2026 is the year Physical AI left the lab and stepped onto the factory floor.
We are no longer talking only about copilots and chat interfaces. We are entering the era of embodied intelligence. AI that can move, manipulate, weld, weed, inspect, carry, build and defend. AI that exists in steel, sensors and servos.
From general-purpose humanoids entering pilot phase inside global manufacturing plants to autonomous drones operating in GPS-denied airspace, the US ecosystem is currently the engine room of this transformation.
At MACHINA, part of the wider RAISE ecosystem, we track the builders turning silicon into muscle.
Here are 30 US-based robotics and Physical AI startups defining the frontier in 2026.
30 US Robotics & Physical AI Startups to Watch
- Apptronik (Austin, TX)
Their industrial humanoid Apollo is scaling across Mercedes-Benz factory floors, tackling dull, dirty and dangerous logistics tasks.
- Agility Robotics (Salem, OR)
A category leader. Their bipedal Digit is now deployed in GXO Logistics warehouses for autonomous trailer unloading.
- Standard Bots (Glen Cove, NY)
Making automation accessible with the AI-native RO1 robotic arm, built for SMEs to deploy in minutes.
- Skild AI (Pittsburgh, PA)
Building a universal foundation model for robotics. A shared “brain” that can generalise across different robot bodies and tasks.
- Physical Intelligence (San Francisco, CA)
Developing a general-purpose AI model that enables robots to learn complex, multi-stage physical tasks through observation.
- Shield AI (San Diego, CA)
Their Hivemind AI pilot allows drones to operate autonomously in GPS-denied and contested environments.
- Zipline (South San Francisco, CA)
Operating the world’s largest autonomous drone delivery network, redefining instant logistics for retail and healthcare.
- Locus Robotics (Wilmington, MA)
Autonomous mobile robots working alongside humans to significantly increase fulfilment productivity.
- Tesla – Optimus (Austin, TX)
Leveraging its Full Self-Driving stack, Tesla’s Optimus humanoid is the most anticipated mass-market humanoid platform globally.
- Dexterity (Redwood City, CA)
AI-powered systems solving complex palletising and unstructured material handling challenges.
- Carbon Robotics (Seattle, WA)
Laser-weeding robots bringing precision agriculture at scale, reducing reliance on chemical herbicides.
- Serve Robotics (San Francisco, CA)
Sidewalk delivery robots are now a common sight across major US cities.
- Figure AI (Sunnyvale, CA)
Figure 02 represents a leap forward in integrated hardware-software humanoid design for manufacturing.
- Gecko Robotics (Pittsburgh, PA)
Wall-climbing robots inspecting critical infrastructure before failure occurs.
- Built Robotics (San Francisco, CA)
The Exosystem converts heavy construction equipment into fully autonomous machines.
- Anduril Industries (Costa Mesa, CA)
Autonomous defense systems powered by Lattice OS, an AI backbone for modern security.
- Skydio (San Mateo, CA)
Advanced autonomous flight systems for public safety and industrial inspection.
- Mytra (San Francisco, CA)
Reimagining warehouses with 3D pallet automation for dense storage and retrieval.
- Pickle Robot (Cambridge, MA)
AI-driven high-speed unloading of floor-loaded trailers.
- GrayMatter Robotics (Los Angeles, CA)
Automating complex, high-variability surface finishing tasks.
- Path Robotics (Columbus, OH)
Autonomous welding systems helping manufacturers scale despite skilled labour shortages.
- Machina Labs (Los Angeles, CA)
AI-powered robotic metal forming, enabling rapid sheet metal manufacturing without traditional dies.
- Diligent Robotics (Austin, TX)
Moxi supports hospital teams by handling internal logistics and routine transport tasks.
- Simbe Robotics (San Francisco, CA)
Tally provides real-time retail intelligence through autonomous shelf auditing.
- Bear Robotics (Redwood City, CA)
Servi assists waitstaff by running food and clearing tables in high-volume hospitality settings.
- RightHand Robotics (Somerville, MA)
Focused on the piece-picking challenge for high-SKU e-commerce environments.
- Intrinsic (Mountain View, CA)
An Alphabet company building a software-defined robotics platform to simplify industrial automation.
- AMP Robotics (Louisville, CO)
AI-powered high-speed recycling systems driving smarter waste management.
- Rapid Robotics (San Francisco, CA)
Robotics-as-a-Service enabling manufacturers to deploy automation with minimal upfront cost.
- Orchard Robotics (Ithaca, NY)
Tree-by-tree crop intelligence using advanced computer vision systems.
Why This Matters
Physical AI is not a niche sub-sector. It is the convergence layer between large-scale foundation models, advanced sensors, edge compute and industrial automation.
The breakthrough is not just better hardware. It is generalisation. The shift from task-specific automation to adaptable robotic intelligence capable of learning across environments.
The next trillion-dollar companies will not just generate text. They will move atoms.
Meet the Founders at MACHINA Summit 2026
The future of robotics is not just being built. It is being debated, stress-tested and demonstrated live.
On July 7th 2026, MACHINA Debut Summit brings together the highest-signal founders, operators, investors and engineers shaping the Physical AI stack.
Expect live demos. Deep technical panels. Unfiltered conversations about scaling embodied intelligence from pilot to production.
