- Figure AI has raised over $1 billion in Series C funding, bringing its post-money valuation to $39 billion, led by Parkway Venture Capital and supported by major investors like NVIDIA, Intel, Qualcomm, and Salesforce.
- The funding will accelerate Figure AI’s ability to scale humanoid robot production for household and commercial applications, addressing labor shortages and expanding automation.
- Figure AI plans to build next-generation GPU infrastructure to improve AI training and simulations, essential for advancing their proprietary Helix AI system that powers their flagship Figure 02 humanoid robot.
- Helix is a vision-language-action model combining large multimodal neural networks for perception, planning, and fine motor control, enabling robots to perform complex, dexterous tasks in dynamic real-world environments.
Figure AI, a pioneering company in the development of autonomous general-purpose humanoid robots, has announced a major milestone—surpassing $1 billion in committed funding in its latest Series C round, propelling the company’s valuation to an impressive $39 billion. Spearheaded by Parkway Venture Capital, this funding round attracted significant investments from a powerhouse lineup including Brookfield Asset Management, NVIDIA, Macquarie Capital, Intel Capital, Align Ventures, Tamarack Global, LG Technology Ventures, Salesforce, T-Mobile Ventures, and Qualcomm Ventures.
Funding to Propel Robotics into Everyday Life
This funding will play a crucial role in scaling Figure AI’s ambitious vision to bring humanoid robots into both household and commercial operations alike. With labor shortages impacting many industries and growing demand for automation, Figure AI plans to expand its cutting-edge BotQ manufacturing facility to increase production capacity rapidly.
Additionally, the capital will accelerate the development of advanced GPU infrastructure dedicated to AI training and realistic robot simulation, crucial for refining the robots’ capabilities in perception, reasoning, and dexterous manipulation.
Parallel to manufacturing and infrastructure, Figure AI is intensifying its advanced data collection efforts to fuel their AI system known as Helix, enabling robots to learn and adapt to complex, dynamic environments with human-like understanding.
Helix: The AI Brain Powering Figure 02 Humanoids
At the core of Figure AI’s innovations is Helix, also referred to as Figure 02, a powerful vision-language-action (VLA) AI model that combines perception, decision-making, and motor control to power dexterous humanoids.
Helix operates with two synergistic neural networks:
- System 2 (S2): A large multimodal language model with around 7 billion parameters processing visual inputs and natural language instructions at 7-9 Hz frequency, understanding context and planning actions.
- System 1 (S1): A visuo-motor model with approximately 80 million parameters operating at 200 Hz, translating plans into fluid, precise movements enabling tasks like grasping a variety of household objects.
Designed to run efficiently on embedded GPUs with low latency, Helix facilitates real-time interaction and adaptability, helping robots perform diverse tasks without requiring task-specific retraining.
Real-World Use Cases for Figure 02
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Figure 02 is already proving versatile across multiple environments:
- In logistics and warehousing, it automates container unloading, package sorting, and inventory handling with human-like dexterity.
- In retail, it assists with stocking shelves, managing inventory, and aiding customer-facing operations in human-centric spaces.
- In manufacturing, Figure 02 supports assembly line work, machine tending, and material supply, capable of lifting up to 20 kg.
Designed to work alongside humans, Figure 02 aims to augment and enhance productivity, fill labor gaps, and improve safety in demanding tasks across industries.
A Defining Moment for Robotics
Figure AI’s record-breaking funding round reflects a growing belief in the transformative power of humanoid robots. With world-class investors backing their vision and technology, the company is poised to bring useful, intelligent robots into everyday environments, promising to redefine how humans live, work, and interact with machines.
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