The Rise of General-Purpose ⁢Robotics

Investment ‍in artificial intelligence (AI) robotics ⁣is experiencing ‌important growth, ⁣driven by companies developing robots ⁣capable of performing a wide range of tasks. Skild, a robotics company, launched its general-purpose robot, Skild Brain, in July, demonstrating capabilities such as dish‌ handling and ⁣stair‍ navigation. The company is building its ecosystem through strategic partnerships with LG CNS and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

Funding Rounds and valuations

Physical Intelligence, a company focused‍ on developing “brains” for robots, recently secured $600 million in funding at a $5.6 billion valuation, led⁣ by Capital G, as of November 20, 2025. However, one‍ investor who considered funding Physical Intelligence⁢ reportedly found its technology​ to be in the early stages ⁤of development, according to TechCrunch.

Figure, a ⁣developer of humanoid robots, raised over $1⁢ billion in September 2025, achieving a⁣ considerable $39 billion valuation. Meanwhile, 1X,⁤ another ‌humanoid robot developer, was reportedly in discussions to raise​ up to⁤ $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation, as ​reported by the Information several months prior to December ⁢8, 2025.

Key Players and Their Approaches

• Skild: ⁤Focuses on general-purpose robots with demonstrated capabilities ⁢in household tasks and ⁣mobility.
• physical ⁢Intelligence: Develops the AI ​”brains” that power ⁤a broad range of robotic applications.
• Figure: Specializes in humanoid ​robots, aiming to create versatile machines capable of human-like tasks.
• 1X: Another key player in the ‌humanoid robot space, pursuing similar ‌goals to Figure.