# Who are the people building humanoid robots?

**The humanoid field is led by a small set of named founders and executives, read live from DEPLOY's people graph.** Humanoid robots are built by a small, identifiable set of founders and executives, not by faceless labs. DEPLOY reads them live from its reviewed people graph: the founders and leaders of the makers that ship a humanoid model on the record. Each name is attributed to its registry record with the record's own provenance, so you see who is verified and who is reported, never a guess.

Last verified Jan 1, 2023. 103 sources.

## Short answer

Humanoid robotics is a surprisingly personal field. Behind almost every humanoid you have heard of is a named founder or a small founding team, and DEPLOY tracks them in its people graph rather than leaving them anonymous. This page reads that graph live, so the names below come straight from the reviewed record and not from anyone's memory.

The recognizable names recur across the coverage. Brett Adcock founded Figure. Bernt Bornich founded 1X. Jeff Cardenas co-founded Apptronik. Agility Robotics, Boston Dynamics, Unitree, and the rest each have their own founders and executives, and where DEPLOY holds a reviewed record for a person, this page names them, links to their profile, and shows the role the record attributes to them.

Provenance matters here, so the page keeps it honest. A role the registry has verified against a primary source, such as a securities filing or a company's own investor materials, carries the verified marker. A role the registry holds only as reported carries the reported marker instead. That distinction is the record's, not ours, and it is shown on every row so you can weigh each attribution.

This page is deliberately about the people. If you want to compare the companies themselves, on funding, deployments, patents, and commercial progress, that lives on the humanoid leaderboard, which this page links. Here the question is simpler and more human: who are the people actually building these machines? The roster below answers it from the record.

## The founders and leaders, from the record

Read live from DEPLOY's reviewed people graph: reviewed Person records linked to the humanoid makers by role edges, each carrying the record's own provenance (verified or reported). Names come from the registry, not from memory.

| Person | Role | Company | HQ | Provenance | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bernt Bornich | CEO | 1X Technologies | Palo Alto, CA, USA (R&D in Oslo, Norway) | Verified on the record | [1X Technologies (official)](https://www.1x.tech), [1X Technologies](https://www.1x.tech/about) |
| Deng Taihua | CEO | AgiBot | Shanghai, China | Verified on the record | [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AgiBot), [KrASIA](https://kr-asia.com/agibot-loses-two-top-execs-as-robotics-race-heats-up) |
| Peng Zhihui | CTO | AgiBot | Shanghai, China | Verified on the record | [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AgiBot), [South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3303666/chinese-humanoid-robot-maker-agibot-plans-match-musks-optimus-output-year) |
| Damion Shelton | Founder | Agility Robotics | Salem, OR, USA | Verified on the record | [Agility Robotics (official)](https://www.agilityrobotics.com/about/leadership), [Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute](https://www.ri.cmu.edu/alumni/damion-michael-shelton/) |
| Dr Yandong Eric Guo | CEO | AI2 Robotics | Beijing, China | Reported role | [SiliconANGLE](https://siliconangle.com/2026/06/29/chinese-robotics-outfits-ai2-robotics-x-square-robots-secure-funding-2-8b-valuation/) |
| Daryl Lim | CEO | Amity Robotics | Thailand | Reported role | [East Ventures](https://east.vc/) |
| Xu Wenda | CTO | Anyverse Dynamics | Beijing, China | Reported role | on the record |
| Zhang Yufeng | CEO | Anyverse Dynamics | Beijing, China | Reported role | on the record |
| Jeff Cardenas | CEO | Apptronik | Austin, Texas, USA | Verified on the record | [Apptronik (official)](https://apptronik.com) |
| Luis Sentis | Chief Scientist | Apptronik | Austin, Texas, USA | Verified on the record | [Apptronik (official)](https://apptronik.com/leadership) |
| Nicholas Paine | CTO | Apptronik | Austin, Texas, USA | Verified on the record | [Apptronik (official)](https://apptronik.com) |
| Jerry Pratt | CEO | Boardwalk Robotics | Pensacola, FL | Reported role | [IEEE Spectrum](https://spectrum.ieee.org/persona-ai-radford-pratt) |
| Cheng Hao | CEO | Booster Robotics | Beijing, China | Verified on the record | [Booster Robotics (official)](https://www.booster.tech/about-us/), [The Wire China](https://www.thewirechina.com/whos_who/cheng-hao-%E7%A8%8B%E6%98%8A/) |
| Zhang Zhengtao | Founder | CASBOT | Beijing, China | Reported role | [DEPLOY registry keyFact (casbot)](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/casbot) |
| Dhanush Radhakrishnan | CEO | Clone Robotics | San Francisco, CA | Reported role | [Fox Business](https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6369362156112) |
| Ivan Pisarenko | CEO | Clone Robotics | San Francisco, CA | Verified on the record | [Clone Robotics](https://www.clonerobotics.com/), [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/clone-robotics-humanoid/) |
| Li Qingdu | Founder | DroidUp | Shanghai, China | Reported role | [New Atlas](https://newatlas.com/ai-humanoids/moya-droidup-lifelike-robot/) |
| Ren Guowen | Founder | EngineAI | Shenzhen, China | Verified on the record | [Humanoids Daily](https://www.humanoidsdaily.com/feed/engineais-ren-guowen-outlines-ambitious-path-to-household-humanoids-and-mass-production) |
| Wang Fei | CEO | EngineAI | Shenzhen, China | Verified on the record | [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/engineai/) |
| Zhao Tongyang | CEO | EngineAI | Shenzhen, China | Verified on the record | [The Wire China](https://www.thewirechina.com/whos_who/zhao-tongyang-%E8%B5%B5%E5%90%8C%E9%98%B3/), [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_AI) |
| Will Jackson | CEO | Engineered Arts | Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom | Verified on the record | [Innotech Today](https://innotechtoday.com/engineered-arts-raises-10m-for-humanoid-robot-production/), [Engineered Arts](https://www.engineeredarts.co.uk/about/), [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/04/ameca-engineered-arts/) |
| YT Jia | CEO | Faraday Future | Los Angeles, CA | Reported role | [BusinessWire](https://investors.ff.com/news-releases/news-release-details/faraday-future-announces-q1-2026-financial-results-upgrades) |
| Josh Merel | CTO | Fauna Robotics | New York, USA | Reported role | [Associated Press](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2026/not-ready-for-robots-in-homes-the-maker-of-a-friendly-new-humanoid-thinks-it-might-change-your-mind/) |
| Rob Cochran | CEO | Fauna Robotics | New York, USA | Reported role | [Associated Press](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2026/not-ready-for-robots-in-homes-the-maker-of-a-friendly-new-humanoid-thinks-it-might-change-your-mind/) |
| Brett Adcock | CEO | Figure AI | Sunnyvale, California, USA | Verified on the record | [Figure AI (official)](https://www.figure.ai) |
| Nikita Rudin | CEO | Flexion Robotics | United States | Reported role | [Flexion Robotics](https://flexion.ai/news/flexion-raises-50m-to-build-the-brain-of-humanoid-robots-at-scale) |
| Pathak | CEO | Foundation | San Francisco, California, USA | Reported role | [The Next Web](https://thenextweb.com/news/foundation-humanoid-robot-soldiers-pentagon) |
| Alex Gu | CEO | Fourier Intelligence | Shanghai, China | Verified on the record | [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourier_Intelligence), [CompassList](https://www.compasslist.com/founders/alex-gu-gu-jie) |
| Alex Ren | CEO | Fourier Intelligence | Shanghai, China | Verified on the record | [Fourier Intelligence](https://www.fourierintelligence.com) |
| Wang Helong | CEO | Galaxea AI | Beijing, China | Verified on the record | [Galaxea AI](https://www.galaxea.ai/) |
| He Wang | CTO | Galbot | Beijing, China | Verified on the record | [Peking University (official)](https://cfcs.pku.edu.cn/english/people/faculty/hewang/index.htm), [The Wire China](https://www.thewirechina.com/whos_who/wang-he-%E7%8E%8B%E9%B9%A4/) |
| Aron Frishberg | Founder | Gatsby Robotics | San Francisco, California, USA | Reported role | [DEPLOY registry keyFact (gatsby-robotics)](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/gatsby-robotics) |
| Daniele Pucci | CEO | Generative Bionics | Genoa, Italy | Reported role | on the record |
| David Hanson | CEO | Hanson Robotics | Hong Kong | Verified on the record | [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hanson_(robotics_designer)), [BusinessABC](https://businessabc.net/wiki/david-hanson) |
| Artem Sokolov | Founder and CEO | Humanoid | London, United Kingdom | Verified on the record | [DEPLOY registry](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/humanoid-ltd) |
| Jeff Cardenas | CEO | Humanoid | London, United Kingdom | Reported role | [Apptronik (official)](https://apptronik.com) |
| Liu Yao | CEO | Kepler Robotics | Shanghai, China | Verified on the record | [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/kepler-humanoid-robot-series-b/) |
| Tang Sihua | CEO | Leju Robotics | Shenzhen, China | Verified on the record | [Leju Robotics](https://www.lejurobot.com/) |
| Liu Wenjie | CEO | LimX Dynamics | Shenzhen, China | Verified on the record | [LimX Dynamics](https://www.limxdynamics.com/en) |
| Alex Zhou | CEO | Linkerbot | Beijing, China | Reported role | [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/china-robot-hand-building-unicorn-linkerbot-targets-6-billion-valuation-2026-05-04/) |
| Wu Changzheng | Founder | MagicLab | Beijing, China | Reported role | [DEPLOY registry keyFact (magiclab)](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/magiclab) |
| Amnon Shashua | Founder | Mentee Robotics | Herzliya, Israel | Verified on the record | [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnon_Shashua) |
| Lior Wolf | CEO | Mentee Robotics | Herzliya, Israel | Verified on the record | [Mentee Robotics (official)](https://www.menteebot.com/company/), [The Robot Report](https://www.therobotreport.com/mentee-robotics-de-cloaks-launches-ai-driven-humanoid-robot/) |
| Shai Shalev-Shwartz | Chief Scientist | Mentee Robotics | Herzliya, Israel | Verified on the record | [The Robot Report](https://www.therobotreport.com/mentee-robotics-de-cloaks-launches-ai-driven-humanoid-robot/), [Mentee Robotics (official)](https://www.menteebot.com/company/) |
| David Reger | CEO | NEURA Robotics | Metzingen, Germany | Verified on the record | [Neura Robotics (official)](https://neura-robotics.com/company/), [Crunchbase](https://www.crunchbase.com/person/david-reger) |
| Jiang Zheyuan | Founder | Noetix Robotics | Beijing, China | Reported role | [36Kr](https://36kr.com/p/3263841129239432) |
| Zhang Shipu | CEO | Noetix Robotics | Beijing, China | Reported role | [36Kr](https://36kr.com/p/3263841129239432) |
| Pan Yang | Founder | One Robotics | Shenzhen, China | Reported role | on the record |
| Richard Mou | Founder | One Robotics | Shenzhen, China | Reported role | on the record |
| Fabio Puglia | President | Oversonic Robotics | Carate Brianza, Italy | Reported role | [Oversonic Robotics](https://www.oversonicrobotics.com/who-we-are/) |
| Paolo Denti | CEO | Oversonic Robotics | Carate Brianza, Italy | Reported role | [Oversonic Robotics](https://www.oversonicrobotics.com/who-we-are/) |
| Albert Sanes | CTO | PAL Robotics | Barcelona, Spain | Verified on the record | [PAL Robotics](https://pal-robotics.com/about-us/) |
| Francesco Ferro | CEO | PAL Robotics | Barcelona, Spain | Verified on the record | [PAL Robotics](https://pal-robotics.com/about-us/), [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/16/pal-robotics-40m/) |
| Nic Radford | CEO | Persona AI | Houston, TX | Reported role | [Persona AI](https://persona.ai/) |
| Geordie Rose | CEO | PNDbotics | Seoul, South Korea | Reported role | [Sanctuary AI (official)](https://sanctuary.ai) |
| Felix Zhang | CEO | Pudu Robotics | Shenzhen, China | Verified on the record | [HKUST (official)](https://ec.hkust.edu.hk/unicorn-day/2024/biography-felixzhang), [Crunchbase](https://www.crunchbase.com/person/felix-zhang-138b) |
| Ritesh Ragavender | CEO | Reflex Robotics | unknown | Reported role | [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/13/reflex-robotics-wheeled-humanoid-is-here-to-grab-you-a-snack/) |
| Chen Jianyu | CEO | Robot Era | Beijing, China | Verified on the record | [The Wire China](https://www.thewirechina.com/chinas-robotics-industry/), [Google Scholar](https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rc9jIf0AAAAJ&hl=en) |
| Jianyu Chen | CEO | Robot Era | Beijing, China | Reported role | [Tracxn](https://tracxn.com/d/companies/robotera/__ITgWoJ79o-SuoOKx7t-s-94Jk8FHspwrbGWvDL89KOs) |
| David Rodriguez | Founder | Robot.com | San Francisco, USA | Verified on the record | [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/robotcom-launches-r-noid-a-humanoid-built-for-the-work-that-burns-people-out-no-legs-all-lift-to-the-bottom-line-302806619.html) |
| Felipe Chavez Cortes | Founder and CEO | Robot.com | San Francisco, USA | Verified on the record | [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/robotcom-launches-r-noid-a-humanoid-built-for-the-work-that-burns-people-out-no-legs-all-lift-to-the-bottom-line-302806619.html), [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/delivery-robot-startup-robot-com-bets-on-workplace-humanoids-2026-6) |
| Judah L. | Founder | Robot.com | San Francisco, USA | Verified on the record | [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/longgrearj) |
| Olivia Norton | CTO | Sanctuary AI | Vancouver, BC, Canada | Verified on the record | [Sanctuary AI (official)](https://www.sanctuary.ai/about) |
| Yang Jianbo | CEO | Stardust Intelligence | Shenzhen, China | Verified on the record | [Astribot](https://www.astribot.com/) |
| Cheng Chi | Founder | Sunday | Mountain View, CA, USA | Reported role | [Sunday Robotics](https://www.sunday.ai/) |
| Tony Zhao | CEO | Sunday | Mountain View, CA, USA | Reported role | [Sunday Robotics](https://www.sunday.ai/) |
| Alon Kosowsky-Sachs | CTO | Tutor Intelligence | Watertown, MA, USA | Reported role | on the record |
| Josh Gruenstein | CEO | Tutor Intelligence | Watertown, MA, USA | Reported role | on the record |
| James Zhou | CEO | UBTech Robotics | Shenzhen, China | Reported role | [Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/leading-chinese-humanoid-robot-maker-093000639.html) |
| Xiong Youjun | CTO | UBTech Robotics | Shenzhen, China | Verified on the record | [The Wire China](https://www.thewirechina.com/whos_who/xiong-youjun/) |
| Zhou Jian | CEO | UBTech Robotics | Shenzhen, China | Verified on the record | [UBTECH Robotics (official)](https://www.ubtrobot.com), [UBTech](https://www.ubtech.com), [HKEx](https://www.hkex.com.hk) |
| Wang Xingxing | CEO | Unitree Robotics | Hangzhou, China | Verified on the record | [Unitree Robotics (official)](https://www.unitree.com) |
| Xingxing Wang | CEO | Unitree Robotics | Hangzhou, China | Reported role | [The Robot Report](https://www.therobotreport.com/unitree-becomes-a-legged-robot-unicorn-with-series-c-funding/) |
| Evan Wineland | CEO | Weave Robotics | San Francisco, CA, USA | Reported role | [Y Combinator](https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/weave-robotics) |
| Kaan Dogrusoz | CTO | Weave Robotics | San Francisco, CA, USA | Reported role | [Y Combinator](https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/weave-robotics) |
| Yongjae Kim | CTO | WIRobotics | Seoul, South Korea | Reported role | [WIRobotics](https://corp.wirobotics.com/en/company/ceo-message?category=team) |
| Younbaek Lee | CEO | WIRobotics | Seoul, South Korea | Reported role | [WIRobotics](https://corp.wirobotics.com/en/company/ceo-message?category=team) |
| Lei Jun | CEO | Xiaomi | Beijing, China | Verified on the record | [Xiaomi](https://www.mi.com/global/about/) |
| Tang Mu | CEO | Yingzhi XBOT | Nanjing, China | Reported role | [36kr](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3882361033322755) |
| Guo Renjie | CEO | Zeroth | Suzhou, China | Reported role | [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/profile/guo-renjie/) |
| Yan Weixin | Founder (former) | AgiBot | Shanghai, China | Verified on the record | [KrASIA](https://kr-asia.com/agibot-loses-two-top-execs-as-robotics-race-heats-up) |
| Marc Raibert | Founder (former) | Boston Dynamics | Waltham, Massachusetts, USA | Verified on the record | [Wikipedia (Marc Raibert)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Raibert) |
| Geordie Rose | CEO (former) | Sanctuary AI | Vancouver, BC, Canada | Verified on the record | [Sanctuary AI (official)](https://sanctuary.ai) |
| Suzanne Gildert | CTO (former) | Sanctuary AI | Vancouver, BC, Canada | Verified on the record | [Sanctuary AI (official)](https://sanctuary.ai) |
| JB Straubel | CTO (former) | Tesla | Austin, Texas, USA | Verified on the record | [Tesla (SEC / Investor Relations)](https://ir.tesla.com/) |
| Martin Eberhard | CEO (former) | Tesla | Austin, Texas, USA | Verified on the record | [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Eberhard) |
| Yao Maoqing | President | AgiBot | Shanghai, China | Verified on the record | [Baidu Baike](https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Yao%20Maoqing/88832), [South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3303666/chinese-humanoid-robot-maker-agibot-plans-match-musks-optimus-output-year) |
| Peggy Johnson | CEO | Agility Robotics | Salem, OR, USA | Verified on the record | [Agility Robotics (official)](https://www.agilityrobotics.com/content/agility-robotics-appoints-peggy-johnson-as-chief-executive-officer), [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/05/agility-robotics-new-ceo-is-focused-on-the-here-and-now/) |
| Pras Velagapudi | CTO | Agility Robotics | Salem, OR, USA | Verified on the record | [Agility Robotics (official)](https://www.agilityrobotics.com/about/leadership) |
| Amanda McMaster | CEO | Boston Dynamics | Waltham, Massachusetts, USA | Reported role | [MIT Sloan CFO Summit](https://mitcfo.com/speakers/amanda-mcmaster/) |
| Sankaet Pathak | CEO | Foundation | San Francisco, California, USA | Reported role | [DEPLOY registry](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/foundation) |
| Tomohiro Uchida | CEO | GMO AI & Robotics | Tokyo, Japan | Reported role | [MarketScreener](https://www.marketscreener.com/news/gmo-internet-ai-robotics-becomes-an-authorized-distributor-in-japanfor-unitree-robotics-the-wor-ce7f5cd2da8df32d) |
| James Li | CEO | Honor Robotics | Shenzhen, China | Reported role | [SCMP](https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3312162/smartphone-maker-honor-joins-robotics-race-after-pledging-us10-billion-ai-investment) |
| Yasuhiko Hashimoto | CEO | Kawasaki Heavy Industries | Kobe, Japan | Verified on the record | [Kawasaki Heavy Industries](https://global.kawasaki.com/en/corp/ir/stock/officers.html) |
| Li Zhichen | CEO | One Robotics | Shenzhen, China | Reported role | on the record |
| James Wells | CEO | Sanctuary AI | Vancouver, BC, Canada | Verified on the record | [Sanctuary AI (official)](https://www.sanctuary.ai/about) |
| Elon Musk | CEO | Tesla | Austin, Texas, USA | Verified on the record | [Tesla (SEC / Investor Relations)](https://ir.tesla.com) |
| Jim La | President | VinDynamics | Melbourne, Australia | Reported role | [DEPLOY registry keyFact (vindynamics)](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/vindynamics) |
| Ngo Quoc Hung | CEO | VinRobotics | Hanoi, Vietnam | Verified on the record | [VinRobotics](https://vinrobotics.net/blog/vingroup-launches-vin-robotics-a-leap-into-the-future-of-automation), [Infineon Technologies](https://www.infineon.com/technology-news/2026/infpss202606-108) |
| Ge Yixiao | Chief Scientist | XPeng Robotics | Guangzhou, China | Reported role | [36Kr](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3548013284880518) |
| He Xiaopeng | CEO | XPeng Robotics | Guangzhou, China | Verified on the record | [XPeng (official)](https://www.xpeng.com/news/019a56f54fe99a2a0a8d8a0282e402b7), [Humanoids Daily](https://www.humanoidsdaily.com/news/xpeng-debuts-most-human-like-iron-robot-details-vlt-brain-and-2026-production-goal) |
| Renjie Guo | CEO | Zeroth | Suzhou, China | Reported role | [Aju Press](https://www.ajupress.com/view/20260107153356586) |
| Tang Jinju | CTO | Zeroth | Suzhou, China | Reported role | [Zeroth](https://www.zeroth0.com/pages/about-us-our-identity) |
| Phuong Nguyen | CTO (former) | 1X Technologies | Palo Alto, CA, USA (R&D in Oslo, Norway) | Reported role | [Contrary Research](https://research.contrary.com/company/1x) |
| Robert Playter | CEO (former) | Boston Dynamics | Waltham, Massachusetts, USA | Verified on the record | [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/10/boston-dynamics-ceo-robert-playter-steps-down-after-30-years-at-the-company/) |
| Jerry Pratt | CTO (former) | Figure AI | Sunnyvale, California, USA | Verified on the record | [IEEE Spectrum](https://spectrum.ieee.org/persona-ai-radford-pratt) |

## How we know this

- [1X Technologies (official)](https://www.1x.tech)
- [1X Technologies](https://www.1x.tech/about)
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AgiBot)
- [KrASIA](https://kr-asia.com/agibot-loses-two-top-execs-as-robotics-race-heats-up)
- [South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3303666/chinese-humanoid-robot-maker-agibot-plans-match-musks-optimus-output-year)
- [Agility Robotics (official)](https://www.agilityrobotics.com/about/leadership)
- [Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute](https://www.ri.cmu.edu/alumni/damion-michael-shelton/)
- [SiliconANGLE](https://siliconangle.com/2026/06/29/chinese-robotics-outfits-ai2-robotics-x-square-robots-secure-funding-2-8b-valuation/)
- [East Ventures](https://east.vc/)
- [Apptronik (official)](https://apptronik.com)
- [Apptronik (official)](https://apptronik.com/leadership)
- [IEEE Spectrum](https://spectrum.ieee.org/persona-ai-radford-pratt)
- [Booster Robotics (official)](https://www.booster.tech/about-us/)
- [The Wire China](https://www.thewirechina.com/whos_who/cheng-hao-%E7%A8%8B%E6%98%8A/)
- [DEPLOY registry keyFact (casbot)](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/casbot)
- [Fox Business](https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6369362156112)
- [Clone Robotics](https://www.clonerobotics.com/)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/clone-robotics-humanoid/)
- [New Atlas](https://newatlas.com/ai-humanoids/moya-droidup-lifelike-robot/)
- [Humanoids Daily](https://www.humanoidsdaily.com/feed/engineais-ren-guowen-outlines-ambitious-path-to-household-humanoids-and-mass-production)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/engineai/)
- [The Wire China](https://www.thewirechina.com/whos_who/zhao-tongyang-%E8%B5%B5%E5%90%8C%E9%98%B3/)
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_AI)
- [Innotech Today](https://innotechtoday.com/engineered-arts-raises-10m-for-humanoid-robot-production/)
- [Engineered Arts](https://www.engineeredarts.co.uk/about/)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/04/ameca-engineered-arts/)
- [BusinessWire](https://investors.ff.com/news-releases/news-release-details/faraday-future-announces-q1-2026-financial-results-upgrades)
- [Associated Press](https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2026/not-ready-for-robots-in-homes-the-maker-of-a-friendly-new-humanoid-thinks-it-might-change-your-mind/)
- [Figure AI (official)](https://www.figure.ai)
- [Flexion Robotics](https://flexion.ai/news/flexion-raises-50m-to-build-the-brain-of-humanoid-robots-at-scale)
- [The Next Web](https://thenextweb.com/news/foundation-humanoid-robot-soldiers-pentagon)
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourier_Intelligence)
- [CompassList](https://www.compasslist.com/founders/alex-gu-gu-jie)
- [Fourier Intelligence](https://www.fourierintelligence.com)
- [Galaxea AI](https://www.galaxea.ai/)
- [Peking University (official)](https://cfcs.pku.edu.cn/english/people/faculty/hewang/index.htm)
- [The Wire China](https://www.thewirechina.com/whos_who/wang-he-%E7%8E%8B%E9%B9%A4/)
- [DEPLOY registry keyFact (gatsby-robotics)](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/gatsby-robotics)
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hanson_(robotics_designer))
- [BusinessABC](https://businessabc.net/wiki/david-hanson)
- [DEPLOY registry](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/humanoid-ltd)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/kepler-humanoid-robot-series-b/)
- [Leju Robotics](https://www.lejurobot.com/)
- [LimX Dynamics](https://www.limxdynamics.com/en)
- [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/china-robot-hand-building-unicorn-linkerbot-targets-6-billion-valuation-2026-05-04/)
- [DEPLOY registry keyFact (magiclab)](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/magiclab)
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnon_Shashua)
- [Mentee Robotics (official)](https://www.menteebot.com/company/)
- [The Robot Report](https://www.therobotreport.com/mentee-robotics-de-cloaks-launches-ai-driven-humanoid-robot/)
- [Neura Robotics (official)](https://neura-robotics.com/company/)
- [Crunchbase](https://www.crunchbase.com/person/david-reger)
- [36Kr](https://36kr.com/p/3263841129239432)
- [Oversonic Robotics](https://www.oversonicrobotics.com/who-we-are/)
- [PAL Robotics](https://pal-robotics.com/about-us/)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/16/pal-robotics-40m/)
- [Persona AI](https://persona.ai/)
- [Sanctuary AI (official)](https://sanctuary.ai)
- [HKUST (official)](https://ec.hkust.edu.hk/unicorn-day/2024/biography-felixzhang)
- [Crunchbase](https://www.crunchbase.com/person/felix-zhang-138b)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/13/reflex-robotics-wheeled-humanoid-is-here-to-grab-you-a-snack/)
- [The Wire China](https://www.thewirechina.com/chinas-robotics-industry/)
- [Google Scholar](https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rc9jIf0AAAAJ&hl=en)
- [Tracxn](https://tracxn.com/d/companies/robotera/__ITgWoJ79o-SuoOKx7t-s-94Jk8FHspwrbGWvDL89KOs)
- [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/robotcom-launches-r-noid-a-humanoid-built-for-the-work-that-burns-people-out-no-legs-all-lift-to-the-bottom-line-302806619.html)
- [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/delivery-robot-startup-robot-com-bets-on-workplace-humanoids-2026-6)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/longgrearj)
- [Sanctuary AI (official)](https://www.sanctuary.ai/about)
- [Astribot](https://www.astribot.com/)
- [Sunday Robotics](https://www.sunday.ai/)
- [Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/leading-chinese-humanoid-robot-maker-093000639.html)
- [The Wire China](https://www.thewirechina.com/whos_who/xiong-youjun/)
- [UBTECH Robotics (official)](https://www.ubtrobot.com)
- [UBTech](https://www.ubtech.com)
- [HKEx](https://www.hkex.com.hk)
- [Unitree Robotics (official)](https://www.unitree.com)
- [The Robot Report](https://www.therobotreport.com/unitree-becomes-a-legged-robot-unicorn-with-series-c-funding/)
- [Y Combinator](https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/weave-robotics)
- [WIRobotics](https://corp.wirobotics.com/en/company/ceo-message?category=team)
- [Xiaomi](https://www.mi.com/global/about/)
- [36kr](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3882361033322755)
- [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/profile/guo-renjie/)
- [Wikipedia (Marc Raibert)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Raibert)
- [Tesla (SEC / Investor Relations)](https://ir.tesla.com/)
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Eberhard)
- [Baidu Baike](https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Yao%20Maoqing/88832)
- [Agility Robotics (official)](https://www.agilityrobotics.com/content/agility-robotics-appoints-peggy-johnson-as-chief-executive-officer)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/05/agility-robotics-new-ceo-is-focused-on-the-here-and-now/)
- [MIT Sloan CFO Summit](https://mitcfo.com/speakers/amanda-mcmaster/)
- [DEPLOY registry](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/foundation)
- [MarketScreener](https://www.marketscreener.com/news/gmo-internet-ai-robotics-becomes-an-authorized-distributor-in-japanfor-unitree-robotics-the-wor-ce7f5cd2da8df32d)
- [SCMP](https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3312162/smartphone-maker-honor-joins-robotics-race-after-pledging-us10-billion-ai-investment)
- [Kawasaki Heavy Industries](https://global.kawasaki.com/en/corp/ir/stock/officers.html)
- [Tesla (SEC / Investor Relations)](https://ir.tesla.com)
- [DEPLOY registry keyFact (vindynamics)](https://registry.deploy.report/companies/vindynamics)
- [VinRobotics](https://vinrobotics.net/blog/vingroup-launches-vin-robotics-a-leap-into-the-future-of-automation)
- [Infineon Technologies](https://www.infineon.com/technology-news/2026/infpss202606-108)
- [36Kr](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3548013284880518)
- [XPeng (official)](https://www.xpeng.com/news/019a56f54fe99a2a0a8d8a0282e402b7)
- [Humanoids Daily](https://www.humanoidsdaily.com/news/xpeng-debuts-most-human-like-iron-robot-details-vlt-brain-and-2026-production-goal)
- [Aju Press](https://www.ajupress.com/view/20260107153356586)
- [Zeroth](https://www.zeroth0.com/pages/about-us-our-identity)
- [Contrary Research](https://research.contrary.com/company/1x)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/10/boston-dynamics-ceo-robert-playter-steps-down-after-30-years-at-the-company/)

## Common questions

### Who founded 1X Technologies?

1X was founded by Bernt Bornich, who leads the company as its chief executive. DEPLOY reads his name and role live from its reviewed people graph rather than asserting it from memory, so the profile you see reflects the current record. 1X builds the NEO home humanoid, and Bornich's role is attributed on the record with its own provenance marker.

### Who is the founder of Figure AI?

Figure was founded by Brett Adcock, a serial entrepreneur who previously co-founded the electric aircraft company Archer Aviation and the talent marketplace Vettery. DEPLOY holds his founder and CEO role in its people graph and reads it live, so the attribution reflects the reviewed record. Figure builds the Figure humanoid line and its Helix control software.

### Who are the main humanoid robot companies and their leaders?

The recurring makers are Figure, led by Brett Adcock, 1X, led by Bernt Bornich, Apptronik, co-founded by Jeff Cardenas, plus Agility Robotics, Boston Dynamics, Unitree, Tesla, and others. Each has a founder or executive team, and DEPLOY names the ones it holds reviewed records for. This page reads them from the people graph live, and the company-by-company comparison of funding, deployments, and patents lives on the humanoid leaderboard.

### How does DEPLOY know who founded these companies?

DEPLOY holds a people graph: reviewed Person records linked to companies by dated role edges, each carrying a provenance tier. A role verified against a primary source such as a securities filing or company investor materials is marked verified; a role held only as reported is marked reported. This page reads those edges live and shows each person's provenance, so you can tell a confirmed attribution from a reported one.

### Are the founders still running their humanoid companies?

In most cases the original founders are still leading, and this page marks a role as current or former from the record. Where a founder has stepped back or a company has been acquired, the role edge reflects that. Because the roster is read live from the people graph, it changes as the record changes, rather than freezing a leadership lineup that may have moved on.

## Keep reading

- [Which physical-AI companies are worth the most? Valuations ranked.](/valuations.md): Comparisons
- [What AI actually drives each robot? AI stacks compared](/ai-stacks.md): Comparisons
- [Which company is the leader in humanoid robotics?](/which-company-leads-humanoid-robotics.md): Comparisons
- [Which country is no. 1 in robotics?](/which-country-is-number-1-in-robotics.md): Comparisons
- [All verified answers](/answers.md): Every standing question DEPLOY tracks.
- [Which humanoid robots can you actually buy?](/which-humanoid-robots-can-you-actually-buy.md): The buyable humanoids these teams build, verified from the registry.

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