The Humanoid Marketplace · Part of The Humanoid Group
Robotics is now a market, not a niche.
A record 5 million factory robots, record funding and new national strategies are making robots a routine business purchase. Follow the market here, then source through The Humanoid Group.
How the robot market grew this year.
603,307 industrial robots installed worldwide in 2025, up 11% on 2024 (IFR World Robotics 2026, 2025)
$18.6B value of industrial robot installations worldwide in 2025 (IFR World Robotics 2026, 2025)
655,000 industrial robot installations forecast for 2026, up 9% (IFR World Robotics 2026, 2026)
China installed 354,000 industrial robots in 2025, almost three in five worldwide
· Market
The International Federation of Robotics reported that China installed 354,000 industrial robots in 2025, almost three of every five installed worldwide. Chinese suppliers grew 15% to reach 55% of installations in China, while foreign brands' installations there rose 27%. Metal and machinery buyers grew 44% and automotive 38%. IFR expects 5% to 10% yearly growth to 2029.
Why it matters: With most new robots now built and installed in China, buyers elsewhere can widen their shortlists to Chinese makers, but should check certification, local support and import rules for each model first.
Robotics startups raise $18.8 billion by June, already more than all of 2025
· Funding
Crunchbase data show robotics startups worldwide raised $18.8 billion in 2026 by late June, more than the $15 billion raised in the whole of 2025. The largest rounds included Saronic at $1.75 billion, Neura Robotics and Skild AI at $1.4 billion each, and a $520 million Series A extension for Apptronik.
Why it matters: Investor money is paying for new factories, models and sales teams, so buyers will see more makers and faster product cycles. Favor vendors with a clear support plan, since not every funded startup will last.
Formic opens a headquarters five times larger to serve robots-as-a-service clients
· Milestone
Formic, which supplies robots to small and mid-sized US manufacturers through a robots-as-a-service model with no large upfront cost, opened a 53,000-square-foot headquarters in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Its fleet has logged more than 650,000 production hours, and it now offers palletizing, case packing, pallet wrapping and machine tending.
Why it matters: Subscriptions let smaller plants automate without a capital budget. Compare the fee against ownership over the full contract term; THG Flex and the ROI calculator lay those options out side by side.
World Robotics reports— International Federation of Robotics. Yearly statistics on industrial and service robot installations by country, application and industry.
Incoterms 2020— International Chamber of Commerce. The official trade terms that divide delivery costs, risk and customs duties between seller and buyer.
Import goods into the UK: step by step— GOV.UK. Official walk-through of commodity codes, customs declarations, duty and VAT for goods brought into the UK.