The company, which was launched in 2022, aims to create a walking bipedal robot. Figure has also signed a partnership with generative AI pioneer, OpenAI, to develop next-generation AI models for humanoid robots. The collaboration aims to enhance the capabilities of humanoid robots to process and reason from language, creating more natural methods of communication between robots and their human colleagues.
Key takeaways:
- Bay Area-based robotics firm Figure has raised $675 million in a Series B funding round, bringing its valuation to $2.6 billion. The investors include Microsoft, OpenAI Startup Fund, Nvidia, Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, Jeff Bezos, Parkway Venture Capital, Intel Capital, Align Ventures, and ARK Invest.
- Figure has partnered with OpenAI to develop next-generation AI models for humanoid robots, aiming to enhance the capabilities of humanoid robots to process and reason from language.
- The company has already signed a deal with BMW for robotics deployment and plans to use the funding to accelerate its go-to-market strategy.
- Figure's humanoid robot, Figure 01, is designed to perform tasks in a manner that would be uncomfortable for most people, suggesting that just because a robot looks like a person doesn't mean it has to behave exactly like one.