HUMANOID
HUMANOID (SKL Robotics) is a London robotics company building general-purpose humanoid robots for industry, logistics and, later, homes. It was founded in 2024 by Artem Sokolov, its chief executive, and has grown to more than 200 engineers and researchers with offices in Boston and Vancouver. Its first robots form the HMND 01 Alpha family: a wheeled model for factory and logistics work such as picking, sorting and tote handling, and a bipedal model for spaces that need human-like walking. The robots run KinetIQ, HUMANOID's AI framework that lets fleets of robots share learning and coordinate tasks. In May 2026 HUMANOID signed a deal with Schaeffler to deploy a four-digit number of wheeled robots in Schaeffler plants by 2032, starting in Germany in late 2026, with Schaeffler also supplying actuators. In July 2026 it raised US$152 million at a US$1.35 billion valuation, led by Prime Movers Lab, making it Europe's first pure-play humanoid robotics unicorn.
💡Notable Achievement: HUMANOID raised US$152 million at a US$1.35 billion valuation in July 2026 and signed a deal with Schaeffler to deploy a four-digit number of wheeled robots by 2032.
What Does HUMANOID Do?
HUMANOID is a London robotics company building the modular HMND 01 series, wheeled and bipedal humanoids driven by its KinetIQ VLM/VLA framework for industrial and commercial use.
“Modular UK humanoids that reason and act through a VLM/VLA framework.”
KinetIQ Framework
VLM and VLA-based reasoning and task-execution stack for the whole HMND 01 series.
Modular Design
Shared torso, arms and head on either a wheeled base or a bipedal lower body.
Commercial Safety Focus
Positioned as commercially scalable and safe robots for logistics, manufacturing and retail.
What Can HUMANOID Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
Goods handling, picking and packing on wheeled and bipedal HMND 01 platforms with 15 kg carrying capacity.
Picking, Packing & Goods Handling
Both variants handle up to 15 kg for logistics and part manipulation.
Machine Feeding
Wheeled Alpha stands 220 cm tall for machine feeding and part manipulation in manufacturing.
Bipedal Mobility
179 cm bipedal Alpha with 29 degrees of freedom for R&D, safety validation and service work.
Autonomous Navigation
Indoor SLAM, visual SLAM and LiDAR mapping for fully autonomous operation.
HUMANOID Robots
Showing 2 Humanoid Robots of 2 total models
HMND 01 Alpha Wheeled
By: HUMANOID
Launched: 2025
The HMND 01 Alpha Wheeled is a modular, industrial-grade humanoid robot designed for logistics, manufacturing, and retail automation. Standing 220 cm tall, it features a humanoid torso, arms, and head mounted on a wheeled mobile base, enabling agile navigation in confined spaces. With 29 degrees of freedom, advanced AI-powered perception, and whole-body control algorithms, the robot performs complex manipulation tasks at or above human speeds. Its modular design allows for rapid adaptation to various industrial workflows, supporting interchangeable end-effectors and protective garments. The HMND 01 Alpha Wheeled excels in goods handling, picking, packing, and part manipulation, offering safe human-robot collaboration and extended runtime for demanding environments.
HMND 01 Alpha Bipedal
By: HUMANOID
Launched: 2025
The HMND 01 Alpha Bipedal is a next-generation humanoid robot developed by HUMANOID, designed for industrial, logistics, and service automation. Standing at 179 cm tall, it features 29 degrees of freedom (excluding end-effectors), modular manipulation with options for 12-DOF five-finger hands or 1-DOF parallel grippers, and a payload capacity of 15 kg bimanual. The robot leverages a proprietary Vision-Language-Action (VLA) framework powered by NVIDIA compute, enabling advanced perception, reasoning, and skill execution. With an average runtime of 4 hours, it supports agile bipedal locomotion, including walking, sidestepping, squat-walking, and hopping, and is optimized for dynamic environments such as warehouses, manufacturing floors, and service spaces. Its modular design allows for rapid adaptation and upgrades, making it suitable for research, proof-of-concept deployments, and real-world automation tasks.
HUMANOID Software & AI Ecosystem
Developer platforms, fleet management portals, autonomy intelligence, and enterprise integrations
KinetIQ
VLM / VLA Reasoning Framework
Company framework for advanced reasoning and task execution across the HMND 01 series.
Open API & SDK
ROS2, Python and C++ Access
Proprietary OS with ROS2, Python, C++ and an open API/SDK for integration.
HUMANOID Timeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
HUMANOID founded in London
Artem Sokolov founds HUMANOID in London to build general-purpose humanoid robots.
Source: thehumanoid.ai
HMND 01 Alpha revealed
HUMANOID reveals its HMND 01 Alpha humanoid, built in a matter of months, in wheeled and bipedal versions.
Source: thehumanoidrace.com
KinetIQ AI framework introduced
HUMANOID introduces KinetIQ, its AI framework for controlling and coordinating fleets of humanoid robots.
Source: thehumanoid.ai
Schaeffler deployment deal
HUMANOID agrees to deploy a four-digit number of wheeled robots at Schaeffler plants by 2032, starting in Germany in late 2026.
Source: thehumanoid.ai
$152 million at $1.35 billion valuation
HUMANOID raises US$152 million at a US$1.35 billion valuation, led by Prime Movers Lab with Schaeffler and Bosch.
Source: siliconangle.com
HUMANOID Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
What Makes HUMANOID Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Modular design lets one platform serve wheeled and bipedal use cases.
- ✓KinetIQ VLM/VLA framework provides a unified AI stack.
- ✓Reported bipedal learning to walk in two days (December 2025).
Core Strategic Focus
Commercial pilots of HMND 01 in logistics, manufacturing and retail environments.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •Estimated US$100k–200k unit pricing until volumes rise.
- •Heavy 300 kg wheeled variant limits deployment flexibility.
HUMANOID vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
Category / Focus
- HUMANOID
- Full-Size Bipedal Humanoid
- Figure AI Figure 03
- General-purpose industrial humanoid
- Agility Robotics Digit
- Logistics tote handling
- Apptronik Apollo
- Manufacturing & logistics humanoid
- 1X Technologies NEO Home Robot
- Consumer-focused humanoid
Primary Use
- HUMANOID
- Goods handling, picking
- Figure AI Figure 03
- Laundry handling, dish handling
- Agility Robotics Digit
- Tote handling, inventory sorting
- Apptronik Apollo
- Warehousing, manufacturing
- 1X Technologies NEO Home Robot
- Household chores, object retrieval
Weight
- HUMANOID
- 90 kg
- Figure AI Figure 03
- 61 kg
- Agility Robotics Digit
- 60 kg
- Apptronik Apollo
- 72.6 kg
- 1X Technologies NEO Home Robot
- 29.94 kg
Battery Runtime
- HUMANOID
- 3 h
- Figure AI Figure 03
- 5 h
- Agility Robotics Digit
- 4 h
- Apptronik Apollo
- 4 h
- 1X Technologies NEO Home Robot
- 4 h
| Strategic Dimension | HUMANOID(Current) | Figure AI Figure 03 | Agility Robotics Digit | Apptronik Apollo | 1X Technologies NEO Home Robot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category / Focus | Full-Size Bipedal Humanoid | General-purpose industrial humanoid | Logistics tote handling | Manufacturing & logistics humanoid | Consumer-focused humanoid |
| Primary Use | Goods handling, picking | Laundry handling, dish handling | Tote handling, inventory sorting | Warehousing, manufacturing | Household chores, object retrieval |
| Weight | 90 kg | 61 kg | 60 kg | 72.6 kg | 29.94 kg |
| Battery Runtime | 3 h | 5 h | 4 h | 4 h | 4 h |
Corporate Ecosystem & Ownership Structure
Parent company relationships, historical acquisitions, and global operating facilities
Artem Sokolov
Founded Humanoid in 2024.
Ownership & Acquisition History
Founded Humanoid in 2024.
Global Facilities & Operating Hubs
HUMANOID Headquarters
HQLondon, United Kingdom
Articles & Industry News
Showing 2 recent articles and news updates about HUMANOID
Humanoid Unveils HMND 01 Alpha Wheeled, Revolutionizes Industrial Robotics
News about HMND 01 Alpha Wheeled
Humanoid Unveils HMND 01 Alpha Bipedal
News about HMND 01 Alpha Bipedal
Robot Comparisons
Showing 1 in-depth comparison featuring HUMANOID — Explore all comparisons →
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about HUMANOID
What is HUMANOID?
HUMANOID is a London robotics company, founded in 2024, that builds the HMND 01 family of wheeled and bipedal humanoid robots for industrial and logistics work.
Who founded HUMANOID?
HUMANOID was founded in 2024 by Artem Sokolov, its chief executive. The company has more than 200 staff, with offices in London, Boston and Vancouver.
What is the HMND 01 robot?
HMND 01 Alpha is HUMANOID's first humanoid robot family. The wheeled model handles factory and logistics tasks such as picking and sorting, while the bipedal model is for spaces that need walking.
How much funding has HUMANOID raised?
In July 2026 HUMANOID raised US$152 million at a US$1.35 billion valuation, led by Prime Movers Lab with investors including Schaeffler and Bosch.
Does Schaeffler use HUMANOID robots?
Yes. In May 2026 Schaeffler agreed to deploy a four-digit number of HUMANOID's wheeled robots across its plants by 2032, starting at two German sites in late 2026.
What is KinetIQ?
KinetIQ is HUMANOID's AI framework that acts as a shared brain for its robots, letting fleets coordinate tasks and learn across industrial and service settings.
How much does a HUMANOID robot cost?
HUMANOID has not published a price for HMND 01. Its robots are sold through commercial deployment agreements with industrial customers.
Who builds HUMANOID's robots?
Bosch is HUMANOID's manufacturing partner, contributing contract manufacturing, hardware design and supply chain expertise, while Schaeffler is its preferred supplier of joint actuators under a five-year agreement.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official HUMANOID datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Information has been verified against official manufacturer documentation. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.