It’s no surprise that the robotics and physical AI market is entering a point of inflection. The global robotics sector is projected to grow from USD 64.8 billion in 2025 to over USD 375 billion by 2035, with a 17.3% compound annual growth rate. At the same time, the humanoid robot market is picking up speed, estimated at USD 4.32 billion in 2025, with forecasts pushing it close to USD 70 billion by 2032.
This growth is driven by several converging factors: persistent labor shortages across developed economies, advances in AI-native control systems, improvements in actuator and battery technology, and increasing cost-competitiveness with human labor in specific tasks.
The robotics investment opportunity is split between publicly traded companies and a large cohort of well-funded private ventures. Public markets offer liquidity and transparency but limited pure-play humanoid robotics exposure. Private markets provide access to cutting-edge technology but come with substantial drawbacks including illiquidity, valuation uncertainty, and high failure rates typical of early-stage technology companies.
Investable Today: Top Public Robotics Stocks
Tesla is advancing its Optimus humanoid robot programme with a forthcoming Gen 3 prototype that reportedly includes advanced hand Dexterity and improved battery systems. The company positions Optimus as a core business line, not merely a sideline to its automotive business, and seeks to scale to meaningful volumes by the middle of the decade.
UBTECH has introduced its Walker S2 humanoid robot capable of battery‑swap in under three minutes and is deploying multi‑robot “swarm intelligence” systems in smart factories. The company’s public listing and Chinese government support position it centrally in China’s push to lead global humanoid robotics.
Best known for smartphones, Xiaomi has entered the humanoid race with CyberOne. It’s CyberOne humanoid robot, 177 cm tall and 52 kg in weight — intended for home and consumer‑robotics roles rather than pure industrial work. While mass production is still understated, Xiaomi’s broad hardware ecosystem and AI credentials give it scale potential in the “robotics shares” theme.
Doosan Robotics has built its reputation in collaborative robot arms and is now shifting toward full humanoid platforms through its membership in South Korea’s K‑Humanoid Alliance and a major new R&D facility. The company’s industrial backing and regional automation rollout give it a compelling angle on humanoid and service‑robot deployments.
With decades of automation experience under its belt, Kawasaki Heavy Industries is quietly evolving its robotics division into humanoid and human‑robot collaboration platforms. Its industrial engineering strength and global supply chain make it a strategic player in the next wave of automation.
What About the Private Robotics Boom?
While the stocks above are investable today, most of the world’s most advanced humanoid robotics companies are still private. They’re not accessible through retail brokerages and likely won’t be for years. So how do you get access?
This is where XMAQUINA comes into focus. The DAO is designed to give community members access to the robotics ecosystem outside of publicly traded stocks, opening up frontier private deals typically reserved for venture capital. Its current portfolio includes Figure AI, Agility Robotics, Apptronik, companies building the core infrastructure for humanoid robotics and physical AI.
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USA
- Figure AI (private) – The startup is developing the Figure AI 03 general‑purpose humanoid robot and plans to build a facility capable of producing 12,000 units per year. The firm recently raised over $1 billion in committed capital and reached a valuation of $39 billion.
- Apptronik (private) – This company is scaling its Apollo humanoid robot designed for industrial and manufacturing environments and has secured major venture rounds to advance production readiness.
- 1X Technologies (private) – Backed by major AI investors, 1X Technologies is building the NEO humanoid robot for home‑use applications and aims to merge OpenAI‑style intelligence with residential robotics.
- Agility Robotics (private)– Known for its Digit robot optimized for logistics and material handling, the company is now pivoting toward bipedal humanoid platforms to address warehouse automation at scale.
China
- Unitree Robotics (private) – Preparing for an IPO projected at ~$7 billion, Unitree Robotics is building humanoid platforms such as the G1, H1 and R1 and is strongly supported by China’s policy push for robotics self‑reliance. The company’s visible success in robotic mobility and manufacturing supply chain integration puts it among the top global contenders.
- AgiBot (Zhiyuan Robotics) (private) – The Lingxi X2 humanoid from AgiBot has already reached a milestone of around 1,000 units produced by early 2025, reflecting China’s fast‑paced manufacturing for service and industrial robots.
- Fourier Intelligence (private) – Developing the GR‑2 and GR‑3 humanoids for both industrial and rehabilitation applications, Fourier Intelligence bridges robotics hardware with human augmentation markets.
- LimX Dynamics (private) – The P1 humanoid is often described as “China’s answer to Atlas” and represents a bold ambition to compete internationally in general‑purpose humanoid robotics.
Outside USA/China
Germany
- Neura Robotics (private) - The 4NE‑1 humanoid is being developed for human‑robot collaboration and the firm recently acquired EK Robotics to strengthen its platform and industrial robotics footprint.
Japan
- Telexistence (private) – Developing the Astra humanoid robot for retail automation (e.g., convenience stores), the company plans deployment in stores such as Seven‑Eleven in coming years.
South Korea
- Rainbow Robotics – The RB‑Y1 humanoid platform is an initiative backed by Samsung Electronics (35 % ownership) and marks Korea’s push into service‑robotics and humanoid automation.
- WIRobotics (private) – The South Korean firm recently unveiled its upper‑body humanoid robot ALLEX featuring 15 degrees of freedom in its hand, ultra‑low friction actuators and whole‑body force control enabling human‑like responsiveness. ALLEX is positioned to transition from fine manipulation to a full humanoid platform, targeting use cases across manufacturing, service and home environments — making WIRobotics a strong contender in the robotics‑shares to watch thesis.
Spain
- PAL Robotics (private) – Known for its KANGAROO Pro humanoid for research and service applications, the firm is one of Europe’s leading humanoid‑robot makers targeting hospitality, retail and human‑robot interaction.
United Kingdom
- Engineered Arts (private) – UK‑based firm best known for its lifelike humanoid robot Ameca, which has become a media icon for human‑robot interaction. While more focused on social and expressive robotics rather than heavy industrial applications, the company’s work demonstrates how advanced robotics hardware and software can converge in commercial form.
France
- Enchanted Tools (private) - French startup founded in 2021, known for the Mirokaï humanoid robots blending social interaction and practical tasks; they raised one of the largest early‑stage rounds in French robotics and delivered their first robot to research institution ISIR. Mirokaï are designed for hospitality, retail, healthcare and service spaces, illustrating how humanoids are reaching beyond factories into everyday human environments.
- Pollen Robotics (private) - French company behind the Reachy humanoid robot platform, oriented toward research and education with an open‑source approach.By focusing on modularity and accessibility, Pollen Robotics represents a complementary strand in the humanoid ecosystem: enabling innovation, smaller scale deployments and community‑driven hardware.
India
- Addverb Technologies (private) - Backed by Reliance Industries, developing humanoid robots for warehouse automation and logistics applications; while primarily known for its mobile robots and warehouse solutions, it is extending into bipedal and humanoid form‑factors. With logistics‑driven demand in India and Southeast Asia, the company illustrates how regional market dynamics are driving the robotics shares to consider beyond the US/China axis.
Norway
- 1X Technologies (private) - Headquartered in Norway but widely categorized under US-backed robotics ventures, 1X Technologies is developing two humanoid platforms: NEO, focused on home use, and EVE, a wheeled upper-body robot designed for office and security tasks. The company is backed by OpenAI and Tiger Global, and has raised over $100 million to date, aiming to build “safe and intelligent androids” that can operate alongside humans in everyday environments.
Canada
- Sanctuary AI (private) - Canada‑based company developing the Phoenix humanoid robot aimed at general‑purpose work, combining high Dexterity, AI software stack and a vision for physical autonomy. With ambitions to operate across many environments rather than a single vertical, Sanctuary AI represents what many call the “general‑purpose robot” target and underpins the long‑term investment narrative.
Public Stocks vs Private Deals
The robotics sector offers compelling long-term investment opportunities, but it requires a balanced and realistic approach. Public markets provide liquidity and transparency, though direct exposure remains limited. Private markets, on the other hand, grant access to cutting-edge innovation but carry higher risks and lower liquidity.
