logistics

LaunchesMay 27

Figure partners with Catalyst Brands to deploy humanoid robots in logistics operations

Figure signed a commercial agreement with Catalyst Brands to deploy humanoid robots across the retailer's distribution network, starting at a distribution center in Reno, Nevada. Catalyst Brands is the holding company for JCPenney, Aéropostale, and Brooks Brothers.

Why it matters

Catalyst is Figure's first publicly named retail logistics customer outside the BMW manufacturing pilot, and the choice of site matters more than the brand list. Reno is the standard western US e-commerce fulfillment node (Amazon, Walmart, Thredup all run hubs there), which means whatever throughput Figure proves at JCPenney's DC translates directly into pitches for the next twenty contracts. Apparel distribution is also the easier end of the humanoid manipulation problem: soft goods, polybags, totes, not mixed-case grocery.

The number to watch is units on the floor, not the press release. Figure claims one robot per hour off the BotQ line and 350+ Figure 03s built to date, so Catalyst could plausibly absorb 50 to 100 units across the network without straining supply. If the Reno deployment stays at single-digit robots through 2026, this is a data-collection deal dressed as a commercial one (Helix needs the operational hours). If it scales to a full shift replacement at one DC, that is the first real humanoid unit-economics datapoint in US retail logistics.

ChinaMay 21

Robotera Raises $200M as Humanoid Units Reach 10-Plus Logistics Centers

Source: AI Insider

Beijing-based Robotera raised more than $200M in a round led by SF Group, following a separate $143M strategic financing in March, with investors including HSG, IDG Capital, Hillhouse, and CICC Capital. The company says its humanoid robots are now operating in more than 10 logistics centers through partnerships with China Post and SF Group, and it began thousand-unit deliveries in Q2 2026 with growth exceeding 300%.