Funding
$24.0M
Models
1
Overview
US humanoid startup (San Francisco; founded 2024; CEO Sankaet Pathak, ex-Synapse) making the Phantom MK1 humanoid; mid-2026 posture is defense/military (Ukraine testing, Pentagon SBIR). Documented history of exaggerated customer claims (GM denial).
Reality check
Skeptical flag
Research/demo; documented GM-claim denial (June 2024); defense pivot; no verified deployment.
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- None on file
- Active incidents
- None on file
DEPLOY Intelligence
Market intelligence for physical AI
Analyst-grade signals, competitive tracking, and investment context across the global physical AI landscape. Launching 2026.
Key facts
Product
CEO
Defense/military posture timing
Testing location
Defense program
Key product
Pentagon contracts
Production target
Military testing
Data & sources
News coverage
2
Web sources
1
3 sources backing this record.View all →
Models (1)
View all models →Current leadership (2)
- Pathak Founder & CEOreported, not verified
- Sankaet Pathak CEOreported, not verified
Founders (1)
- Pathakcofounder
Safety record
No incidents on record for Foundation.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Recent coverage
Foundation in third-party press
Peer companies
- Unitree Robotics9 models
- AgiBot5 models
- Boston Dynamics5 models
- UBTech Robotics5 models
- 1X Technologies4 models
- Fourier Intelligence4 models
Financial state
- Reporting basis
- private_reported
- Lifecycle stage
- early
- Counterparty risk class
- moderate
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Funding rounds (1)
- Other2025-12-01
$24M(reported)
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Verified media addedVerifiedJun 5, 2026
Foundation Phantom walking test
- Record createdJun 3, 2026
Added to the verified registry
Sources (3)
Common questions
- What is Foundation?
- US humanoid startup (San Francisco; founded 2024; CEO Sankaet Pathak, ex-Synapse) making the Phantom MK1 humanoid; mid-2026 posture is defense/military (Ukraine testing, Pentagon SBIR). Documented history of exaggerated customer claims (GM denial).
- What does Foundation make?
- Foundation has 1 robot model on the DEPLOY registry: Phantom MK1 (Foundation builds both physical robots and the AI that runs them).
- Is Foundation publicly traded?
- No. Foundation is privately held and not publicly traded, per the DEPLOY registry.
- Who competes with Foundation?
- On the DEPLOY registry, peer companies to Foundation building in the same form factors include Unitree Robotics, AgiBot, Boston Dynamics, UBTech Robotics.
- Who is the CEO of Foundation?
- Pathak is the ceo of Foundation, per the DEPLOY registry.
- How can I invest in Foundation?
- Foundation is a private company; its shares are not available on public markets, so retail investors cannot buy the stock today. It has raised $24M in disclosed funding.
- Where is Foundation headquartered?
- Foundation is headquartered in San Francisco, California, USA.
- How much funding has Foundation raised?
- Foundation has raised approximately $24M in disclosed funding on record in the DEPLOY registry.
- Who owns Foundation?
- Foundation is privately held and venture-backed ($24M raised); ownership sits with its founders and private investors.
- Where does Foundation operate robots?
- Foundation is a robot manufacturer and does not directly operate deployments on the DEPLOY registry. Its products are deployed by customer operators; see the company page for the verified deployment record.
- Is Foundation a top robotics company?
- On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, funding, hiring, media, safety, and IP signals, Foundation ranks in roughly the top 15% of companies tracked by the registry.
- When was Foundation founded?
- Foundation was founded in 2024.
- Is Foundation safe?
- Foundation has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
Methodology: Verified · 3 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-08
Verification posture
Verified
Medium confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-07-08
Sources by quality tier
- 2
- secondary-established-publication
- Established publication
- 1
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Foundation.Peer companies
- Unitree Robotics9 models
- AgiBot5 models
- Boston Dynamics5 models
- UBTech Robotics5 models
- 1X Technologies4 models
- Fourier Intelligence4 models
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Foundation from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
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Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/foundation.md
- RSS feed: /companies/foundation/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/bbca758e-d07c-4c56-90ea-d5fd3baf142c
- Revision history: /companies/foundation/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- Unitree Robotics9 models
- AgiBot5 models
- Boston Dynamics5 models
- UBTech Robotics5 models
- 1X Technologies4 models
- Fourier Intelligence4 models
Video
Abstract: Foundation models, such as GPT, have marked significant achievements in the fields of natural language and vision, demonstrating exceptional abilities
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Hypertension affects nearly half of U.S. adults, and 10% of those cases don’t respond well to treatment. U.S. National Science Foundation-supported professor Ta
Looking to reenergize the defense industrial base and promoting "AI-proof, six-figure jobs," the DoD partnered with the former "Dirty Jobs" host for advocacy.
Hypertension affects nearly half of U.S. adults, and 10% of those cases don’t respond well to treatment. U.S. National Science Foundation-supported professor Ta
The sustained influx of fentanyl and other illicit drugs has had a profound impact on the lives of Americans. Louise Shelley, a professor emerita at George Maso
Tribute to Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss, his mother creates a foundation that awards scholarships to JROTC cadets in his memory.
Head of the group behind the forthcoming Global War on Terrorism memorial says first public renderings are not the "final concept," and changes are expected.
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Warren Buffett has reportedly paused his annual gift to the Gates Foundation due to the Microsoft cofounder’s ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, acc
Secure information is essential in the digital exchanges of modern life. U.S. National Science Foundation-supported professor Vinod Vaikuntanathan discusses qua
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"Overcoming the safety and security barriers to autonomous vehicle deployment" presented by Colin Robbins Nexor & Prof. Carsten Maple University of Warwick at t
Reality vs attention
Foundation draws attention at the 87th percentile but verifies reality at the insufficient-data level among humanoids.
6-month trend
Analysis
Meaningful press and media coverage across the period. Funded with institutional backing on record.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Jul 19, 2026