Humanoid Robots: 18 Companies Racing To Build The Next Big Thing In AI
MORE FOR YOU ### Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Spangram, Answers: Friday, June 19 (Look To The West)") ### Thursday, June 18. Russia’s War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine ### Former Red Sox, New York World Series Champion, Dies After Controversia...
Key takeaways
- Humanoid robots are moving from laboratory demos to everyday use, but China still dominates the market: about 87 percent of the 13 000 humanoid units deployed worldwide in 2025 were produced in Chinese factories, and Chinese firms such as Unitree and Agibot are showcasing tightly choreographed “dark‑factory” operations at events like Vivatech.
- European companies are trying to carve out niche roles; at the June 19 Vivatech fair France’s Enchanted Tools displayed its Mirokai social robot, which can converse in more than 50 languages and is already greeting visitors in hospitals and airports, while Germany’s Neura announced a $1.4 billion funding round to build industrial and household humanoids and a training platform for human‑task replication.
- In the United States, OpenAI‑backed 1X Technologies is shifting from wheeled industrial machines to the Neo domestic humanoid, demonstrated folding laundry, unloading dishwashers and tidying rooms.
- Analysts note that the surge in humanoid development is driven by aging populations and labor shortages, with firms across China, Europe and the U.S. racing to create safe, affordable robots that can operate in spaces built for people.
MORE FOR YOU
Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Spangram, Answers: Friday, June 19 (Look To The West)")
Thursday, June 18. Russia’s War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine
Former Red Sox, New York World Series Champion, Dies After Controversial Career
1X Technologies
1X Technologies has attracted attention because of its backing from OpenAI and its focus on humanoid robots for the home.
The company has shifted from wheeled industrial robots toward domestic humanoids designed to live and work around people. Its Neo robot is being marketed as a home assistant, which, in demonstrations, has been seen to perform everyday chores such as folding laundry, unloading dishwashers and tidying up clutter. ByBernard Marr,
Contributor.
Summary
Humanoid robots are rapidly transitioning from science fiction to practical applications, attracting significant investment from tech giants and startups. Their appeal lies in operating in human environments and adapting to diverse tasks, promising solutions for labor shortages and hazardous work. Global momentum is accelerating, with China's ecosystem expanding and major players like 1X Technologies, Agility Robotics, Apptronik, Tesla, and Samsung driving commercial deployment. While still nascent, the focus is on developing safe, reliable, and affordable robots for industrial use, with domestic roles emerging later. This shift, integrating AI, advanced sensors, and manufacturing, marks AI's crucial expansion into the physical world. Humanoid robots are having their ChatGPT moment.
PROMOTED
For decades, they belonged in science fiction, glossy lab demos and viral videos. Now they are starting to appear in factories, warehouses and test homes, with some of the world’s biggest technology companies racing against ambitious startups to build robots that can work safely alongside people.
The appeal is easy to understand. Most robots are designed for one specific task. A humanoid robot, in theory, can operate in spaces built for humans, use tools designed for humans and move between different jobs without the need to rebuild the environment around the machine.
New robots, funding, and signals. Every Thursday.
Unsubscribe anytime.
Mentioned in this article