Two Silicon Valley startups, Rhoda AI and Genesis AI, are quietly developing human-shaped robots after raising hundreds of millions of dollars. They hope their robots can one day compete with those from Figure AI and Tesla.

The AI boom has now reached the tough world of hardware — especially humanoid robots. Forbes found that both companies, each with over $100 million in funding, are secretly building machines that look and act like humans. The goal is to create robots that can do everyday tasks usually done by people.

Rhoda AI is based in Palo Alto and raised $162.6 million in April, bringing its total to $230 million and valuing the company at nearly $1 billion, according to PitchBook. The company is working on a “general purpose bimanual manipulation platform” — basically a humanoid robot with two arms.

Rhoda’s robot is said to be able to lift heavy objects, which most current humanoid robots struggle to do while staying balanced. This makes it useful for industries where strength and stability are important.

Rhoda AI was founded by Jagdeep Singh, who also started Quantumscape (now valued at $9.65 billion) and Infinera, which was bought by Nokia for $2.3 billion in 2024. Other founders include Stanford professor Gordon Wetzstein and Vincent Clerc, who previously worked on Softbank’s Pepper robot. Rhoda AI declined to comment on its work.

Genesis AI, the second company, describes itself as a “full-stack robotics” startup. It raised $105 million earlier this year from investors like Khosla Ventures and Eric Schmidt. Documents show it’s building a robot with two arms and wheels instead of legs. The company wants to make robots that are cheaper, lighter, and safer than others like Tesla’s Optimus.

Genesis AI CEO Zhou Xian said they are not building robots entirely from scratch. Instead, they’re working with hardware partners and focusing mainly on the software that controls the robots.

Both Genesis AI and Rhoda AI join a growing list of startups making humanoid robots for use in factories and homes. These robots could one day handle tasks like moving goods or folding laundry. The field is attracting big investments: Figure AI recently raised over $1 billion at a $39 billion valuation. Other big players include Tesla with its Optimus robot, and 1X, which is reportedly raising $1 billion too.

Even though the industry is still young, excitement is high. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said humanoid robots could become “one of the largest industries ever.” Elon Musk has also claimed that Tesla’s Optimus division might eventually be the company’s most valuable part, even though it’s still in early stages and facing production challenges.

However, some investors warn the market might not be ready yet.

“After the success of large language models, investors now see robotics as the next big thing, which is creating a lot of hype,” said Kane Hsieh, a partner at Root Ventures. “But it’s surprising to see startups jumping from early research straight to $100 million seed rounds.”

Published: 17th October 2025

For more such articles, please follow us on Twitter, Linkedin & Instagram

Also Read:

Personal Loan Tips for 550 Credit Score: Practical Guide
Mercedes Vision Iconic: 1930s Design, Electric Innovation
7 Expert Tips for Selling Sustainable Homes Successfully