Figure AI's CEO just raised $700 million for his next big bet

2 hours ago 4

Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock's new startup, Hark, has raised $700 million at a $6 billion valuation.
The AI lab builds personalized AI models and hardware devices.
Hark enters a crowded field, competing with OpenAI, Apple, Google, and Meta to build AI devices.

While Figure AI's humanoid robots were sorting packages for millions of viewers, the startup's CEO was preparing his next AI hardware act.

Hark, a San Jose-based AI lab founded by Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock, announced Thursday it has raised $700 million in funding at a $6 billion valuation, the company said. Parkway Venture Capital led the Series A round, with participation from Nvidia, AMD Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, and others.

The startup builds personalized AI systems and hardware meant to interact more naturally with people and the physical world, not just through chat.

"We're building the AI that everyone deserves, but no one has built yet — one that actually knows you, speaks your language, is highly personalized, and lives on hardware made for you," Adcock, Hark's CEO, said in a press release. "This funding helps us put that in people's hands quickly and at scale."

While the company has been secretive about what it is building, it said it plans to roll out its AI models later this summer and give users early access to its personal AI platform. Hark did not provide a timeline for releasing its hardware devices.

A host of major tech rivals are chasing a similar idea. OpenAI is working with longtime iPhone designer Jony Ive on a family of AI devices, while Apple, Google, and Meta are also developing AI gadgets.

Hark has hired an Apple veteran of its own: Abidur Chowdhury, who helped design the iPhone Air. The startup has also recruited hardware and AI engineers from Google, Meta, and Amazon.

Adcock founded Hark late last year with $100 million of his own capital, The Information previously reported.

Figure's robots already use some of the firm's models, Adcock told Bloomberg, adding that Hark's work on AI agents will be important for scaling Figure's humanoids.

Adcock has an estimated net worth of nearly $20 billion, according to Forbes. He previously founded Archer Aviation, an electric aircraft company, and is estimated to own about half of Figure AI, which was valued at $39 billion last year.

Rya is a senior reporter at Business Insider covering physical AI and robotics. She writes about factory automation, humanoid robots, and the race to collect the real-world data needed to bring AI into the physical world. She previously worked at The San Francisco Standard, where she reported on tech culture and autonomous vehicles. She has a bachelor’s degree in history and politics from Pomona College and a master’s in history from the University of Cambridge. Rya lives in San Francisco. Contact her at [email protected] or on Signal at rjetha.07. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device. Here's our guide to sharing information securely.