The 25 most promising robotics startups in 2026, according to investors

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.

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.

Their choices show how broad the robotics boom has become.

Some startups on the list build general-purpose AI “brains” for robots, including FieldAI, Generalist, and Skild.

Others develop humanoids for factories and homes, like Unitree, Walden, and Sunday Robotics.

Another group applies robotics to specific jobs like metalworking, drug development, and strawberry picking.

The list stretches from companies fresh out of the Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator to one preparing to go public.

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.

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Here are the 25 robotics startups investors are watching in 2026.