Just when you thought the humanoid robot party was getting crowded, Persona AI, Inc. has arrived with a first look at its Gen1 robot, a peek at a slick tendon-driven hand, and a cool $42 million in pre-seed funding. The Houston-based startup, founded by robotics heavyweights Jerry Pratt (former CTO of Figure AI) and Nic Radford (a NASA veteran who led development on the Valkyrie robot), isn’t aiming for your warehouse—it’s sending its bots to one of the toughest gigs around: welding in shipyards.
The company has already inked a significant agreement with subsidiaries of HD Hyundai, the world’s largest shipbuilder, to develop and deploy its humanoids for these complex, dangerous tasks. With founders who have deep experience building robots for both terrestrial and extraterrestrial challenges, Persona AI is positioning itself to build durable, dexterous machines for environments that would make other robots call in sick. The company is headquartered in Houston, TX, with an office in Pensacola, FL.
Why is this important?
In a field suddenly flush with capital and hype, Persona AI’s strategy is refreshingly specific. Instead of chasing the elusive “general purpose” humanoid, it’s targeting a high-value, high-risk industrial need where human labor is scarce and hazardous. This partnership with HD Hyundai isn’t a pilot program to sort packages; it’s a direct deployment into a core industrial process. It signals a new phase in the humanoid race, where purpose-built machines designed for dirty, dangerous jobs may prove their value long before their generalist cousins figure out how to fold laundry. While some bots are learning to make coffee, Persona AI is sending its to welding school.
