Field guide / 03 / The makers

Behind every robot, a team of people.

Meet 68 manufacturers asking big questions and building the hardware to answer them. A directory of the people moving robotics forward.

Good company to keep.

Their focus
68 of 68 makers

1X Technologies

Norway · Est. 2014

1X Technologies is a Norwegian-American robotics company developing general-purpose humanoid robots for home and industrial environments. Founded in 2014 by Bernt Øivind Børnich as Halodi Robotics, rebranded in 2022. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California with manufacturing in Hayward, CA and Moss, Norway. Raised $130M+ from OpenAI Startup Fund, EQT Ventures, and Tiger Global. Strategic partnership with EQT for up to 10,000 NEO humanoid deployments across 300+ portfolio companies (2026-2030).

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In their workshop: 1X EVE · 1X NEO

ABB Robotics

Switzerland · Est. 1974

ABB Robotics is part of ABB and operates from its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland; the robotics division was founded in 1974, and today employs roughly 7,000 people, with its official web presence at https://new.abb.com/robotics.

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In their workshop: IRB 1300

AgiBot

China · Est. 2023

AgiBot’s official website is https://www.agibot.com; the company is headquartered in Shanghai, China, was founded in February 2023, and employs a team of roughly 100 plus staff members.

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In their workshop: AgiBot G2 · AgiBot X1

Agility Robotics

United States · Est. 2015

Agility Robotics was founded in 2015, is headquartered in Salem, Oregon, operates its official website at agilityrobotics.com, and employs roughly 300 people (approximately 294 employees).

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In their workshop: Digit

ANYbotics

Switzerland · Est. 2016

ANYbotics AG, a Swiss robotics company founded in 2016, is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, and operates its official website at www.anybotics.com. The firm employs roughly 236 people.

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In their workshop: ANYmal X

Apptronik

United States · Est. 2016

Apptronik’s official website is apptronik.com; the company is headquartered in Austin, Texas (11701 Stonehollow Drive Suite 150, Austin, TX 78758, United States); it was founded in 2016; and it currently employs roughly 300 people.

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In their workshop: Apollo

AUBO Robotics

China · Est. 2015

AUBO Robotics’ official website is www.aubo-robotics.com; the company is headquartered in the Haidian district of Beijing, China, was founded in 2015, and employs roughly 51 to 200 people.

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In their workshop: AUBO i10

Beijing HRIC

China

Beijing HRIC specializes in the design and development of humanoid robots, combining artificial intelligence, advanced mechanics, and interactive technology. With a commitment to practical deployment and industry integration, their Tiangong humanoid robots are positioned to redefine automation across various sectors.

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In their workshop: Tiangong Series

Boston Dynamics

United States · Est. 1992

Boston Dynamics (official website bostondynamics.com) is a robotics company founded in 1992, headquartered at 200 Smith Street, Suite 4100 in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA, and employs roughly 730 people.

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Chengdu Humanoid Robot Innovation Center

Robotics maker

Chengdu Humanoid Robot Innovation Center develops humanoid robotics technologies and products, including TP-01, J-PANDA, KonKa, TangPa, and other robot platforms listed in its official product portfolio.

General Purpose1 platform
In their workshop: TP-01 EDU

Clearpath Robotics

Canada · Est. 2009

Clearpath Robotics is a Canadian robotics company founded in June 2009, headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, and its official website is clearpathrobotics.com; as of early 2026 the company employs roughly 70 people.

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In their workshop: Husky UGV

Comau

Italy · Est. 1973

Comau’s official website is www.comau.com; the company is headquartered in Turin, Italy, was founded in 1973, and employs roughly 5,400 people as of the latest available data.

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In their workshop: Racer-5-0.80

DENSO Robotics

Japan · Est. 1949

DENSO Robotics is the industrial‑robotics division of DENSO Corporation; its official website is https://www.densorobotics.com, its headquarters are located at 3900 Via Oro Ave, Long Beach, California, USA, the parent company was founded on 16 December 1949 (the robotics business traces its origins to 1967), and the robotics subsidiary employs roug

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In their workshop: COBOTTA PRO 900

Dobot Robotics

China · Est. 2015

Dobot Robotics, officially operating at www.dobot-robots.com, was founded in June 2015 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; the company’s workforce has grown to roughly 501‑1,000 employees.

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In their workshop: Atom Max · Atom

Doosan Robotics

South Korea · Est. 2015

Doosan Robotics is a South Korean robotics company founded in 2015, headquartered in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, and its official website is www.doosanrobotics.com; the company employs roughly 236 people.

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In their workshop: M0609 Cobot

Elephant Robotics

China · Est. 2016

Elephant Robotics (official website https://www.elephantrobotics.com/en/) is a Chinese high‑tech robotics company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China (Electronics and Technology Building, Futian District). The company’s publicly available sources do not provide a specific employee count.

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In their workshop: myBuddy · Mercury X1

EngineAI

China · Est. 2023

EngineAI Robotics Technology Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, was founded in October 2023, operates its official website at https://en.engineai.com.cn, and the company does not publicly disclose its total number of employees.

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In their workshop: T800 Humanoid Robot · SE01 Humanoid Robot

Engineered Arts

United Kingdom · Est. 2004

Engineered Arts Ltd, founded in 2004, is headquartered in Falmouth, Cornwall, England, operates its official website at https://engineeredarts.co.uk, and employs roughly 51 – 200 people.

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In their workshop: Mesmer · Ami Desktop

Epson Robots

Japan · Est. 1975

Epson Robots’ official website is www.epsonrobots.com; the company is headquartered in Los Alamitos, California, USA, was founded in 1975, and employs roughly 1,600 people (1,588 reported at the end of 2022).

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In their workshop: LS20-B

Estun Automation

China · Est. 1993

Estun Automation’s official website is www.estun.com; the company is headquartered at No. 1888 Jiyin Avenue, Jiangning Economic Development Zone, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211106, China; it was founded in 1993 and employs approximately 3,850 people.

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In their workshop: ER20

FANUC

Japan · Est. 1972

FANUC’s official website is www.fanuc.com; the company is headquartered in Oshino‑mura, Minamitsuru‑gun, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan (address: 3580 Shibokusa, Yamanashi 401‑0597); it was founded in 1972 as an independent entity and today employs roughly 11,900 people worldwide.

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In their workshop: CRX-10iA

Fauna Robotics

United States

Fauna Robotics is an American robotics company that designs and assembles robots in the United States. Its Sprout platform brings developer workflows to humanoid robotics so teams can move from idea to prototype to deployment with less friction in homes, classrooms, and everyday human spaces. Fauna joined Amazon in March 2026 and says it continues selling Sprout Creator Edition robots and supporting existing customers.

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In their workshop: Sprout Creator Edition

Figure AI

United States · Est. 2022

Figure AI is an American robotics company developing general-purpose humanoid robots powered by AI. Founded in 2022 by Brett Adcock. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. Valued at $39B following September 2025 Series C. Backed by Microsoft, OpenAI, NVIDIA, Jeff Bezos, and Intel. BotQ production facility operational with 12,000 units/year capacity. BMW manufacturing partnership active. Figure 03 named TIME Best Invention of 2025.

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In their workshop: Figure 01 · Figure 02

Fourier Intelligence

China · Est. 2015

Fourier Intelligence (often styled as Fourier Robotics) is a private Chinese robotics company founded in 2015, headquartered in Shanghai, China at No. 2388 Xiupu Road, Pudong District, and its official website is https://www.fftai.com; the firm employs roughly 30 people, with LinkedIn listing 29 current staff members.

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In their workshop: GR-2 Humanoid

Franka Robotics

Germany · Est. 2016

Franka Robotics is a German research‑driven robotics company headquartered in Munich (Frei‑Otto‑Straße 20, 80797 Munich, Germany), founded in 2016, operates its official website at franka.de, and employs roughly 119 people as of early 2026.

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In their workshop: FR3 Cobot

Fujisoft

Japan

Fujisoft develops robotics platforms for industrial, service, and embodied AI use cases.

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In their workshop: Palro

Hanson Robotics

Hong Kong · Est. 2007

Hanson Robotics is a private engineering and robotics company founded in 2007 by David Hanson; its headquarters are located in Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, and its official website is hansonrobotics.com. The company employs roughly 58 people.

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In their workshop: Sophia

Hiwonder

China · Est. 2015

Hiwonder’s official website is hiwonder.com; the company is headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (Longgang District, Zaohekeng Industrial Park, No. 16, Building C, 201), it was founded in 2015 and has a workforce of roughly 51‑200 employees.

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In their workshop: AiNex ROS Education AI Vision Humanoid Robot · HiWonder TonyBot Humanoid Robot Kit

Honda

Japan · Est. 1986

Honda Robotics’ official website is world.honda.com/hondarobotics, it is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, was founded in 1986, and the exact number of employees is not publicly disclosed.

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In their workshop: Asimo · ASIMO

HUBO

South Korea

HUBO develops robotics platforms for industrial, service, and embodied AI use cases.

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In their workshop: DRC-Hubo · M-Hubo

Kawada Robotics

Japan · Est. 2013

Kawada Robotics’ official website is https://www.kawadarobot.co.jp/en/, its headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan (13‑5 Nihonbashi Honcho 4‑chome, Chuo‑ku), the company was established in 2013, and it employs roughly 50–200 people.

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In their workshop: NEXTAGE Fillie

Kawasaki Robotics

Japan · Est. 1989

Kawasaki Robotics’ official website is www.kawasakirobotics.com; the company is headquartered in Wixom, Michigan, United States, was founded in 1989, and employs roughly 94 people.

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In their workshop: duAro

Keenon Robotics

China · Est. 2010

Keenon Robotics was founded in 2010, is headquartered in Shanghai, China (at 1000 Jinhai Road, Pudong District), operates its global website at keenon.com, and employs roughly 1,001‑5,000 people.

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In their workshop: DINERBOT T10

Kinova

Canada · Est. 2006

Kinova Robotics is a privately held Canadian robotics company founded in 2006, headquartered in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada, and its official website is kinovarobotics.com; the company employs roughly 250 people worldwide.

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In their workshop: Kinova Gen3

KUKA

Germany · Est. 1996

KUKA is headquartered in Augsburg, Germany, was originally founded in 1898, operates its official website at www.kuka.com, and employs roughly 15,000 people worldwide as of 2024.

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In their workshop: LBR iiwa 14 R820

Leju Robotics

China · Est. 2016

Leju Robotics, officially known as Leju (Shenzhen) Robotics Co., Ltd., operates from its headquarters in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, was founded in 2016, maintains an official website at www.lejurobot.com (and the English portal www.lejurobot.com/en), and employs roughly 200 to 500 staff members.

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In their workshop: KUAVO Humanoid

LimX Dynamics

China · Est. 2022

LimX Dynamics is a Shenzhen‑based robotics company whose official website is limxdynamics.com; it is headquartered on the 15th Floor, Building E, Nanshan I Valley, No. 3157 Shahexi Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China; the company was founded in January 2022; and its workforce is reported to be in the range of roughly 50 to 200 employees.

PROTOTYPEResearch1 platform
In their workshop: CL-1 Humanoid Robot

Macco Robotics

Spain · Est. 2021

Macco Robotics, founded in 2021, is headquartered in Málaga, Spain; its official website is https://www.maccorobotics.com, and the company employs roughly 11 to 50 people.

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In their workshop: DBot · Cart

Mentee Robotics

Israel · Est. 2022

Mentee Robotics, a developer of AI‑powered humanoid robots, is headquartered in Herzliya, Israel (address: 3 Arik Einstein, Herzliya 4659071, Israel), was founded in 2022, employs approximately 77 people, and its official website is https://menteebot.com.

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In their workshop: MenteeBot

Mitsubishi Electric Robotics

Japan · Est. 1921

Mitsubishi Electric’s robotics business, best known for its MELFA robot line, is part of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, which was founded in 1921 and is headquartered at the Tokyo Building, 2‑7‑3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan; the company’s official website is www.mitsubishielectric.com (with a dedicated robotics section at www.mitsubishielec

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In their workshop: MELFA RV-8CRL

Nachi-Fujikoshi

Japan · Est. 1928

NACHI‑FUJIKOSHI Corp., the parent of Nachi‑Fujikoshi Robotics, was founded on 21 December 1928; its head office is at Shiodome Sumitomo Building 17F, 1‑9‑2 Higashi‑Shinbashi, Minato‑ku, Tokyo 105‑0021 Japan (with the principal manufacturing plant at 1‑1‑1 Fujikoshi‑Honmachi, Toyama 930‑8511), its official website is www.nachi‑fujikoshi.co.jp, and t

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In their workshop: MZ07

NEURA Robotics

Germany · Est. 2019

NEURA Robotics is a German cognitive robotics company headquartered in Metzingen (near Stuttgart), Baden-Württemberg. Founded by CEO David Reger. Pioneer of cognitive robotics with patented artificial skin and touchless human detection. 4NE1 humanoid designed in collaboration with Studio F.A. Porsche. Powered by NVIDIA Isaac GR00T and Thor T5000 processor. R&D hub in Zurich, production in Germany and Hangzhou. Plans to move all production to Germany.

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In their workshop: NEURA MiPA · NEURA 4NE1 Mini

Omron Robotics

Japan · Est. 1933

Omron Robotics is the robotics division of Omron Corporation, which was founded in 1933; the robotics business operates from its primary headquarters in Pleasanton, California, United States, and maintains additional locations in Amherst, New Hampshire and Barcelona, Spain; the division’s official website is https://robotics.omron.com/, and it empl

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In their workshop: LD-250 AMR

OnX Robotics

United States · Est. 2023

Onyx Robotics (official site onyx‑robotics.com) is a Boston‑based AI‑controls startup that operates out of the MassRobotics incubator; it was founded in 2023 and, as an early‑stage company, employs a small team of fewer than 50 people.

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In their workshop: OnX Service Humanoid

PAL Robotics

Spain · Est. 2004

PAL Robotics’ official website is https://pal-robotics.com/, the company was founded in 2004, is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, and employs roughly 51‑200 people.

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In their workshop: TIAGo · ARI

Physical Robotics

Robotics maker

Physical Robotics presents itself as a robotics company building tangible, robot-first products—anchored by its Robot Pi initiative and a “Dream Team” narrative around experienced robotics talent. The brand emphasizes hands-on engineering and a global network of contributors to move from ideas to working robots—aiming at practical, physical deployment rather than purely digital demos.

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In their workshop: Robot Pi

Promobot

Russia · Est. 2015

Promobot’s official website is https://promo-bot.ai/, the company was founded in 2015, its headquarters are located at ul. Lunacharsky 77A, Perm 614087, Russian Federation, and it employs roughly 51‑200 people.

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In their workshop: Promobot V.4

Pudu Robotics

China · Est. 2016

Pudu Robotics (official website www.pudurobotics.com) was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (address: Room 501, Building A, Block 1, Phase 1, Shenzhen International Innovation Valley, Dashi 1st Road, Xili Community, Xili Street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen). As of early 2026 the company employs approximately

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In their workshop: BellaBot

Qihan Technology

China · Est. 2006

Qihan Technology Co., Ltd., a robotics and AI firm best known for its Sanbot service robots, was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (specifically the Nanshan District at No. 3168 Houhaibin Road, China National Offshore Oil Building). The company’s official website is https://www.qihan.com, and it employs rou

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In their workshop: Sanbot · Robo-C 2

Rainbow Robotics

South Korea · Est. 2011

Rainbow Robotics was founded in 2011, is headquartered in the Yuseong District of Daejeon, South Korea, operates its official website at https://www.rainbow-robotics.com, and employs roughly 124 people.

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In their workshop: RB-Y1

Realbotix

United States · Est. 2020

Realbotix’s official website is www.realbotix.com, the company is headquartered in San Marcos, United States, it was founded in 2020, and it currently employs roughly 2‑10 people.

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In their workshop: Modular Robot with Paneled Body · Robotic AI Enabled Bust

Rethink Robotics

Germany · Est. 2008

Rethink Robotics, founded in 2008, is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its official website is rethinkrobotics.com; as of 2024 the company reports having about 10 employees.

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In their workshop: Sawyer

Richtech Robotics

United States · Est. 2016

Richtech Robotics was founded in 2016, is headquartered at 2975 Lincoln Road in Las Vegas, Nevada, operates its official website at www.richtechrobotics.com, and employs roughly 55 people.

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In their workshop: Dex

Robot Era

China · Est. 2023

Robot Era’s official website is https://www.robotera.com/en/, the company is headquartered in Beijing, China, and it was founded in August 2023; while the exact employee count is not publicly disclosed, the firm maintains a growing team of dozens of engineers, researchers and support staff.

PROTOTYPEGeneral Purpose1 platform
In their workshop: STAR1

Robotis

South Korea · Est. 1999

Robotis, founded in 1999, is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea (37 Magok Jungang 5‑ro 1‑gil, Gangseo‑gu), operates its official website at https://en.robotis.com/, and employs roughly 51–200 people.

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In their workshop: OP3 Humanoid

Sanctuary AI

Canada · Est. 2018

Sanctuary AI, a robotics company focused on industrial‑grade humanoid robots, is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada (201 – 1825 Quebec Street), was founded in 2018, maintains its official website at www.sanctuary.ai, and employs roughly 140 people worldwide as of late 2025.

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SIASUN Robot & Automation

China · Est. 2000

SIASUN Robot & Automation Co., Ltd. was founded in 2000, is headquartered in the Hunnan District of Shenyang, China, runs its official website at www.siasun.com, and has a workforce of roughly 3,400 employees.

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In their workshop: SR210A

SoftBank Robotics

Japan · Est. 2012

SoftBank Robotics’ official website is https://www.softbankrobotics.com/, its headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan, the company was founded in 2012, and it employs roughly 200‑500 people.

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In their workshop: Pepper

Staubli Robotics

Switzerland · Est. 1909

Staubli Robotics is part of the Swiss industrial group Stäubli, whose official website is www.staubli.com; the company’s headquarters are located in Pfäffikon, in the canton of Schwyz, Switzerland, it was founded in 1892, and it employs roughly 6,000 people worldwide.

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In their workshop: TX2-90

Techman Robot

Taiwan · Est. 2015

Techman Robot, founded in 2015, is headquartered in Taoyuan City, Taiwan (5F, No. 58‑2 Huaya 2nd Road, Guishan District), operates its official website at www.tm-robot.com/en, and has a workforce of approximately 500‑1,000 employees as of 2024.

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In their workshop: TM12

Tesla

United States · Est. 2003

Tesla’s robotics initiatives are presented on the company’s official website at www.tesla.com, with the broader corporate site serving as the primary portal for information on its Optimus robot and related projects; the company’s headquarters are now located in Austin, Texas, having relocated from Palo Alto, California, and Tesla was founded in 200

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In their workshop: Tesla Bot

Toyota

Japan · Est. 2016

Toyota Research Institute, the robotics and artificial‑intelligence subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, operates from its headquarters in Los Altos, California, USA; it was founded in 2016 and its official website is tri.global, and the organization now employs roughly 430 people.

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In their workshop: T-HR3

UBTECH Robotics

China · Est. 2012

UBTECH Robotics is a Shenzhen-based humanoid robotics company, publicly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (09880.HK). Founded 2012, backed by Tencent. First humanoid robot IPO globally (Dec 2023). Partnerships with Airbus (aviation manufacturing), BYD, Foxconn, FAW-Volkswagen, Geely, Texas Instruments, and Siemens (digital twin manufacturing). Total humanoid robot orders exceeded 1.4 billion yuan (~$200M) in 2025, ranking #1 globally. Production capacity targeting 10,000 industrial humanoid units by 2026. ~1,000 Walker S2 units produced as of late 2025.

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In their workshop: Alpha 1E · Cruzr S2

Unitree Robotics

China · Est. 2016

Unitree Robotics (Hangzhou Yushu Technology Co., Ltd.) is the world's largest humanoid robot company by unit volume. Founded in 2016 by CEO Wang Xingxing, the company shipped 5,500+ humanoid robots in 2025 and targets 20,000 units in 2026. Unitree commands 70% of the global quadruped robot market with 50,000+ units shipped. The company filed for a ~$610M IPO on Shanghai's STAR Market in March 2026.

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In their workshop: Unitree A2 · Unitree As2

Universal Robots

Denmark · Est. 2005

Universal Robots is a Danish robotics company founded in 2005, headquartered in Odense, Denmark, with its official website at www.universal-robots.com, and employs approximately 1,000 people worldwide.

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In their workshop: UR20 Cobot

VinRobotics

Robotics maker

VinRobotics presents a human-first view of robotics: technology built to serve people, not replace them. With a heart-shaped logo symbolizing harmony between humans and robots, the brand positions humane design and real-world usefulness as the standard for how robotics should show up in everyday life.

1 platform
In their workshop: VinRobotics District 1

Xiaomi Robotics

China · Est. 2010

Xiaomi Robotics is Xiaomi Corporation’s robotics division, based on the Xiaomi Campus in Beijing, China, and known publicly for its CyberOne humanoid robot. Backed by Xiaomi’s scale and product engineering culture, the group signals an ambition to translate consumer electronics, AI, and manufacturing discipline into practical robotics R&D and prototypes showcased through Xiaomi’s official channels.

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In their workshop: CyberOne

XPENG Robotics

China · Est. 2014

XPENG Robotics, the robotics arm of XPENG Inc., operates from its headquarters in Shenzhen, China, was launched in 2021, maintains its public presence at https://www.xpeng.com/robotics, and employs a few hundred staff members (approximately 200‑300 people).

PROTOTYPEGeneral Purpose1 platform
In their workshop: Iron Humanoid
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