# Figure raises $70M to build humanoid robots

- Show: [The Robot Report Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast)
- Published: 2023-05-24
- Length: 44m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2023-05-24-figure-raises-70m-to-build-humanoid-robots
- Listen: https://soundcloud.com/robot-report-podcast/figure-raises-70m-to-build-humanoid-robots

## Summary

Brett Adcock, CEO and co-founder of Figure, discusses the company's recent $70M Series A funding and its mission to build general-purpose humanoid robots for commercial use. Adcock explains that while bipedal locomotion is largely solved, the primary technical challenges lie in reliable hand manipulation, actuator cost, and achieving high reliability in unstructured environments. He outlines a roadmap targeting warehouses first, leveraging existing software infrastructure to demonstrate commercial viability before expanding to broader applications.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2023-05-24-figure-raises-70m-to-build-humanoid-robots#t=0) Introduction and Industry News
- [2:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2023-05-24-figure-raises-70m-to-build-humanoid-robots#t=171) Agility Robotics and Melanie Weiss
- [15:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2023-05-24-figure-raises-70m-to-build-humanoid-robots#t=920) Figure's Vision and Technical Challenges
- [19:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2023-05-24-figure-raises-70m-to-build-humanoid-robots#t=1196) Hand Design and Manipulation
- [31:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2023-05-24-figure-raises-70m-to-build-humanoid-robots#t=1870) Cost, Manufacturing, and Scaling
- [34:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2023-05-24-figure-raises-70m-to-build-humanoid-robots#t=2072) Warehouse Strategy and Future Roadmap

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Figure (company)
- Agility Robotics (company)
- Fetch Robotics (company)
- Boston Dynamics (company)
- Shadow Robot (product)
- Tesla (company)
- Open AI (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [191: The State of Robotics: Live From the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston, MA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-06-25-191-the-state-of-robotics-live-from-the-2024-robotics-summit-expo-in-boston-ma) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Episode 163: Robots helping people - Aaron Edsinger](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-09-25-episode-163-robots-helping-people-aaron-edsinger) (Robot Talk)
- [Brett Adcock's 200x Apple Claim, OpenAI Atlas Browser Conspiracy & Top Private Companies Ranked](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/built-2-scale/2025-10-24-brett-adcocks-200x-apple-claim-openai-atlas-browser-conspiracy-top-private-compa) (Built 2 Scale)
- [112: Designing & Commercializing Robotics Inventions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-02-02-112-designing-commercializing-robotics-inventions) (Product Startup)
- [Receipts or Regrets | End of Year Special](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/built-2-scale/2025-12-22-receipts-or-regrets-end-of-year-special) (Built 2 Scale)

## Citing this page

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