Humanoid robots are emerging as the next foundational layer of global automation, transforming work across logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, and consumer environments.

Driven by breakthroughs in AI, declining hardware costs, and growing labor shortages, humanoid platforms are moving from prototype to deployment faster than anyone expected. But as billions in venture capital enter the space, one thing is becoming clear: not all platforms are built to last.

The global market for humanoid robots is projected to exceed 38 billion dollars by 2035, with long-term estimates reaching over 7 trillion as adoption expands into high-friction, high-value labor markets. Despite more than 2.1 billion dollars already invested, most startups remain underprotected, with little or no intellectual property behind their rising valuations. The companies that will define this category are not the ones with the flashiest demos. They are the ones with deep technical capabilities, strong IP strategies, and real-world deployment momentum.

Key Insights

• While Figure AI commands attention and capital, Sanctuary AI is quietly building one of the most defensible platforms in the category. Other emerging leaders, including Neura Robotics, Apptronik, and Agility Robotics, are translating hardware innovation into execution-ready systems supported by focused IP strategies and real-world pilots.
• Over 11,000 humanoid robotics patent families are already held by industrial giants including Sony, UBTECH, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Alphabet, and Samsung. Among startups, only Sanctuary AI ranks among the global top 20 patent holders, highlighting how rare defensible positions still are.
• Universities like Tsinghua, AIST, Beijing Institute of Technology, KAIST, and the University of Tokyo hold core patents in locomotion, manipulation, and cognitive control. Their research continues to shape the technologies and licensing opportunities driving the next wave of commercial platforms.