Full-Time
Robotics Technician
Posted on 9/5/2025
Foundation
51-200 employees
Develops general-purpose humanoid robots for automation
No salary listed
Munich, Germany
In Person
 Mechanical Engineering (1) |
|---|
- 3-5+ years hands-on experience assembling electromechanical systems—academic, personal, or professional
- Experience with robotics hardware: actuators, sensors, PCBs, etc.
- Experience troubleshooting / debugging an electromechanical system
- Familiarity with mechanical and electrical tools (e.g., soldering irons, torque drivers, multimeters)
- Ability to read technical drawings and wiring diagrams
- Familiarity with hardware testing and validation processes
- Strong problem-solving skills and willingness to learn in a fast-paced environment
- Effective communicator and team collaborator
- Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and eager to contribute beyond the bench
- Associate degree required; a Bachelor’s or Master’s in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical field is a plus
- Assemble and test robotic subsystems and full systems with precision and attention to detail
- Collaborate with engineers to interpret mechanical drawings, wiring diagrams, and assembly instructions
- Assist with documentation, including work instructions, BOMs, and test procedures
- Support rapid prototyping, iteration, and hardware validation efforts
- Identify and troubleshoot issues during the build process; help root out causes and propose solutions
- Help maintain a clean, organized, and safe assembly and test environment
- Prior experience building robots or complex hardware systems in school, labs, or internships is a plus
- Exposure to CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, Onshape) or version control systems is a plus
Foundation Robotics Labs builds general-purpose humanoid robots for industrial automation to help manufacturers overcome labor shortages. Their main product, the Phantom, is a humanoid robot designed to work in challenging factory settings and automate tasks typically done by humans. The system relies on a hybrid AI approach combined with a physics-action model, enabling the robot to operate in dynamic, real-world environments. The company has run pilot programs across various industries—such as consumer goods, beverages, and glass production—to demonstrate performance at large industrial sites. Compared with competitors, Foundation emphasizes general-purpose, adaptable robots tailored for broad industrial use and offers deployment at scale (potentially via a robotics-as-a-service model) to address labor challenges in manufacturing. The overarching goal is to increase efficiency and productivity by replacing or augmenting human labor in complex manufacturing environments.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Seed
Total Funding
$11M
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
Founded
2024
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- $24M Pentagon contracts with Army, Navy, and Air Force secure recurring leasing revenue.
- Production scales from 40 units in 2025 to 50,000 by 2027, targeting $5B annual revenue.
- Eric Trump as chief strategy adviser accelerates military contracts and funding access.
What critics are saying
- Sankaet Pathak's Synapse bankruptcy triggers Pentagon audit, suspending $24M contracts within 12 months.
- Senator Warren's corruption probe debarment Foundation from DoD deals post-2026 election.
- Phantom MK-1 battery and dexterity failures in Ukraine tests end contracts by Q4 2026.
What makes Foundation unique
- Phantom MK-1 features five-fingered hands and LLM-driven autonomy for breaching enemy positions.
- Foundation explicitly pursues defense applications unlike Boston Dynamics and Agility Robotics pledges.
- Ukraine deployment in February 2026 validates Phantom MK-1 for frontline reconnaissance and resupply.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 5%1 year growth
↑ 11%2 year growth
↑ 3%Foundation deploys Phantom MK-1 humanoid robots to Ukraine: A new frontier in defense. The American company Foundation delivered two Phantom MK-1 humanoid robot soldiers to Ukraine in February. This was reported by Time magazine, noting that these systems are initially intended to support reconnaissance operations on the front line. The Phantom MK-1 is a humanoid robot specifically engineered for defense tasks. It is capable of utilizing various types of small arms, ranging from pistols and shotguns to M-16 rifles. Capabilities and strategic deployment of Phantom MK-1. Mike LeBlanc, co-founder of Foundation and a U.S. Marine veteran, explains that the project's goal is to create robots capable of performing combat functions instead of humans. He stated that there is a moral imperative to send robots to war instead of soldiers. The developers aim to ensure the robot can use any type of weapon a human can. According to Time, Foundation already holds research contracts worth approximately $24 million with the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. These robots are also planned for testing during U.S. Marine Corps exercises, where they will be trained to place explosives on doors to help military personnel enter facilities more safely. Humanoid soldiers are seen as a natural extension of autonomous systems like drones. They can be used for resupplying and reconnaissance, particularly in areas inaccessible to UAVs, such as low bunkers or shelters. This provides a more resilient alternative to risking infantry lives while ensuring greater precision. Technical challenges and ethical implications. Despite the technological advancement, there are concerns that humanoid soldiers could lower political and ethical barriers to starting conflicts and further dehumanize warfare. However, Foundation asserts it will follow Pentagon protocols, which allow automated systems to engage in combat only after confirmation from a human operator. The technology also faces significant physical drawbacks. Humanoid robots are heavy, expensive, and require regular charging. Their reliability in mud, dust, or rain remains unproven. The movement of a humanoid is powered by about 20 motors, and a failure in even one can lead to a complete breakdown. In a related development, the German company Cerberon Defence Systems plans to accelerate drone production using specialized robotic inspection systems. These End-of-Line-Testrobotern (final testing robots) are designed to replace human pilots in the trial flight phase after assembly. Don't miss interesting news Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Creating new mid-range smartphones is no easy task. Manufacturers have to balance performance, camera capabilities, displays, and the overall cost impact of each component. How the new Oppo A6 Pro balances these factors is discussed in its review. Logitech G PRO X2 Superstrike Lightspeed is a new flagship gaming mouse that lets you adjust the response and actuation point of the buttons to minimize lag and increase reaction speed. Let's see how it works 12.03.26 05.05 09.03.26 06.07 02.03.26 05.23 23.02.26 05.48 17.02.26 22.00 02.02.26 05.04 26.01.26 05.05 29.12.25 05.30 16.12.25 06.25 10.12.25 05.45 25.11.25 05.02 24.11.25 05.25 23.11.25 06.17 22.11.25 05.38 21.11.25 05.04 14.03.26 10.42 American company Foundation has delivered two Phantom MK-1 humanoid robots to Ukraine for reconnaissance and combat support, aiming to replace soldiers with autonomous systems. 14.03.26 08.42 Microsoft has introduced Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD) technology to significantly reduce or eliminate the long shader compilation screens during the first launch of PC games. 14.03.26 10.42 14.03.26 08.42 14.03.26 08.15 13.03.26 19.21 13.03.26 17.05 13.03.26 13.13 13.03.26 11.05 13.03.26 10.04 13.03.26 08.00 13.03.26 07.18 12.03.26 19.09 12.03.26 16.09 12.03.26 13.06 12.03.26 10.11 12.03.26 07.31
Watch: Russian soldiers surrender to gun-wielding robot; humanoid warfare nears. Video footage circulating on X from the Ukrainian front shows a Droid TW-7.62 ground robotic system, roughly half the size of a Mini Cooper, forcing the surrender of three Russian troops during an active military operation. The incident suggests that war robots are rapidly maturing, moving beyond support and logistics into offensive roles. Futurism reports that Ukrainian defense robotics firm DevDroid's armed unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) forced the surrender of three Russian soldiers. "The footage shows three Russian soldiers approaching one by one, removing their equipment, and lying down next to the UGV," the tech outlet wrote in a note, adding the UGV has a ballistic computer and artificial intelligence for autonomous detection, capture, and tracking of targets. What is clear is that wheeled combat robots on the modern battlefield in Ukraine, used for offensive operations, could soon transition into humanoid robotic platforms. California-based robotics startup Foundation is developing the Phantom humanoid robot for both commercial and military use. The firm has stated ambitions to build tens of thousands of these humanoids, capable of carrying payloads and various weapon platforms, for use in dangerous missions, such as breaching buildings, and has secured defense contracts and interest from U.S. military programs. Unlike other robotics companies such as Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics, Unitree, and Figure AI, all of which have stated that their humanoids will not be used in military or defense applications, Foundation has stated otherwise. Foundation's Phantom MK1 has been trained on the 9mm pistol. CEO Sankaet Pathak confirmed Phantom MK1 has had weapons training in a recent conversation with tech blog Humanoids Daily. According to Forbes, Foundation deployed 40 robots in 2025, with manufacturing expanding this year to 10,000, then to 50,000 by late 2027. Given that Foundation is one of the very few, if not only, robotics firms in the US with a DoD contract specifically for an offensive humanoid combat robot, it wouldn't be a surprise if these bots were found on the Ukrainian battlefield for testing later this year. Great time for a Polymarket bet on when Skynet arrives...
Foundation aims to produce 50,000 robot soldiers by 2027. Foundation, a US-based robotics company, has attracted attention by announcing plans to produce 50,000 robot soldiers within the next three years. The weaponization of robots is raising concerns. Parallel to the explosion in the field of artificial intelligence, significant breakthroughs in robotics have paved the way for humanoid robots, once exclusive to science fiction, to become reality faster than expected. While humanoid robots for use in homes or factories appear to be only a few years away, this breakthrough also has a military wing. Indeed, humanoid robot projects to be used by armies have already started to emerge. Foundation appears to be one of the most ambitious companies in this regard. Foundation announced its goal to produce 50,000 combat-ready humanoid robots by the end of 2027. This target, revealed by the company's CEO Sankaet Pathak in an interview with Forbes on December 16, goes far beyond the previously stated plan of 10,000 robots by 2026. According to Pathak, the company plans to produce 40 robots in 2025, increase this number to 10,000 in 2026, and reach the 40,000 to 50,000 range in 2027. While Pathak admits this schedule is highly ambitious, he emphasizes that the probability of reaching the goal is not zero. Robot soldier Phantom MK-1 could take the field in the near future. At the center of Foundation's plans is the humanoid robot named Phantom MK-1. Approximately 1.75 meters tall and weighing 80 kilograms, this robot is designed for reconnaissance, bomb disposal, logistical support, and direct combat scenarios. The company states that the Phantom MK-1 aims to reduce the risk human soldiers are exposed to during military operations. Foundation has already taken significant steps in this regard. It is known that Foundation has already signed logistics and maintenance-focused contracts with the US Air Force, Navy, and Army. Foundation's current approach involves humans in critical decisions. While robots handle movement, navigation, and operational tasks in the field, lethal decisions are made remotely by human operators. Instead of selling its robots directly, Foundation plans to offer them through a leasing model of approximately $100,000 annually. According to Pathak, the company does not need hundreds of customers to be successful; a few large-scale and long-term contracts can generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual recurring revenue. If the company reaches its targeted production volume, leasing 50,000 robots theoretically means an annual revenue of approximately $5 billion. Promises not to weaponize robots become history. Although it is open to debate whether Foundation can produce 50,000 robots that work smoothly in the field in as short a time as three years, the transformation indicated by this latest announcement is quite clear. Concrete steps are now being taken to weaponize robots. In contrast, leading robotics companies such as Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, and Unitree signed a public pledge in 2022 stating they would not weaponize robots, warning that weaponized robots would pose serious ethical risks. However, at the point Metaverseplanet has reached today, this pledge seems to have gone unfulfilled. Although these companies are not working on robot soldiers for now, unlike Foundation, it seems almost inevitable that they will take a similar path when looking at the general trend in the sector. As you may recall, Google and OpenAI had previously made similar pledges regarding their AIs but moved away from these promises over time. With changes made in recent months, both companies have paved the way for their AIs to be used in such technologies. Now, Foundation's announcement shows that some companies further in the background have started to proceed openly on this path. The company's announcement brings the question "How far should robots be allowed to go?" back to the agenda. The issue of weaponized humanoid robots has been on the agenda of not only the technology world but also international politics and human rights organizations for a long time. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described lethal autonomous weapons as "morally unacceptable" in May 2025 and called for clear regulations by 2026. On the other hand, global coalitions such as Stop Killer Robots are trying to prevent this frightening shift. However, as long as certain restrictive agreements are not signed on a global scale, these efforts seem likely to remain unreciprocated. Future technologies. Discover the future with Metaverseplanet. AI, Robotics, Metaverse, and advanced science.
Ex-Synapse CEO Sankaet Pathak is reportedly seeking to raise $100 million for his new humanoid robotics startup, Foundation, at a $1 billion valuation. This comes after his previous company, Synapse, filed for bankruptcy in 2024, leaving tens of millions in consumer deposits unaccounted for. Foundation, which launched its humanoid robot Phantom earlier this year, previously raised $11 million in a pre-seed round. The startup aims to create robots for complex environments to address labor shortages.
Listen to this articleSwiss-Mile raised $22M in August 2024 for its wheeled quadruped. Fifty producers of robots and robotics enabling technologies received funding in August 2024, pulling in a total of approximately $1 billion. This figure is on par with the $1.2 billion average The Robot Report has tracked each of the previous 12 months. Investment targeted to robotics companies for the first eight months of 2024 equals about $10.86 billion. You can follow The Robot Report‘s investment section here. The largest investments in August were secured by developers of autonomous driving technologies