AI robotics company Figure has secured a significant $675M in Series B funding, reaching a $2.6B valuation, supported by major investors including Microsoft, OpenAI Startup Fund, and NVIDIA, along with individual contributions from Jeff Bezos through Bezos Expeditions. This funding aims to hasten the commercial deployment of Figure’s general-purpose humanoid robots.
Aligning with the funding, Figure has formed a strategic partnership with OpenAI to forge ahead in developing advanced AI models tailored for humanoid robots. This collaboration combines OpenAI’s cutting-edge research with Figure’s expertise in robotics, aiming to enhance humanoid robots’ language processing and reasoning abilities, thus accelerating their commercial readiness.
Figure, which boasts a team of elite AI robotics professionals from Boston Dynamics, Tesla, and Google DeepMind, has recently shown significant advancements in AI, robot development, and testing. The new funding will underpin efforts in scaling AI training, manufacturing, and broadening the engineering team to advance commercial strategies.
Moreover, the partnership with Microsoft will enable Figure to utilize Azure for AI infrastructure, enhancing their capabilities in deploying humanoid robots for real-world applications. Brett Adcock, Figure’s CEO, expressed the company’s aim to introduce humanoid robots into commercial settings promptly, highlighting the transformative impact this could have on society. The collaboration and funding are set to position Figure at the forefront of AI and robotics innovation, signaling a promising future for humanoid robotics in various sectors, including manufacturing, where Figure has already begun integration with BMW Manufacturing.
