Technology
Inside the humanoid robotics boom that nobody saw coming
Two years ago, humanoid robots were a meme. In 2026 they're a category — and the founders shipping them are getting term sheets in days.
Hiroshi Tanaka10 min
Bureau chief covering Japan, Korea, and Taiwan — with a focus on robotics, semiconductors, and hardware-software convergence. Engineering background; ran a small electronics consultancy before turning to writing. Based in Tokyo; reports in three languages.
Two years ago, humanoid robots were a meme. In 2026 they're a category — and the founders shipping them are getting term sheets in days.
After raising $165M and growing 600% year-on-year, the Cortex Systems CEO is finally willing to talk about what the company actually does.