After years of investors shunning hardware, Silicon Valley is getting physical.
Robotics has become one of the hottest bets in tech as investors look beyond software for the next wave of AI. Physical AI startups — companies building machines that can act in the real world — raised a record $16.3 billion across 492 deals in the first quarter of 2026, according to PitchBook data.
Falling hardware costs, labor shortages, and pressure to reshore manufacturing are fueling a new generation of companies building for the physical world.
robotics startups
For Business Insider’s inaugural list of the most promising robotics startups, we asked 14 investors across the robotics venture ecosystem — from early-stage specialists to partners at Bain Capital Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Bessemer Venture Partners — to identify the most promising robotics startups of 2026.
Each investor was asked to make two picks: one company from their portfolio and one in which they have no financial interest.
Robotics is still a nascent field, and some of the technology is unproven. Researchers previously told Business Insider that humanoids, for instance, are a “fantasy product” with little near-term viability and that general-purpose home robots are still many years away.
Table of Contents
Read More News on Latest Malaysia
Follow us on:
Read More News on Business News Malaysia
Read More News on SG Business News
Read More News on World Future TV
