7 Nov 2026
Physicl raises $10M to synthesize the failures robots need to learn from
World-model maker SpAItial more than halved its reconstruction error using Physicl's synthetic data. Now the startup has $10M to industrialise the pipeline.
Humanoids
The race to build mechanical humans. Tesla is converting car factories. Boston Dynamics is doing parkour. Figure is in BMW plants. This is where the billion-dollar bets are being placed.
Tesla Optimus
Gen-3 mass production. 1M units/year target.
Price $20K
Height 1.73m
Payload 20 kg
Boston Dynamics
Atlas — the parkour humanoid. Now electric-powered.
Type Electric
Use R&D
Maker Hyundai
Figure AI
Figure 02 with Helix AI. Deployed at BMW factories.
AI Helix
Deploy BMW
Backed OpenAI
Agility Robotics
Digit — first commercially deployed bipedal robot.
Name Digit
Deploy Amazon
Walks Yes
Unitree
G1 and H1. Consumer-affordable humanoids from China.
From $16K
Origin China
Model G1/H1
Sanctuary AI
Phoenix — AI-driven humanoid with cognitive architecture.
Name Phoenix
AI Carbon
Origin Canada
Japanese Giants
Toyota, Honda, Sony — Japan's decades-long humanoid R&D.
Giants Toyota/Honda/Sony
Origin Japan
Focus Elder care
Apptronik
Apollo — designed for warehouse and logistics work.
Name Apollo
Height 1.73m
Payload 26 kg
Google DeepMind
Gemini Robotics 2 — the Android of robotics. Powers whole-body humanoid control.
Model Gemini 2
Partners Fanuc+Apptronik
Type AI Platform
Walden Robotics
Toyota-backed full-stack Physical AI. Deployed at Toyota factory.
Valuation $1.1B
Backed Toyota
Deploy Toyota
NEURA Robotics
4NE-1 — cognitive robotics from Germany.
Model 4NE-1
Origin Germany
Raised ~$1B
1X Technologies
Neo — $20K consumer humanoid. OpenAI-backed.
Price $20K
Rent $499/mo
Backed OpenAI
UBTech
Walker series. China humanoid leader.
Model Walker
Origin China
Raised ~$1B
LimX Dynamics
Industrial humanoids from Shenzhen. IPO-bound 2026.
Origin Shenzhen
Status IPO
Use Industrial
BYD Robotics
World's largest EV maker. August 2026 humanoid unveil.
Unveil Aug 2026
Scale 4M+/yr
Origin China
Humanoid (UK)
UK's first robotics unicorn.
Valuation $1.2B
Origin UK
Status Unicorn
Pollen Robotics
Microduck — $399 open-source biped.
Price $399
Owner Hugging Face
Licence Apache 2.0
Humanoid News
296 stories 
7 Nov 2026
Swiss startup built a factory humanoid with no legs — and says that's the point
A 25-person EPFL spin-out says the path to humanoids on factory floors runs through wheels, tendon-driven arms and a remote operator for the first month.
7 Nov 2026
Toyota Just Made Robots a Core Business Pillar — Right Next to Electrification
The world's largest automaker is promoting robotics from scattered engineering projects to a company-wide pillar: internal demand of 400,000 robots first, external sales from 2030 — in a market where China already ships 97% of the world's humanoids.
6 Nov 2026
Serve Robotics Wants to Become the AWS of Robots
Serve Robotics opened its fleet technology to other robot builders: connectivity, data curation and a real-world data catalog. A delivery company betting its future on selling shovels, not gold.
6 Nov 2026
China Blocks SoftBank's $5.4 Billion Robotics acquisition, Citing AI Data Fears
China's security review has blocked SoftBank's $5.4B ABB Robotics takeover, with FT reporting concerns that robotics data could train foreign AI models. ABB earns nearly a billion a year in China.
6 Nov 2026
From Promise to Meter: The AI Economy Tires of Being Asked to Take It on Faith
Layoff claims must survive a Challenger table, robot pitches must survive an EDGAR filing, data centres must survive a council chamber — AI promises have started publishing their own meters.
6 Nov 2026
The First Pure-Play Humanoid Robot Company Is Now Public — and Wall Street Shrugged
Agility's Nasdaq debut is a landmark the humanoid industry has been waiting for — and a stress test. The stock dipped below its $10 SPAC price in the first five minutes: $362 million lost on $174,000 of first-half revenue is a hard thing to square with a $2.5 billion valuation.
5 Nov 2026
Realbotix Puts a Price on Company: Series 1 Rebrand Reveals $11,950 Tabletop and $59,950 Full Body Humanoids
250 units, $199 deposits and a metered conversation subscription: the rebrand nobody needed turned out to be the price list everybody wanted.
5 Nov 2026
The Checked Column: AI Work Just Started Publishing Its Receipts
OpenAI bought the review layer, Xiaomi published hours, CEOs chose training — AI work is consolidating around proof.
5 Nov 2026
Xiaomi's humanoid just pulled its first full 8-hour shift on an EV production line
Xiaomi's full-size humanoid robot worked an 8-hour production-line task at its car factory, detecting and correcting anomalies without humans jumping in — and the boring consistency is the news.
4 Nov 2026
NZ Police Cut 41 File Jobs Under 'Digital Enablement' — and the 113-Page Plan Never Says AI
NZ Police's own restructure paperwork avoids the term AI entirely even as 41 file coordinator roles go, staff warn of accuracy risks, and the transcription team that spent two years fearing an AI-driven cull gets a separate 'modernisation programme'.
4 Nov 2026
Shareholders clear Agility Robotics' SPAC vote — the first pure-play humanoid stock lands on Nasdaq this week
More than 84% of votes cast backed the merger at Monday's special meeting. AGLT trades from November 5 after a capital raise that shrank from $620M to $465M.