The robotics market, expected to be worth $3 trillion by 2050, is becoming increasingly competitive. Elon Musk has indicated that Tesla may start shipping its own humanoid robot, Optimus, next year. Meanwhile, US-based rivals Agility Robotics and Apptronik are already testing their robots in Amazon warehouses. Microsoft, OpenAI, and Figure AI have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Key takeaways:
- Microsoft and OpenAI are reportedly considering an investment of up to $500 million in humanoid robotics startup, Figure AI.
- The funding could potentially value Figure AI at $1.9 billion, making it the first humanoid robotics unicorn.
- Figure AI, founded in 2022, has already signed an agreement with BMW to test its robots in a South Carolina factory.
- Other competitors in the humanoid robotics market include Tesla, Agility Robotics, and Apptronik, with some of their robots already being tested in Amazon warehouses.