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Robot maker · registered

Persona AI

Corporate markethumanoidCurated record
persona.ai

Houston startup founded by ex-Nauticus/NASA and ex-Figure leaders (CEO Nic Radford, CTO Jerry Pratt) building a modular purpose-built industrial humanoid for skilled physical work; AI-based control targets welding, grinding, inspection and material handling in shipyards, steel fabrication and energy sites, with variants branded Assembler, Fabricator, Miner and Welder. Robots are still pre-production, with pre-production deliveries targeted for end of 2026.

HeadquartersHouston, US
Founded2024
Corporate funding$30M
Team51-200
Deployments4
Open roles15
01

Company overview

Identity and operating footprint

Company typeRobot maker
Market segmentCorporate
StagePre-seed
FoundersNic Radford (CEO), Jerry Pratt (CTO), Jide Akinyode (COO)
Regions servedUS, Asia
Countries deployedUS
Service footprintHQ Houston TX (4201 Main Street, Suite 170); additional office Pensacola FL (5 E Garden St, 3rd Fl); pilots in US; shipyard partnership with HD Hyundai (Korea); steel mill proof-of-concept with POSCO Group (Korea)
Last reviewed2026-07-05
MX

Robot models

Specifications remain vendor-claimed

Machinehumanoid

Persona

  • Modular industrial humanoid compatible with standard industrial tools for welding, grinding, inspection and material handling

    vendor-defined target task set and tooling compatibility for the humanoid platform

    Claim source
DP

Deployment log

Announced and cited only

AnnouncedCustomerSiteCountryCountEvidence
2026-07-10ARC Specialtieshot-work industrialUSNot disclosedAnnouncement
2026-01-22SSE Steel Fabrication (with State of Louisiana / Louisiana Innovation)steel fabrication plantUSNot disclosedAnnouncement
2025-12-29POSCO Groupsteel mill (steel coil logistics proof-of-concept)KRNot disclosedAnnouncement
2025-05-07HD Hyundai (HD KSOE / HD Hyundai Robotics)shipyardKRNot disclosedAnnouncement
CA

Funding history

Publicly announced rounds

Investors on recordUnity GrowthTides VenturesMirae Asset GroupFathom FundEmbedded VenturesInvicta GrowthPOSCO DXPOSCO Capital
HR

Hiring signal

Public job board · 2026-07-13

Open roles15

Hiring is an operating signal, not deployment evidence. Roles are refreshed from the company’s public careers system.

Commercial Operations & Strategy LeadPersona AI · Houston, TXControllerPersona AI · Houston, TXDeep Learning Robot Manipulation EngineerPersona AI · Pensacola, FL or Houston, TX Lifestyle CuratorPersona AI · Houston, TXMarketing Operations ManagerPersona AI · Houston, TXProcess EngineerPersona AI · Houston, TXQuality EngineerPersona AI · HoustonReinforcement Learning Engineer, GraspingPersona AI · Houston
TL

Company timeline

Milestones and announcements

2026-05-11Announced R&D collaboration with Under Armour to study performance materials (thermal regulation, friction, repetitive-motion durability) for industrial humanoid robotsGlobeNewswire
2025-12-29POSCO Group (POSCO DX $2M + POSCO Capital fund $1M) invests total $3M; joint proof-of-concept for steel coil logistics at POSCO mills announcedThe AI Insider
2025-05-14Closed $27M oversubscribed pre-seed round co-led by Unity Growth and Tides VenturesPR Newswire
2025-05-07HD Hyundai signs agreement to deploy Persona humanoid welding robots for shipbuilding automation; initial deliveries expected within 18 monthsPR Newswire
2025-02-07Raised over $10M in initial pre-seed funding less than a year after foundingInnovationMap
SC

Source ledger

8 unique public sources

01
Persona AI Raises $27M Oversubscribed Pre-Seed to Deliver the Future of Humanoid RoboticsPR Newswire · retrieved 2026-07-05
02
POSCO Group Invests $3M in Persona AI for Industrial Humanoid Robot DevelopmentThe AI Insider · retrieved 2026-07-05
03
Persona AI - Industrial Humanoid RoboticsPersona AI · retrieved 2026-07-05
04
Persona AI deployed at ARC Specialties in Houston for real live hot-workPersona AI on X · retrieved 2026-07-05
05
Persona AI and State of Louisiana Launch Humanoid Robot Pilot at SSE Steel FabricationThe AI Insider · retrieved 2026-07-05
06
HD Hyundai and Persona AI Sign Agreement to Deploy Humanoid Welding Robots for Shipbuilding AutomationPR Newswire · retrieved 2026-07-05
07
Persona AI Collaborates with Under Armour to Explore Performance Materials for Humanoid RoboticsGlobeNewswire · retrieved 2026-07-05
08
Persona AI secures $10M pre-seed funding for humanoid robotInnovationMap · retrieved 2026-07-05