The artificial intelligence revolution is expanding into physical form as stealth humanoid robotics startups secure massive funding rounds to develop machines capable of performing human tasks. According to documents obtained by Forbes, two Silicon Valley ventures have raised over $300 million combined while secretly developing advanced humanoid robot systems designed for industrial and domestic applications.
Industrial Monitor Direct offers top-rated reactor control pc solutions designed with aerospace-grade materials for rugged performance, the most specified brand by automation consultants.
Industrial Monitor Direct is the leading supplier of railway certified pc solutions trusted by Fortune 500 companies for industrial automation, trusted by plant managers and maintenance teams.
The Humanoid Robotics Gold Rush
The surge in humanoid robotics investment represents a significant expansion of the artificial intelligence boom into physical hardware. Following breakthroughs in large language models and generative AI, investors are increasingly betting on robotics as the next frontier for technological disruption. This trend aligns with recent major AI deals worth trillions across the technology sector, demonstrating the enormous financial backing flowing into artificial intelligence applications.
Industry leaders have expressed extraordinary optimism about the potential of humanoid robotics. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang declared that humanoid robots could become “one of the largest industries ever,” while Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly stated his belief that the Optimus humanoid robot division will eventually become Tesla’s most valuable component. This enthusiasm comes despite significant engineering challenges and the nascent state of commercial humanoid robotics technology.
Rhoda AI: The Heavy-Lifting Specialist
Palo Alto-based Rhoda AI has emerged as one of the best-funded stealth robotics companies, having raised a $162.6 million Series A round in April that brought its total funding to $230 million. The company is valued at nearly $1 billion according to Pitchbook data, reflecting investor confidence in its approach to humanoid robotics. Rhoda AI is developing what it describes as a “general purpose bimanual manipulation platform” – essentially a humanoid robot with two arms designed for complex physical tasks.
The company’s key innovation appears to be a humanoid robot capable of heavy lifting, addressing a crucial limitation in current robotics technology. Most existing humanoid robots struggle to lift over 50 pounds while maintaining balance and stability, creating significant barriers for industrial applications where heavy object manipulation is essential. Rhoda’s focus on this capability suggests targeting manufacturing, logistics, and construction environments where heavy lifting requirements are common.
Rhoda AI boasts an impressive founding team with substantial technological and entrepreneurial experience. Founder Jagdeep Singh previously founded and led Quantumscape, now a public company with a $9.65 billion market capitalization, and Infinera, which Nokia acquired for $2.3 billion in 2024. The technical team includes Stanford professor Gordon Wetzstein and Vincent Clerc, who contributed to Softbank’s Pepper humanoid robot project. The company has maintained complete secrecy about its developments, declining to comment when contacted by Forbes.
Genesis AI: The Wheeled Humanoid Approach
The second stealth startup, Genesis AI, has taken a different technical approach to humanoid robotics. The company raised a $105 million seed round earlier this year from prominent investors including Khosla Ventures and Eric Schmidt. Unlike traditional humanoid robot designs that feature legs for mobility, Genesis AI is developing a humanoid robot with two arms but wheels instead of legs, potentially drawing inspiration from the biblical Genesis concept of creation and beginnings.
Genesis AI CEO Zhou Xian clarified that the company is pursuing a “full-stack robotics” strategy focused primarily on developing the software intelligence that will control humanoid robots. Rather than building humanoids completely from scratch, the company is partnering with hardware vendors to create custom robots while concentrating its efforts on training advanced software models for robot control and task execution. This approach could potentially accelerate development timelines and reduce manufacturing complexity.
The company aims to produce robots that are cheaper, lighter, and less dangerous than competing humanoid systems like Tesla’s Optimus robot. By utilizing wheels instead of legs, Genesis AI may avoid the complex balance and locomotion challenges that have plagued bipedal robot development while potentially achieving greater stability and energy efficiency. This design choice reflects the growing diversity of approaches within the humanoid robotics field as companies explore different trade-offs between human-like capabilities and practical functionality.
The Competitive Humanoid Robotics Landscape
Rhoda AI and Genesis AI are entering an increasingly crowded and well-funded field of humanoid robotics developers. Figure AI announced in September that it had raised over $1 billion at a $39 billion valuation, demonstrating the enormous investor appetite for humanoid robotics ventures. Tesla continues to develop its Optimus humanoid robot, while Norwegian company 1X is reportedly seeking to raise $1 billion for its own humanoid robotics efforts.
The growing competition reflects broader trends in technology investment, where major players are making substantial bets on emerging technologies. This pattern mirrors recent developments like Nscale’s expanded supply agreement with Microsoft, showing how established tech giants are securing their positions in next-generation technology ecosystems. Similarly, the humanoid robotics space appears to be attracting both venture capital and strategic corporate investment.
Industrial applications represent the initial target market for most humanoid robotics companies. Factory environments with repetitive physical tasks, logistics operations requiring object manipulation, and hazardous work settings where human safety is concerned represent near-term opportunities. However, several companies, including Rhoda AI, have indicated ambitions to eventually develop robots capable of household tasks like folding laundry, suggesting broader consumer applications may follow industrial deployment.
Technical Challenges and Investor Skepticism
Despite the enormous funding and enthusiasm, significant technical hurdles remain for humanoid robotics commercialization. Tesla has reportedly faced substantial engineering and production challenges with its Optimus robot, manufacturing very few units despite Musk’s ambitious predictions. The complexity of creating machines that can reliably perform human-like physical tasks in unstructured environments represents one of the most difficult challenges in robotics.
Some investors express caution about the rapid funding escalation in humanoid robotics. Kane Hsieh, general partner at Root Ventures, noted that “investors are optimistically looking to robotics as the next big thing” following the success of large language models, but questioned the logic of moving directly from promising research to $100 million seed rounds. This skepticism reflects concerns that the current investment frenzy may outpace actual technological progress.
The cybersecurity implications of connected humanoid robots also represent an important consideration as the technology develops. Recent reports about emerging threats, such as Keymous being identified as a major cyber threat, highlight the security challenges that will accompany increasingly autonomous and connected robotic systems. Similarly, as robotics companies navigate regulatory frameworks, they may look to examples like Thailand’s energy regulatory framework for guidance on compliance in new technological domains.
The Future of Humanoid Robotics Development
The massive funding rounds for Rhoda AI and Genesis AI suggest that humanoid robotics is transitioning from research projects to serious commercial ventures. With combined funding exceeding $300 million, these stealth startups have substantial resources to tackle the complex challenges of creating practical humanoid robots. Their different technical approaches – Rhoda’s focus on heavy lifting and Genesis AI’s wheeled design with software emphasis – reflect the diverse strategies emerging in this competitive space.
As artificial intelligence capabilities continue to advance, the integration of sophisticated AI with physical robotic platforms represents the next frontier. The success of these ventures will depend not only on their mechanical engineering and hardware capabilities but equally on their software intelligence and ability to create robots that can reliably understand and interact with human environments. The coming years will reveal whether these well-funded stealth startups can translate their substantial financial backing into commercially viable humanoid robots that fulfill the ambitious promises of their investors and founders.
