IHMC

What IHMC does

IHMC (the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research institute headquartered at 40 South Alcaniz Street in Pensacola, Florida, with a second campus in Ocala. Founded in the 1990s, IHMC employs 101-250 staff investigating cognition in both humans and machines across twelve formal research areas, including Agile Computing, Human-Machine Teamwork, Robotics, Healthspan/Resilience/Performance, Cybersecurity, and Visualization. The institute's flagship technology assets are the Alex humanoid robot (a 187-pound electric platform with custom actuators developed for the Office of Naval Research, unveiled November 2025 and demonstrated off-tether in May 2026), the Workbench simulation and virtual reality prototyping platform (deployed with U.S. Special Operations Command), CMapTools (a long-running knowledge-modeling software), and the National Center for Collaborative Autonomy (NCCA), which was established in 2025 with a $6.7 million grant from the Triumph Gulf Coast Board to scale autonomous systems across aerial, surface, undersea, and space domains.

IHMC's business model is government-grant and contract funded, with no commercial product sales. Primary sponsors are the Office of Naval Research (multi-year, multi-million-dollar Alex and Squadbot awards, plus NASA's Valkyrie project via in-house PI Luigi Penco), the National Institutes of Health (M³AX clinical trial, supported by a $40 million healthspan research complex opened in Pensacola in 2022), the Army Research Laboratory (Explosive Breaching program), SOCOM (Workbench), and the U.S. Air Force heritage. Revenue is supplemented by 501(c)(3) tax-deductible donations, academic clinical partnerships (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, University of Florida, University of West Florida, University of South Florida, Duke, University of Washington), and a nascent commercial channel through BoardWalk Robotics for the Alex platform. Reach extends through the award-winning STEM-Talk podcast, an Evening Lectures series, Science Saturdays, and an annual open house that drew 500+ attendees during National Robotics Week in April 2026. The institute is led by CEO Morley Stone with founder Kenneth Ford as CEO Emeritus, and has no equity investors, parent company, or M&A history; surplus revenues are reinvested into research programs.

Name

IHMC

Legal name

Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition

Website

https://ihmc.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IHMC is a Pensacola-based 501(c)(3) non-profit research institute (101-250 staff) that develops humanoid robots, autonomous systems, healthspan clinical research, and simulation platforms, funded primarily by U.S. federal agencies including ONR, NIH, ARL, and SOCOM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research Institute / Scientific R&D Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Mechatronics Systems & Integration (EDAOAHAB)

Keywords

• Humanoid robotics research
• Autonomous systems development
• Cognitive science research
• Healthspan clinical research
• Human-machine teaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Pensacola

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Research Contracts: IHMC generates revenue through multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts with government agencies including the Office of Naval Research for robotics development and humanoid robot programs.
2. NIH-Funded Clinical Trials: IHMC conducts NIH-funded clinical trials in partnership with other institutions like Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and University of Florida, receiving grant funding for healthspan research.
3. Donations and Contributions: IHMC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that accepts tax-deductible contributions to benefit research and outreach programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IHMC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research institute that develops technologies aimed at leveraging and extending human capabilities. Its core offerings include humanoid robotics platforms (Alex), simulation/virtual reality prototyping tools (Workbench), collaborative autonomy research (NCCA), healthspan and resilience clinical research (M³AX), and knowledge-modeling software (CMapTools), delivered primarily through government contracts and grants.

Product overview

IHMC (Institute for Human & Machine Cognition) is a not-for-profit research institute pioneering technologies aimed at leveraging and extending human capabilities. The organization operates across multiple research areas including robotics, human-machine teamwork, healthspan/resilience, cybersecurity, and visualization. Key offerings include: Alex (advanced humanoid robot for disaster response and military applications), CMapTools (knowledge mapping software), Workbench (simulation/virtual reality platform for military technology prototyping), and the National Center for Collaborative Autonomy (NCCA) for autonomous systems research. IHMC also produces the STEM-Talk podcast and conducts clinical trials like M³AX focused on exercise and aging research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Alex Humanoid Robot Next-generation humanoid robot developed by IHMC's robotics team, funded by the Office of Naval Research, designed for outdoor urban operations in disaster response and military reconnaissance.
• Workbench Simulation and virtual reality platform that allows U.S. Special Operations Command and other military clients to prototype new concepts and rapidly develop new tools and technologies for warfighters.
• National Center for Collaborative Autonomy (NCCA) IHMC initiative focused on optimizing the abilities and potential of autonomous systems including unmanned aerial vehicles, self-driving cars, and space probes, and on scaling human-machine teaming for military and commercial applications.
• CMapTools Knowledge modeling and concept-mapping software tool developed by IHMC for creating, organizing, and sharing concept maps and structured information.
• M³AX Clinical Trial NIH-funded clinical research program (Multidimensional Modeling to Maximize Adaptations to Exercise) investigating how personalized exercise programs can mitigate age-related functional decline and hallmarks of aging in people 60 and older, conducted in partnership with the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and the University of Florida.
• STEM-Talk Podcast Award-winning interview podcast produced by IHMC featuring conversations with scientists, engineers, and technologists on topics including robotics, neuroscience, healthspan, and human performance; available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 people attended IHMC's annual open house during National Robotics Week
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BoardWalk RoboticscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partner for Alex humanoid robot. BoardWalk Robotics envisions deploying Alex in manufacturing, logistics, maintenance, disaster response, and military reconnaissance applications.
• Oklahoma Medical Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on NIH-funded M³AX clinical trial investigating exercise's potential to slow down and reverse hallmarks of aging. Goal to enroll 94 people in Oklahoma City.
• University of FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on NIH-funded M³AX clinical trial investigating exercise's potential to slow down and reverse hallmarks of aging.
• University of West FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUWF-IHMC Joint Ph.D. program in Intelligent Systems and Robotics. Faculty member from UCF College of Health also collaborates with IHMC.
• Baptist Health CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system collaborating with IHMC clinical trial, providing referral services for participants with health conditions discovered during screening.
• Ascension Sacred HeartminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system collaborating with IHMC clinical trial, providing referral services for participants.
• HCA Florida WestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system collaborating with IHMC clinical trial, providing referral services for participants.
• National Universities Workshop ParticipantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArizona State, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Brigham Young, Penn State, Mississippi, University of Maryland, University of Florida, and University of West Florida participated in NCCA inaugural workshop on collaborative autonomy.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SRI International: Non-profit research institute conducting contract R&D across AI, robotics, and biomedical sciences for government and commercial clients. Closely comparable to IHMC in structure (501(c)(3)), funding mix (federal contracts), and research portfolio breadth.
• Battelle Memorial Institute: Large non-profit applied science organization with substantial defense, life sciences, and engineering research funded through federal contracts. Directly comparable to IHMC in mission, funding model, and government-customer focus.
• Southwest Research Institute (SwRI): Non-profit applied R&D organization with significant defense, robotics, and intelligent systems divisions. Directly comparable in non-profit structure, contract research model, and engineering-driven federal project portfolio.
• MITRE Corporation: Federally funded R&D center operating multiple FFRDCs for the DoD and intelligence community. Comparable in operating model (non-profit, government-funded) and customer base (defense and federal agencies).
• RAND Corporation: Non-profit research institution providing analysis and policy research to the U.S. government, with deep defense and security agency relationships. Comparable in non-profit structure and government-customer orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Dynamics: Established humanoid and quadruped robotics developer with deep defense and commercial partnerships. A broader incumbent in humanoid robotics that competes with IHMC's Alex platform for the same defense and disaster-response use cases.
• Anduril Industries: Defense technology company building autonomous systems, AI, and unmanned platforms across air, sea, and land domains. Comparable as a recipient of DoD R&D funding for autonomous and collaborative systems relevant to IHMC's NCCA mission.

Emerging players

• Figure AI: Well-capitalized startup developing general-purpose humanoid robots for commercial and eventually defense applications. Comparable in target use cases (manufacturing, logistics, dangerous environments) but with VC-funded productization speed IHMC lacks.
• Agility Robotics: Developer of the Digit humanoid robot targeting logistics, warehousing, and industrial applications. Comparable in bipedal humanoid focus, though positioned for commercial rather than defense deployment.
• Apptronik: Humanoid robotics company spun out of UT Austin's Human Centered Robotics Lab. Comparable in academic-research origins and bipedal humanoid platform, but with commercial commercialization focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IHMC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/63449
• Xx.com/ihmcrobotics
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheIHMC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IHMC