Figure secures funding from Microsoft and others, partners with OpenAI to accelerate humanoid robot development
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Key notes
- Tech giants Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Bezos join OpenAI to back robotics innovator Figure in a deal valuing the company at $2.6B.
Figure, a leader in general-purpose humanoid robotics, today secured $675 million in Series B funding, propelling the company’s valuation to $2.6 billion. The round drew investments from titans including Microsoft, OpenAI Startup Fund, NVIDIA, Jeff Bezos (Bezos Expeditions), Parkway Venture Capital, Intel Capital, Align Ventures, and ARK Invest. This substantial funding will bolster Figure’s AI training, robotics manufacturing, engineering talent acquisition, and commercial deployment initiatives.
Underscoring the significance of this investment, Figure concurrently announced a strategic collaboration with OpenAI. The partnership aims to develop cutting-edge AI models for humanoid robots, fusing OpenAI’s research prowess with Figure’s robotics expertise. It will also leverage Microsoft Azure’s robust AI infrastructure, training, and storage capabilities. This move stands to accelerate Figure’s commercialization of humanoid robots with enhanced language processing and reasoning capabilities.
“We’ve long envisioned a return to robotics, and Figure offers a compelling path to realize the potential of humanoid robots powered by advanced multimodal models,” said Peter Welinder, VP of Product and Partnerships at OpenAI. “Figure’s remarkable advancements inspire us, and we anticipate groundbreaking possibilities for real-world robotic applications.”
“We’re thrilled to join forces with Figure on the path to AI breakthroughs,” stated Jon Tinter, Corporate Vice President of Business Development at Microsoft. “Figure will tap into Microsoft’s AI resources to deploy humanoid robots capable of transforming real-world tasks.”
“Our mission at Figure is swift commercialization of humanoid robots,” said Brett Adcock, Founder and CEO of Figure. “This funding, along with our OpenAI and Microsoft partnerships, positions us to introduce embodied AI with far-reaching impact. AI and robotics define the future, and we’re honored to have visionary investors and partners on this journey.”
