- Figure AI is raising millions from investors like Jeff Bezos and Microsoft for humanoid robots.
- The startup's robot, Figure 01, will perform dangerous jobs in warehouses amid a labor shortage.
- Big-name backers include OpenAI, Nvidia and Intel Corp.
A startup that wants to put humanoid robots in warehouses around the world has a growing list of elite big-name backers with deep pockets.
Figure AI is raising about $675 million in funding with the help of investors like Jeff Bezos and Microsoft, according to Friday. Bloomberg reportsciting people familiar with the situation.
The AI startup aims to create autonomous, humanoid workers who can support labor shortages amid a declining workforce, the company's website says.
The machine, called Figure 01, is an artificial intelligence-based, self-reliant robot with the ability to think, learn and interact safely alongside humans, according to the company. Robots will be tasked with performing dangerous jobs in warehouses that do not have enough workers.
Other big backers include OpenAI, which once considered acquiring Figure, according to Bloomberg, as well as Nvidia Corp, which this week reported $22.1 billion in fourth-quarter revenue, stunning analysts and the AI industry alike.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has committed $100 million to Figger's mission through his company Explore Investments, LLC, Bloomberg reported, and Microsoft is investing $95 million.
Nvidia and a fund affiliated with Amazon.com have each pledged $50 million, while Intel Corp's investment arm has provided $25 million, according to the outlet; OpenAI has pledged $5 million.
The figure had a pre-cash valuation of about $2 billion, Bloomberg reported.
News of Figure's funding comes amid a boom in artificial intelligence with several companies, including Tesla, working on their own robots.
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