The humanoid robot boom is here. These top Silicon Valley investors aren't buying it. - Business Insider

Subscribe Newsletters

You're currently following this topic! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.

The latest news and analysis on robotics, from humanoid AI to real-world automation.

The latest news and analysis on robotics, from humanoid AI to real-world automation.

Investors ignored manufacturing startups for years. These ex-Apple engineers raised a $33 million fund to change that.

The robots have made it to the World Cup

Autonomous construction bots are building the solar infrastructure behind Meta's massive Hyperion data center

This $5.5 billion robotics startup built a school for humanoids

The humanoid robot boom is here. These top Silicon Valley investors aren't buying it.

By Rya Jetha "They're building machines that look like a person, but really are just animatronics," Hurst said of some humanoid startups. "When we end up with an actual configuration that is humanoid, we've arrived at that through 15 to 20 years of function-first, physics-first research, understanding exactly why it looks the way it does."

Digit, for example, departs from the human form with backward-bending legs that let it reach from the floor to overhead shelves without its knees hitting warehouse racks.

In Hurst's view, humanoids are inevitable because there will always be a need for robots in human spaces. He agrees with skeptics that specialized robots will be far more common, but believes humanoids will still have a lasting place. ## 'The humanoid economy'

There are real reasons startups and corporate giants are betting heavily on humanoids.

If humanoids work, the prize is the entire physical economy. It would be a world where "human labor is optional," said Jonathan Hurst, cofounder and chief robot officer at Agility Robotics. "Humans will have this tireless partner to amplify our ambitions and goals."

Last year, humanoid robot companies raised more than $6 billion, up more than 300% from the 2024 total, according to PitchBook data. A forecast from Morgan Stanley predicts the market for humanoid robots will hit $5 trillion by 2050, with a billion units in circulation.