Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit with first spouses from 45 countries, then welcomed guests in 11 languages with flawless pronunciation before walking itself back down the Cross Hall.
- Creepy? Yup. But that will be YOU in front of staff soon.
Fun facts: Figure AI was founded in 2022. It's 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 business model to watch: Figure charges roughly $1,000/month per robot — a "Robot-as-a-Service" subscription that covers hardware, software updates and maintenance. No massive capex. Think SaaS, but the software has legs.
- The crowded humanoid robotics race includes Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and a wave of Chinese competitors.
⚠️ On the China front, they're crushing us.
- The country has over 140 humanoid robot manufacturers that collectively launched more than 330 different models by the end of 2025.
- Premier Li Qiang elevated "embodied intelligence" to a strategic national priority in the 2026 Government Work Report for the first time — putting humanoid robots alongside quantum and 6G in China's 15th Five-Year Plan.
The next frontier: Humanoid soldiers are already in Ukraine.
- Foundation, a San Francisco startup, sent two Phantom MK-1 humanoid robots to Ukraine in February for frontline reconnaissance — believed to be the first humanoid deployment to any combat theater.
- The company holds $24 million in research contracts with the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force and plans to build 50,000 units by the end of 2027.
📈 If you're a CEO or on a CEO's team: Sign up now to join Jim's new Axios C-Suite weekly newsletter.
