Humanoid robotics startup Figure just closed one of 2025's largest funding rounds, raising over $1 billion in Series C funding that values the company at $39 billion. The massive round signals growing institutional confidence in robots designed to work alongside humans in warehouses, factories, and commercial settings.
Figure just delivered one of the year's biggest startup funding announcements, closing a Series C round that exceeded $1 billion and values the humanoid robotics company at $39 billion. The San Jose-based startup announced the funding Tuesday in what represents a massive vote of confidence for robots designed to work in human environments.
Parkway Venture Capital led the round with participation from heavyweight investors including Nvidia, Intel Capital, and Brookfield Asset Management. The funding round underscores how quickly institutional investors are warming to humanoid robotics after years of skepticism about commercial viability.
[embedded image: Figure's humanoid robot in action]
The timing couldn't be better for Figure. Labor shortages across manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics have created urgent demand for automation solutions that can handle complex tasks in unstructured environments. Unlike traditional industrial robots confined to cages, Figure's humanoid designs can navigate existing workspaces built for humans.
"We're seeing unprecedented interest from Fortune 500 companies looking to deploy humanoid robots at scale," the company said in its funding announcement. The fresh capital will fuel three key initiatives: scaling Figure's robot fleet, building infrastructure to accelerate robot training through AI, and launching advanced data collection efforts to improve performance.
Figure has moved remarkably fast since its 2022 founding, raising nearly $2 billion total across multiple rounds. The company's rapid fundraising pace reflects both the technical progress in robotics and the growing market opportunity as businesses struggle with worker shortages.
But Figure's journey hasn't been without controversy. Earlier this year, CEO Brett Adcock claimed Figure was the most "sought-after" stock on private markets, while simultaneously sending cease-and-desist letters to secondary market brokers attempting to trade its shares without authorization.
The competitive landscape in humanoid robotics is heating up rapidly. Tesla continues developing its Optimus robot, while Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, and Honda all have competing platforms in various stages of commercialization. Figure's massive valuation suggests investors believe the company has carved out a defensible position in this crowded field.
Nvidia's participation in the round is particularly significant, given the chip giant's AI expertise and growing robotics ambitions. The partnership could accelerate Figure's development of more sophisticated AI-powered behaviors for its robots.
The $39 billion valuation puts Figure among the most valuable private robotics companies globally, though it remains well below the valuations achieved by AI software companies like OpenAI. Still, the funding represents a major milestone for the broader robotics industry, which has historically struggled to attract venture capital at this scale.
Figure plans to use the funding to expand beyond pilot programs into full-scale deployments. The company has been testing its robots in warehouse environments and manufacturing facilities, gathering real-world data to improve their capabilities through machine learning.
Industry observers will be watching closely to see if Figure can deliver on the commercial promise that justified its massive valuation. The humanoid robotics market remains largely unproven at scale, with most companies still in pilot phases rather than generating significant revenue.
Figure's billion-dollar funding round marks a pivotal moment for humanoid robotics, transforming what was once science fiction into a legitimate commercial category attracting serious institutional capital. The real test now begins as Figure attempts to prove that robots can truly work alongside humans at the scale and efficiency that justifies its stratospheric valuation.
