Persona AI
Persona AI is a Houston, Texas company founded in 2024 by robotics veterans Nic Radford, its chief executive and former founder of Nauticus Robotics, Jerry Pratt, its chief technology officer and formerly CTO of Figure AI, and Jide Akinyode, its chief operating officer. It is building modular humanoid robots for dull, dirty, dangerous and declining jobs, starting with heavy industry such as shipyards. Persona AI closed an oversubscribed US$27 million pre-seed round in May 2025 led by Unity Growth and Tides Ventures, with investors including Mirae Asset Group, Invicta Growth and Fathom Fund. It has already signed an agreement with HD Hyundai to deploy humanoid robots in shipyards, with first deliveries expected within 18 months, and is developing a robot welder for Hyundai's shipbuilding business that it planned to unveil in 2026. Persona AI's approach is to design purpose-built humanoids for specific trades rather than one general-purpose robot.
💡Notable Achievement: Persona AI secured an oversubscribed $27 million pre-seed funding round in May 2025 and signed an agreement with HD Hyundai to deploy humanoid robots in shipyards, with initial delivery expected within 18 months.
What Does Persona AI Do?
Persona AI is a Houston company developing industrial humanoids for shipyards, construction and energy infrastructure, with welding, inspection and maintenance as core tasks.
“Humanoids for skilled heavy-industry work, starting in shipyards.”
Skilled Trades Focus
Targets welding, grinding, inspection and fabrication.
Shipbuilding Partner
Agreement with HD Hyundai to deploy humanoids in shipyards.
Robotics-as-a-Service
Modular platform offered as a service.
What Can Persona AI Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
A 175 cm, 85 kg humanoid for heavy industry with up to 16 hours claimed runtime.
Welding & Grinding
Skilled fabrication tasks in shipyard environments.
Inspection & Maintenance
Equipment inspection and maintenance around industrial assets.
Material Handling
Moves materials and tools on site.
Extended Runtime
Listed at 16 hours on a 6 kWh pack.
Persona AI Robots
Showing 1 Humanoid Robots of 1 total model
Persona Humanoid
Manufactured by Persona AI
Persona Humanoid is an industrial-grade bipedal robot engineered for heavy-duty applications in shipyards, construction sites, and manufacturing facilities. Built on a modular platform, it performs skilled physical tasks including welding, grinding, inspection, and material handling with extreme dexterity. The robot operates autonomously in complex, uneven environments, adapting to dynamic conditions while supporting human workers. Powered by advanced embodied AI and trained on extensive datasets, it features robust navigation, force-sensitive manipulation, and long runtime for multi-shift operations. Designed for safety and endurance, Persona Humanoid integrates seamlessly into industrial workflows, offering a transformative solution for repetitive, high-value labor where precision and reliability are critical.
Persona AI Software & AI Ecosystem
Developer platforms, fleet management portals, autonomy intelligence, and enterprise integrations
ROS2 & APIs
Python/C++ Interfaces
ROS2 with Python and C++ APIs.
Physical-Skills AI
Learned Trades Behaviours
Embodied AI for skilled physical work.
Persona AI Timeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
Persona AI founded in Houston
Nic Radford, Jerry Pratt and Jide Akinyode found Persona AI to build humanoid robots for heavy industry.
Source: therobotreport.com
Agreement with HD Hyundai for shipyard humanoids
Persona AI has signed an agreement with HD Hyundai to deploy humanoid robots in shipyards, with delivery expected within 18 months.
Source: therobotreport.com
$27 million pre-seed round
Persona AI closes an oversubscribed US$27 million pre-seed round led by Unity Growth and Tides Ventures.
Source: therobotreport.com
Persona AI Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
What Makes Persona AI Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Oversubscribed US$27M pre-seed (May 2025).
- ✓HD Hyundai shipyard agreement provides a real launch customer.
- ✓Clear heavy-industry niche.
Core Strategic Focus
Delivering shipyard pilots with HD Hyundai.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •Welding in shipyards demands high reliability and safety certification.
- •Several runtime and price figures are estimates.
Persona AI vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
Category / Focus
- Persona AI
- Full-Size Bipedal Humanoid
- Apptronik Apollo
- Industrial humanoid
- Figure AI Figure 03
- Industrial humanoid
- Boston Dynamics Atlas
- Heavy-duty industrial humanoid
- Agility Robotics Digit
- Industrial logistics humanoid
Primary Use
- Persona AI
- Welding, grinding
- Apptronik Apollo
- Warehousing, manufacturing
- Figure AI Figure 03
- Laundry handling, dish handling
- Boston Dynamics Atlas
- Dynamic parkour, 360° backflips
- Agility Robotics Digit
- Tote handling, inventory sorting
Weight
- Persona AI
- 85 kg
- Apptronik Apollo
- 72.6 kg
- Figure AI Figure 03
- 61 kg
- Boston Dynamics Atlas
- 150 kg
- Agility Robotics Digit
- 60 kg
Battery Runtime
- Persona AI
- 16 h
- Apptronik Apollo
- 4 h
- Figure AI Figure 03
- 5 h
- Boston Dynamics Atlas
- N/A
- Agility Robotics Digit
- 4 h
| Strategic Dimension | Persona AI(Current) | Apptronik Apollo | Figure AI Figure 03 | Boston Dynamics Atlas | Agility Robotics Digit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category / Focus | Full-Size Bipedal Humanoid | Industrial humanoid | Industrial humanoid | Heavy-duty industrial humanoid | Industrial logistics humanoid |
| Primary Use | Welding, grinding | Warehousing, manufacturing | Laundry handling, dish handling | Dynamic parkour, 360° backflips | Tote handling, inventory sorting |
| Weight | 85 kg | 72.6 kg | 61 kg | 150 kg | 60 kg |
| Battery Runtime | 16 h | 4 h | 5 h | N/A | 4 h |
Corporate Ecosystem & Ownership Structure
Parent company relationships, historical acquisitions, and global operating facilities
Global Facilities & Operating Hubs
Persona AI Headquarters
HQHouston, Texas, United States
Articles & Industry News
Showing 1 recent article and news updates about Persona AI
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about Persona AI
What is Persona AI?
Persona AI is a Houston, Texas company founded in 2024 that builds modular humanoid robots for dull, dirty and dangerous industrial jobs, beginning with shipyards.
Who founded Persona AI?
Persona AI was founded by Nic Radford, its chief executive and a former NASA roboticist, Jerry Pratt, its chief technology officer and former Figure AI CTO, and Jide Akinyode, its chief operating officer.
Is HD Hyundai working with Persona AI?
Yes. Persona AI has signed an agreement with HD Hyundai to deploy humanoid robots in its shipyards, with first deliveries expected within 18 months of the May 2025 announcement.
How much has Persona AI raised?
Persona AI raised an oversubscribed US$27 million pre-seed round in May 2025, led by Unity Growth and Tides Ventures, with participation from Mirae Asset Group and others.
What robots does Persona AI make?
Persona AI develops modular humanoids for specific trades, including a robot welder for HD Hyundai's shipbuilding division that it planned to unveil in 2026.
Why shipyards?
Shipyards have hazardous, physically demanding jobs such as welding and face labour shortages, so Persona AI sees them as a first market for humanoids built for the trade.
Where is Persona AI based?
Persona AI is based in Houston, Texas, a hub for space and industrial robotics, and its founders include people with backgrounds at NASA, Nauticus Robotics and Figure AI.
How much does a Persona AI robot cost?
Persona AI has not published a price. The company sells robots to industrial customers such as shipyards, and its first deliveries were expected within 18 months of May 2025.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official Persona AI datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Information has been verified against official manufacturer documentation. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.