Foundation
Foundation Future Industries is a San Francisco-based robotics startup founded in 2024 that develops the Phantom humanoid robot and Cortex AI, selling primarily to the U.S. Department of Defense, allied foreign militaries, and U.S. civilian government agencies via direct enterprise sales and government research contracts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Foundation does
Foundation Future Industries, Inc. ("Foundation") is a San Francisco-based robotics startup founded in 2024 that develops general-purpose humanoid robots intended to address labor shortages in hazardous and complex environments, including defense, manufacturing, and logistics. The company sells primarily to U.S. federal government and allied foreign military customers and has no publicly disclosed commercial or retail sales channel. Its core offering is a two-product architecture: the Phantom humanoid robot — a 5'11", 176lb bipedal platform with 29 degrees of freedom, 88.2lb payload capacity, and proprietary cycloid actuators delivering 160Nm peak torque — paired with Cortex, a proprietary AI system based on physics-informed foundation models and Deep Variational Bayes Filters (DVBFs) that powers perception, learning, and fleet-level autonomy. The company was founded by Sankaet Pathak (former Synapse CEO), Mike LeBlanc (Marine Corps veteran), and Arjun Sethi; Eric Trump joined as Chief Strategy Advisor in March 2026.
Foundation's revenue model centers on direct hardware sales of Phantom robots supplemented by U.S. government research contracts. The company holds $24 million in research contracts spanning the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and in February 2026 deployed two Phantom MK-1 units to Ukraine through the Brave1 defense initiative for battlefield testing — the first known deployment of humanoid robots in an active combat theater. The company is also in active discussions with the Department of Homeland Security for border patrol applications. As of May 2026, Foundation is seeking a $500 million funding round at a $3 billion-plus valuation, having raised approximately $21 million to date and currently producing approximately 40 robots with an aspirational target of 50,000 units by 2027.
Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Foundation
- Legal name
- Foundation Future Industries, Inc.
- Website
- https://foundation.bot
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Foundation Future Industries is a San Francisco-based robotics startup founded in 2024 that develops the Phantom humanoid robot and Cortex AI, selling primarily to the U.S. Department of Defense, allied foreign militaries, and U.S. civilian government agencies via direct enterprise sales and government research contracts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Humanoid Robotics
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Humanoid & General-Purpose Robots (HDAAAIAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Robot Software, Autonomy Stacks & Simulation (ROS, digital twins) (HDAAAIAK), Robot Hardware, Actuators & Components (sensors, grippers, motors) (HDAAAIAL)
Keywords
Where Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Humanoid Robot Hardware Sales: Sale of Phantom MK-1 and Phantom 2 humanoid robots to government and defense customers. Current production of approximately 40 robots with plans to scale to 50,000 units by 2027.
- U.S. Government Research Contracts: Foundation holds $24 million in U.S. government research contracts spanning the Army, Navy, and Air Force for development and testing of humanoid robots for defense applications.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Foundation designs and manufactures the Phantom humanoid robot, a 5'11" bipedal platform with 29 degrees of freedom powered by proprietary cycloid actuators and the Cortex AI software layer. The robots are built for autonomous operation in defense, manufacturing, logistics, and hazardous environments, and are sold primarily to U.S. military and allied government customers.
Product overview
Foundation Future Industries is a San Francisco-based robotics startup that develops autonomous humanoid robots. The company operates a two-product architecture: Phantom is the physical humanoid robot platform featuring proprietary cycloid actuators, and Cortex is the AI software layer that powers the robot's perception, learning, and autonomous decision-making. The Phantom robot integrates with Cortex to enable autonomous operation in complex environments for manufacturing, logistics, and defense applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Phantom: First production humanoid robot designed for strength and fluid motion. Features proprietary cycloid actuators, 29 degrees of freedom, 88.2lbs payload capacity, and 1.7 m/s speed.
- Cortex
Products and services
- Phantom Humanoid Robot Foundation's first production humanoid robot designed for strength and fluid motion. Standing 5'11" (1.8m) and weighing 176lbs (80kg), it features 88.2lbs (40kg) payload capacity, 29 degrees of freedom, 1.7 m/s speed, and proprietary cycloid actuators delivering 160Nm peak torque. Built for autonomous operation in complex environments including manufacturing, logistics, defense, and hazardous areas.
- Cortex AI AI system that powers Phantom's perception, learning, and autonomy. Features physics-informed foundation models, Deep Variational Bayes Filters (DVBFs) architecture for encoding, Bayesian inference, and decoding, and multi-modal understanding. Cortex enables real-world physics mastery, predictive decision-making, and fleet-level coordination for autonomous humanoid robots.
Quantifiable outcome
- First known deployment of humanoid robots in an active combat theater (Ukraine, February 2026)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature4 records
Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Ukraine Brave1 Defense InitiativecoreFoundation deployed two Phantom MK-1 humanoid robots to Ukraine for battlefield testing through the Brave1 defense initiative. Ukraine reported over 7,000 ground robot missions in January 2026 alone. This partnership provides real-world combat testing data for robot refinement.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 1X Technologies: 1X Technologies (backed by OpenAI) builds the Neo humanoid robot for home and industrial use. Comparable as a humanoid robotics company with an emphasis on embodied AI for real-world deployment.
- Agility Robotics: Agility Robotics builds the Digit humanoid robot focused on warehouse and logistics automation, with deployments at Amazon and GXO. Comparable as a humanoid robotics company targeting labor-shortage use cases in industrial settings.
- Figure AI: Figure AI develops the Figure 01/02 general-purpose humanoid robot targeting commercial and industrial labor shortages. Most directly comparable to Foundation in humanoid form factor, AI-driven autonomy focus, and U.S. defense/government interest.
- Apptronik: Apptronik develops the Apollo humanoid robot for industrial and logistics applications, with partnerships including Google DeepMind. Directly comparable in humanoid form factor and commercial/government customer pursuit.
Broad incumbents
- Tesla: Tesla is developing the Optimus humanoid robot as part of its broader AI and manufacturing platform. A broad incumbent whose automotive AI, manufacturing scale, and capital base position it as a long-term competitive threat to all humanoid startups.
- Anduril Industries: Anduril Industries is a venture-backed defense technology company building autonomous systems (Lattice, Ghost, Roadrunner) for the U.S. military. Comparable as a peer in the defense-tech customer base and government procurement motion.
- Skydio: Skydio is a U.S.-based autonomous drone manufacturer with deep DoD and DHS relationships. Comparable as a defense/autonomous-systems peer serving the same Army, Navy, Air Force, and border-security customers Foundation is pursuing.
- Boston Dynamics: Boston Dynamics (owned by Hyundai) develops the Atlas humanoid robot and Spot quadruped. A broad incumbent in advanced robotics with significant government and defense relationships that overlap with Foundation's customer base.
Emerging players
- Sanctuary AI: Sanctuary AI develops the Phoenix humanoid robot with a focus on foundational AI for general-purpose embodied intelligence. Comparable as an emerging humanoid player with strong emphasis on the AI/software stack powering the robot.
- Unitree Robotics: Unitree Robotics is a Chinese humanoid and quadruped robotics manufacturer offering lower-cost humanoids (H1, G1). Comparable as an emerging player in the humanoid form factor, though primarily commercial rather than defense-oriented.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceFoundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Foundation
What does Foundation do?
Foundation designs and manufactures the Phantom humanoid robot, a 5'11" bipedal platform with 29 degrees of freedom powered by proprietary cycloid actuators and the Cortex AI software layer. The robots are built for autonomous operation in defense, manufacturing, logistics, and hazardous environments, and are sold primarily to U.S. military and allied government customers.
Is Foundation a public or private company?
Foundation is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Foundation founded?
Foundation was founded in 2024. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Foundation based?
Foundation is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Foundation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Humanoid Robot Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are U.S. Government Research Contracts.
Who are Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 1X Technologies, Agility Robotics, Figure AI and Apptronik. Broad incumbents are Tesla, Anduril Industries, Skydio and Boston Dynamics. Emerging players are Sanctuary AI and Unitree Robotics.
Does Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Foundation.
What industry is Foundation in?
Foundation's product category is Humanoid Robotics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAIAJ, Humanoid & General-Purpose Robots, with a secondary code of HDAAAIAK, Robot Software, Autonomy Stacks & Simulation (ROS, digital twins). Its NAICS code is 336414 and its SIC code is 3812.