{"id":"9efbc968-eb3d-4e2b-9d4c-41c353938fc6","name":"Highlanders Inc","slug":"highlanders","description":"[Highlanders](https://www.highlanders.ai/) is a Tokyo-based robotics startup developing general-purpose humanoid robots and the Kepler AI foundation model for physical intelligence. Founded in May 2023, the company builds the [HL Human](/models/highlanders-hl-human) (prototype N) — a 1.4m-tall humanoid with 19 degrees of freedom designed for factory tasks — and the HLQ Pro quadruped for heavier transport. In July 2026, Highlanders signed an MOU with [Mitsubishi Motors](https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/) to jointly develop humanoid robots and mass-produce them at Mitsubishi's Kyoto Plant starting as early as 2027, targeting 1,000 units per month.","status":null,"founded":2023,"hq":"Tokyo, Japan","fundingTotal":null,"type":"hardware","reviewStatus":"reviewed","lifecycleState":"active","supersededByCompanyId":null,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.facebook.com/AutoNews/posts/mitsubishi-is-partnering-with-japanese-robotics-startup-highlanders-inc-to-devel/1639440564708337/","title":"Mitsubishi partnering with Highlanders Inc for humanoid robots","sourceName":"Automotive News","dateAccessed":"2026-07-23"}],"keyFacts":[{"label":"Partnership","value":"Mitsubishi + Highlanders — humanoid robot development for automotive (July 9, 2026)"},{"label":"Segment","value":"Automotive manufacturing humanoid robots"},{"label":"CEO","value":"Hiroya Masuoka (増岡宏哉)"},{"label":"Founded","value":"May 2023"},{"label":"Origin","value":"University of Tokyo-linked robotics startup"},{"label":"Products","value":"HL Human (prototype N) humanoid robot, HLQ Pro quadruped, Kepler v1.0 AI foundation model"},{"label":"Kepler v1.0","value":"10-billion-parameter multimodal AI foundation model for physical intelligence — 'Two Systems, One Brain' architecture"},{"label":"HL Human specs","value":"1.4m tall, 19 DOF, 3kg payload, 3km/h walking speed, 3D stereo cameras + LiDAR, VLA capability"},{"label":"Manufacturing target","value":"1,000 humanoid units/month by 2H 2027 at Mitsubishi Motors' Kyoto Plant"},{"label":"Pre-orders","value":"5,000+ contacts & pre-orders across automotive, logistics, and manufacturing"},{"label":"Infrastructure","value":"HISUI supercomputing cluster for training; Artery data pipeline for over-the-air updates"},{"label":"Website","value":"https://www.highlanders.ai/"},{"label":"Financial stage","value":"early"}],"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"atsProvider":null,"atsSlug":null,"factoryLocations":null,"manufacturingCapacity":null,"orgType":null,"burnSignal":null,"litigationEvents":null,"insurancePostureDisclosed":null,"unitEconomicsDisclosed":null,"tickerSymbol":null,"stockExchange":null,"secCik":null,"revenueUsd":null,"revenueBasis":null,"revenueAsOf":null,"employeeCount":null,"employeeCountBasis":null,"employeeCountAsOf":null,"marketCapUsd":null,"marketCapAsOf":null,"marketCapSource":null,"createdAt":"2026-07-24T03:02:29.058Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-24T03:05:50.448Z","jsonLd":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/companies/highlanders","url":"https://registry.deploy.report/companies/highlanders","name":"Highlanders Inc","description":"[Highlanders](https://www.highlanders.ai/) is a Tokyo-based robotics startup developing general-purpose humanoid robots and the Kepler AI foundation model for physical intelligence. Founded in May 2023, the company builds the [HL Human](/models/highlanders-hl-human) (prototype N) — a 1.4m-tall humanoid with 19 degrees of freedom designed for factory tasks — and the HLQ Pro quadruped for heavier transport. In July 2026, Highlanders signed an MOU with [Mitsubishi Motors](https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/) to jointly develop humanoid robots and mass-produce them at Mitsubishi's Kyoto Plant starting as early as 2027, targeting 1,000 units per month.","identifier":"9efbc968-eb3d-4e2b-9d4c-41c353938fc6","foundingDate":"2023","address":"Tokyo, Japan","publisher":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"}},"framework_metadata":{"framework_schema_version":"0.1.0","verification_status":"verified","maturity_stage":null,"lifecycle_state":null,"architectural_position":{"cohort":null,"sub_cohorts":[]},"within_cohort_verified_vs_claimed_pair":null,"cap_flags":[],"verification_depth":{"sources_count":1,"primary_source_types":[]}}}