The core thesis is that humanoid robots represent the largest commercial opportunity in history, aiming to replace a significant portion of the $30-40 trillion global market for human labor. Adcock frames this not just as a business but as a fundamental shift in the global economy, promising revenues in the trillions.
Figure's strategy is to design and manufacture nearly every component of its robots, from motors and sensors to batteries. This approach is positioned as a key differentiator, enabling faster iteration, better system optimization, and control over the supply chain, which Adcock believes is crucial for outpacing competitors.
Adcock emphasizes that the primary bottleneck is not manufacturing but intelligence. The company's decision to end its collaboration with OpenAI and focus on its internal 'Helix' AI model underscores their belief that general-purpose language models are insufficient and that specialized, embodied AI is the key to unlocking autonomous robotics.
Figure is moving rapidly from R&D to commercial deployment, citing a successful trial with BMW and plans to announce multiple new customers within 90 days. This is matched by an aggressive production ramp-up, with plans to 3x March output by May and produce thousands of units this year.
Beyond Figure, CEO Brett Adcock is simultaneously funding and running two other deep-tech companies: Cover, which uses NASA-licensed terahertz imaging to detect weapons for school safety, and Hark, an AI lab building personalized intelligence models and new hardware interfaces.
Keep pulling the thread on Brett Adcock.