Uma unveils humanoid robots, targets European factories
Paris-based startup Uma has emerged from stealth to build physical AI for factories, betting Europe's industrial base makes it the ideal market for humanoid robots despite a massive funding gap with the US.
Paris-based robotics startup Uma lifted the veil on its humanoid technology this month at the Machina summit in the French capital. “It’s a very special moment where we can finally move from software to the physical world,” said cofounder Aurélie Jean.
Jean said the company is focusing first on industrial applications rather than consumer markets. “First we need to design a humanoid that works in factories, then we will expand, but not for personal use in homes,” Jean said. “We are focusing on industry, because we need to master the technology, and we are not ready for consumers.”
Jean called Europe “the best market in the world” for robotics, arguing the continent has a stronger appetite for automation than the US. “We’ve actually a much better appetite for robotics in Europe than in the US, because we are less scared of it,” she said. However, the startup faces a severe funding gap; European robotics companies raised €8.5bn in 2023, a figure that plunged to €523m in 2024.
In France, actual robot deployment continues to lag behind Germany. A report by France Industrie showed the number of robots in the country's automotive sector fell 33% between 2017 and 2022, though it grew 17% in aeronautics in 2023. “Robot deployment remains very low in France compared to Germany,” Jean said. “We need to really push hard to catch up.”
Uma currently has a team of 17 people in Paris, mostly recruited from the AI lab FAIR, alongside two engineers in Italy and three staff in the US handling business development. The startup is part of a "group of 50" companies that won a grant from French innovation agency Bpifrance to build its first prototype. It will soon launch a large-scale pilot with Japanese partner Muji, testing robots in real warehouses in a "safety vest" phase where humans monitor the machines.
Looking ahead, Uma is in discussions with US automation firm Rockwell about deploying robots at Tesla in 2025, though Jean cautioned this is not yet a done deal. The broader market opportunity is vast: Morgan Stanley forecasts the global humanoid market could reach $154bn by 2040 in a bullish scenario, or $60bn in a base case. Goldman Sachs is more conservative, expecting $4.3bn in revenue under a $38bn outlook.
Jean played down the risk of a trade war disrupting these plans under a second Donald Trump term. “It’s a lot of noise, but I think the real economy will be much less affected than what people say,” she said.
