Industry experts believe 2025 will be a pivotal year for humanoid robots, with rapid improvements in dexterity and manipulation skills bringing widespread adoption closer.

Humanoid robotics company Figure AI has secured over $1 billion in a Series C funding round, led by Parkway Venture Capital, with major investors including Nvidia, Intel Capital, Qualcomm Ventures, Salesforce, LG Ventures, and T-Mobile Ventures, signaling strong institutional interest.

Additional investors such as Brookfield Asset Management, Macquarie Capital, Align Ventures, and Tamarack Global further highlight the growing confidence in AI robotics development.

This funding aims to expand robot production, improve NVIDIA GPU infrastructure, and enhance data collection of human activities, with Figure planning to ship 100,000 humanoid robots over the next four years.

Some skeptics argue that legs may not be essential for robots, suggesting wheels could suffice in certain environments, while hands remain the main challenge.

China demonstrated its progress in humanoid robotics through events like a half-marathon and robot sports competitions, emphasizing the international race in this field.

RoboBusiness 2025, scheduled for October 15-16 in Santa Clara, will feature discussions on humanoid safety, actuation, behavioral science, and include numerous speakers and workshops.

Figure’s robots are envisioned to replace humans in hazardous and labor-short sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and retail.

Despite advancements, technical challenges persist, including sensory data processing, portable power, human-like dexterity, and security vulnerabilities like hacking.

While funding in robotics has surged to over $8.5 billion in 2025, there has been a lack of large-scale acquisitions or IPOs, as many startups remain early-stage and private.

The humanoid robotics industry is rapidly evolving, with Goldman Sachs predicting it could reach $38 billion in the next decade, driven by industry excitement and market potential.

Major tech companies like Nvidia, Meta, Tesla, and others are racing to develop humanoid robots to address labor shortages and perform hazardous or repetitive tasks.