Jeff Bezos, through his investment firm Explore Investments LLC, is contributing $100 million to a $675 million funding round for Figure AI, a robotics startup developing humanoid robots, according to reports confirmed Friday.
The funding round, which values Figure AI at approximately $2.6 billion, also includes investments from Nvidia ($50 million), Microsoft ($95 million), and OpenAI ($5 million), as well as Amazon-affiliated funds ($50 million). Intel’s venture capital arm, LG Innotek, Samsung’s investment group, Parkway Venture Capital, Align Ventures, ARK Venture Fund, Aliya Capital Partners, and Tamarack are also participating in the investment, according to multiple reports.
Founded in 2022, Figure AI is focused on building general-purpose humanoid robots capable of operating in diverse environments, including warehouses and retail settings. The company’s current model, Figure 01, is designed to perform tasks currently handled by human workers, addressing potential labor shortages. A video released earlier this week demonstrated Figure 01 walking and manipulating objects, specifically picking up and moving a plastic crate onto a conveyor belt, though the robot was tethered during the demonstration.
The investment from OpenAI signals a potential integration of the company’s artificial intelligence systems into Figure’s robots. OpenAI intends to develop specialized AI models for the humanoid robots, potentially leveraging technologies like GPT language models, DALL-E, and Sora, to enable more autonomous operation and complex task execution. Peter Welinder, OpenAI’s vice president of product and partnerships, stated that the collaboration will “open up new possibilities for how robots can help in everyday life.”
Figure AI has already secured a partnership with BMW to deploy its robots at the automaker’s Spartanburg, South Carolina plant, though the specific implementation details remain undefined. The company’s CEO, Brett Adcock, has previously stated a goal of deploying “billions” of humanoid robots to address labor gaps globally.
Amazon, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Intel declined to comment on the investment. Figure AI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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