Insider Brief
- Persona AI raised $27 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round to accelerate development of its humanoid robots for shipbuilding and industrial manufacturing, addressing labor shortages and workplace safety.
- The company signed a deployment agreement with HD Hyundai, with initial robot deliveries expected within 18 months, leveraging a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model to reduce client capital costs.
- Founded by robotics veterans, Persona aims to deliver industrial-grade robots with human-like dexterity, targeting a market projected to reach $3 trillion in the U.S. alone.
PRESS RELEASE — Persona AI, a leader in embodied artificial intelligence, announced it has closed its oversubscribed pre-seed funding round, raising $27 million. This substantial investment will accelerate the development and deployment of Persona’s humanoid robot platform, engineered for demanding tasks in shipbuilding and industrial manufacturing. Designed to address critical labor shortages and enhance workplace safety, Persona’s robots will support supply chain resiliency in economically vital global industries. Persona AI has already signed an agreement with HD Hyundai, the global leader in shipbuilding, to deploy humanoid robots into shipyards, with initial delivery expected within 18 months.
Founded in 2024 by robotics veterans Nic Radford (CEO), Jerry Pratt (CTO), and Jide Akinyode (COO), Persona will deliver purpose-built humanoid robots for physically demanding environments, combining industrial-grade precision and human-like dexterity. The robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) business model eliminates the need for large upfront capital investments from clients.
We’re deeply grateful to our investors, not just for capital, but for their conviction in a bold vision,” said Radford. “These partners understand the scale and transformative potential of humanoid robot labor. This level of commitment reflects the magnitude of the opportunity and a trust in what we’re pursuing which we don’t take lightly.”
“In the field of humanoid robotics, Persona stands out for tackling the most challenging problems in industrial labor,” said Shankar Gupta Boddu, Unity Growth General Partner. “Their mission goes beyond automation, they’re working towards building a safer and more efficient workplace.”
Mike Loretz, General Partner at Tides Ventures, added, “We’re proud to back Persona pushing the boundaries of humanoid robotics. Their early traction with global leaders like HD Hyundai signals massive opportunity, and we’re excited to support their bold industrial automation vision.”
The round was co-led by Unity Growth and Tides Ventures, with participation from Mirae Asset Group, Invicta Growth, Fathom Fund, Embedded Ventures, Wave Function Ventures, Zero Infinity Partners, dConstruct Technologies, Goose Capital, SGH, Sound Media Ventures, Kalea Ventures, K50 Ventures, Cofounder Ventures, Tola Capital, SGA Capital, and Olive Hill Ventures, and K2 Global.
According to Morgan Stanley, the market for humanoid labor could reach $3 trillion in the US alone, driven by advancements in AI and the global demand for intelligent automation that mirrors human capabilities.
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