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Foundation Robotics Labs

Private

Foundation Robotics Labs is a San Francisco-based startup developing general-purpose humanoid robots for defense and hazardous-environment applications.

Founded 2024$198M raised
HUMANOIDDEFENSEINDUSTRIALCYCLOIDAL-ACTUATORS

Humanoid Robots

Phantom MK1
PROTOTYPE
Phantom MK1
General-purpose humanoid with camera-first AI perception, 20 kg payload, and embodied language-driven control.
H:175 cm
W:80 kg
D:19
S:6.12 km/h
L:20 kg
B:N/A

About Foundation Robotics Labs

Foundation Robotics Labs is a robotics company based in San Francisco, California, developing general-purpose humanoid robots for defense, industrial, and hazardous-environment applications. Founded in 2024 by Sankaet Pathak, Arjun Sethi, and Mike LeBlanc, the company combines vertically integrated hardware with AI-driven autonomy to build humanoids capable of operating in demanding and high-risk environments where human access is limited or dangerous. Its flagship platform, Phantom MK1, is designed for industrial automation, inspection, logistics, defense, and disaster response, combining camera-based perception, dexterous manipulation, and language-driven task execution. Foundation Robotics Labs has positioned itself as a developer of rugged, mission-ready humanoid systems for real-world operational deployment.

Technical Profile

Platform maturity, autonomy stack, and flagship-system specifications in one view.

Technology Snapshot

A concise view of platform maturity and deployment footprint.

Hardware GenerationGen 1
Flagship PlatformPhantom MK1

AI Stack

Capabilities and model layers highlighted by the company.

01LLM task-to-motion
02Computer Vision

Phantom MK1 Specs

Published operating specifications for the lead system.

Payload Capacity20 kg
Speed6.12 km/h
Degrees of Freedom19

Investors

Tribe Capital

Latest Updates

Foundation Robotics Labs Team

Sankaet Pathak
Sankaet PathakFounder & CEO
Arjun Sethi
Arjun SethiCo-Founder (Tribe Capital)
Mike LeBlanc
Mike LeBlancCo-Founder (ex-Cobalt Robotics)

Foundation Robotics Labs History

  1. April 2024

    Foundation Robotics Labs is founded for defense humanoids

    Foundation Robotics Labs was founded in April 2024 by Sankaet Pathak, Arjun Sethi, and Mike LeBlanc, a former US Marine who previously co-founded Cobalt AI. Pathak had previously founded Synapse, a fintech platform.

    DefenseHazardous environments
  2. August 2024

    Pre-seed financing backs Phantom MK1 development

    The company raised $11 million in pre-seed in August 2024 led by Tribe Capital, bringing total funding to ~$21 million. The Phantom MK1 stands 5'9", weighs 176 pounds, supports 44-pound payloads, and walks at 1.7 m/s.

    Tribe CapitalPhantom MK1
  3. December 2024 - February 2026

    Boardwalk acquisition is followed by the Ukraine deployment

    In December 2024, Foundation acquired Boardwalk Robotics, a IHMC spinoff. In February 2026, Foundation sent two Phantom robots to Ukraine, marking the first deployment of armed humanoid robots to any active combat zone.

    Boardwalk RoboticsUkraine
  4. 2025 - 2027

    Foundation lays out an aggressive production roadmap

    The company targets 40 robots in 2025, scaling to 10,000 in 2026 and 50,000 by 2027.

    Production roadmapScale