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The best robotics stocks to buy in 2026 combine two forces: the profitable, established automation companies that already sell factory robots, and the “physical AI” wave pushing humanoid robots from demos into real deployments. The most-watched names are NVIDIA (NVDA), the AI platform behind almost every humanoid program; Tesla (TSLA), the only trillion-dollar company running its own humanoid (Optimus) inside its factories; and profitable specialists such as Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), Rockwell Automation (ROK), Emerson Electric (EMR), Teradyne (TER) and ABB. Below we compare 15 publicly traded robotics stocks (12 core names plus three speculative small caps), with verified market caps as of July 2026, plus the top robotics ETFs. This is educational information, not financial advice.
Robotics stocks at a glance (July 2026)
| Company | Ticker | Robotics exposure | Market cap* |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | NASDAQ: NVDA | Physical-AI chips and platform for humanoids | ~$4.92T |
| Tesla | NASDAQ: TSLA | Optimus humanoid robot | ~$1.39T |
| Intuitive Surgical | NASDAQ: ISRG | da Vinci surgical robotics | ~$125B |
| Emerson Electric | NYSE: EMR | Industrial automation | ~$76.5B |
| Northrop Grumman | NYSE: NOC | Autonomous defense systems | ~$74.4B |
| Teradyne | NASDAQ: TER | Collaborative robots (Universal Robots) | ~$52.2B |
| Rockwell Automation | NYSE: ROK | Factory automation and control | ~$51.0B |
| Zebra Technologies | NASDAQ: ZBRA | Warehouse automation and data capture | ~$12.6B |
| UiPath | NYSE: PATH | Software robots (RPA) | ~$6.3B |
| PROCEPT BioRobotics | NASDAQ: PRCT | Aquablation surgical robotics | ~$1.1B |
| ABB Ltd | NYSE: ABB | Industrial and warehouse robots | Large-cap |
| Fanuc | OTC: FANUY | Industrial robot arms and CNC | Large-cap |
What are robotics stocks?
Robotics stocks are shares of publicly traded companies that design, build, or enable robots and automation, from surgical systems and factory arms to warehouse machines and humanoid robots. They fall into a few buckets: the AI and chip enablers (NVIDIA), humanoid developers (Tesla), industrial-automation leaders (Rockwell, Emerson, ABB, Fanuc), collaborative and warehouse robotics (Teradyne, Zebra), medical robotics (Intuitive Surgical, PROCEPT BioRobotics), and software robots or robotic process automation (UiPath). Because “robotics” spans several industries, most investors gain exposure through a basket of these names or a robotics ETF.
The best robotics stocks to buy or watch in 2026
Here are the best robotics stocks to buy or watch in 2026, spanning the whole robotics sector. Investing in robotics means owning a mix of AI enablers, automation leaders, and robot makers rather than a single stock, so we have grouped these robotics companies by the kind of exposure each one gives you.
1. NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA)
NVIDIA is the closest thing to a pure play on “physical AI.” Its GPUs, the Jetson edge platform, and the Isaac robotics and GR00T humanoid software stack power a large share of the humanoid programs now in development, and NVIDIA has invested in private robotics companies such as Figure AI. At roughly $4.92 trillion (July 2026), it is the largest company on this list and a way to own the robotics build-out without betting on a single robot maker.
2. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA)
Tesla is the only large-cap company running a humanoid robot at scale in its own factories. Roughly 500 Optimus units were working in Tesla plants in early 2026, and the company is converting factory space to build them, with public sales targeted for after 2027. CEO Elon Musk has said he believes Optimus could eventually make up the majority of Tesla’s value. That is a bold, unproven claim, so treat Tesla as a high-volatility robotics bet rather than a sure thing. Market cap is about $1.39 trillion (July 2026).
3. Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG)
Intuitive Surgical is the leader in surgical robotics. Its da Vinci systems have been used in more than 10 million procedures, and the company earns high-margin recurring revenue from instruments, accessories, and service on an installed base of over 10,000 systems. At around $125 billion (July 2026), ISRG is a profitable, established way to own medical robotics.
4. PROCEPT BioRobotics (NASDAQ: PRCT)
PROCEPT BioRobotics is a smaller, faster-growing surgical-robotics name focused on urology. Its AquaBeam and HYDROS robotic systems use image-guided “aquablation” to treat an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia). At about $1.1 billion (July 2026), it is a higher-risk small cap, but it shows how robotics is expanding into specialized procedures beyond Intuitive’s core.
5. Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK)
Rockwell is a pure-play US industrial-automation company. It sells the controllers, drives, sensors, and software that run factory floors, and it benefits directly as manufacturers automate to offset labor shortages. Market cap is roughly $51 billion (July 2026), and Rockwell pays a dividend, giving it a more defensive profile than the humanoid names.
6. Emerson Electric (NYSE: EMR)
Emerson has reshaped itself into a near pure-play automation company, selling valves, control systems, and automation software to process and factory customers. At about $76.5 billion (July 2026), it is a large, dividend-paying industrial that offers steadier exposure to the automation trend than early-stage robotics stocks.
7. ABB Ltd (NYSE: ABB)
ABB is one of the world’s largest makers of industrial and warehouse robots, alongside its electrification and motion businesses. Its robotics arm supplies automotive, electronics, and logistics customers globally. ABB is a Swiss company; US investors buy it as a depositary share on the NYSE, so US market-cap figures vary by data source, but it is an established large-cap.
8. Fanuc (OTC: FANUY)
Fanuc of Japan is one of the largest industrial-robot manufacturers in the world, known for its yellow robot arms and CNC controls. US investors typically access it through the FANUY over-the-counter ADR. It is a large-cap, cash-rich industrial with deep exposure to factory automation across autos and electronics.
9. Teradyne (NASDAQ: TER)
Teradyne is best known for semiconductor test equipment, but it also owns Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots, two leaders in collaborative and autonomous mobile robots for factories and warehouses. At around $52.2 billion (July 2026), Teradyne pairs its cyclical chip-test business with a growing robotics segment.
10. Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ: ZBRA)
Zebra is the leading provider of barcode, scanning, and data-capture technology, and it has moved into warehouse automation and autonomous mobile robots that support e-commerce fulfillment. At about $12.6 billion (July 2026), it is a mid-cap way to play warehouse and logistics automation.
11. UiPath (NYSE: PATH)
UiPath makes “software robots,” not physical ones. Its robotic process automation (RPA) platform automates repetitive office tasks such as invoice processing and onboarding, increasingly combined with AI agents. At roughly $6.3 billion (July 2026), PATH is a smaller, higher-volatility way to invest in automation of digital work rather than the factory floor.
12. Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC)
Northrop Grumman is a diversified defense contractor with deep exposure to autonomous systems, including uncrewed aircraft and advanced sensing and guidance. At about $74.4 billion (July 2026), NOC is not a pure robotics play, but defense autonomy is a large, well-funded corner of the robotics market with steadier demand than consumer robots.
Speculative small-cap robotics stocks to watch
Beyond the large caps, several high-risk small-cap robotics stocks draw heavy retail interest. These are speculative growth stocks with limited revenue and sharp price swings, so treat them cautiously. Serve Robotics (NASDAQ: SERV), about $440 million (July 2026), builds AI-powered sidewalk delivery robots for last-mile and food delivery. Richtech Robotics (NASDAQ: RR), roughly $360 million, makes embodied-AI service robots for hospitality, retail, and food service. Ouster (NASDAQ: OUST), about $2.3 billion, supplies the lidar sensors that let autonomous mobile robots and self-driving machines perceive their surroundings. Because these names are small, expect more volatility and larger pullbacks than the mega-caps, and check each company’s latest market capitalization and stock price before investing.
Can you buy stock in Boston Dynamics, Figure AI or other private robotics companies?
No. The best-known names in humanoid robotics are privately held, so they have no ticker and no share price. Boston Dynamics, Figure AI, Apptronik and 1X Technologies cannot be bought on a public exchange as of August 2026, and none of them has announced an IPO. One exception is already in motion: Agility Robotics, which builds the Digit warehouse robot, agreed on June 24, 2026 to merge with the listed blank-check company Churchill Capital Corp XI (NASDAQ: CCXI) at a $2.5 billion pre-money valuation. The combined business is expected to trade under the ticker AGLT once the deal closes, which the companies anticipate during 2026.
| Private robotics company | Status as of August 2026 | Closest listed exposure |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Dynamics (Atlas, Spot, Stretch) | Private, no IPO announced | Hyundai Motor Company (OTC: HYMTF), which bought 80% in 2021 and agreed in July 2026 to buy SoftBank’s remaining stake for a reported $325 million |
| Figure AI (Figure 03) | Private, reported at a $39 billion post-money valuation in its September 2025 Series C | No direct route. NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) are minority investors, but each is a far larger business |
| Apptronik (Apollo) | Private, closed a reported $520 million Series A extension in February 2026 | No direct route |
| 1X Technologies (NEO) | Private, backed by the OpenAI Startup Fund and EQT Ventures | No direct route |
| Agility Robotics (Digit) | Merger agreed June 24, 2026, expected to trade as AGLT | Churchill Capital Corp XI (NASDAQ: CCXI) before the merger closes |
| Tesla Optimus | Not a separate company, an internal Tesla program | Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) |
Two cautions apply to every route in that table. Buying a listed parent gets you a fraction of a fraction: Hyundai Motor is an automaker whose share price moves on vehicle sales, currencies and interest rates far more than on robot orders. And buying a blank-check company before its merger closes is not the same as owning the operating business, because the deal still needs shareholder approval and an effective SEC registration statement, and it can be repriced or abandoned. Treat this as educational information rather than financial advice, and read the filings before you act on either route.
Why is the robotics market booming in 2026?
The robotics market closed 2025 at an estimated $108 billion and, on some forecasts, could reach roughly $416 billion by 2035. The fastest-growing corner is humanoid robots: most estimates put that market at only about $2 billion to $5 billion in 2025, but Barclays Research (January 2026) projects it could approach $200 billion by 2035. Three forces are driving the surge. First, “physical AI,” where NVIDIA-class chips and models let robots perceive and act in the real world. Second, real deployments, with Tesla running Optimus in its plants and Boston Dynamics (owned by Hyundai) testing its Atlas robot in a US car factory. Third, persistent labor shortages that push manufacturers and warehouses to automate. These are long-term projections, not guarantees, and estimates vary widely by source.
What are the best robotics ETFs?
If you would rather not pick individual robotics stocks, a robotics ETF spreads your money across many of the companies above. The most widely held options are:
- Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ) – the largest and most liquid robotics ETF, with an expense ratio of about 0.68%.
- ROBO Global Robotics & Automation Index ETF (ROBO) – a broader, longer-running fund (since 2013) spanning robotics and automation worldwide.
- ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (ARKQ) – a more concentrated, actively managed fund tilted toward autonomy and disruptive tech.
- iShares Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Multi-Sector ETF (IRBO) – a diversified, equal-weight approach to robotics and AI.
Newer, more specialized funds now target humanoids specifically, such as the Themes Humanoid Robotics ETF (BOTT). There is also RoboStrategy (NASDAQ: BOT), a closed-end fund that began trading in May 2026 and holds private robotics companies like Figure AI and Apptronik, which trades differently from a standard ETF and can carry premiums or discounts to its asset value. Always check a fund’s current holdings and expense ratio before buying.
How to invest in robotics stocks
You can invest in robotics three main ways. Buy individual stocks from the list above through any major brokerage, using fractional shares if a stock like NVIDIA or Intuitive Surgical has a high share price. Buy a robotics ETF such as BOTZ or ROBO for instant diversification. Or use a robo-advisor if you prefer a hands-off, automatically managed portfolio. Whichever route you choose, consider keeping speculative robotics names as a satellite position (a small slice of your portfolio) rather than a core holding, given how volatile the theme can be.
What are the risks of investing in robotics stocks?
Robotics stocks carry real risks. Valuations for AI and humanoid names are high, so prices can fall sharply on any disappointment. The humanoid opportunity is still mostly a promise, with limited revenue today, so timelines could slip for years. Industrial-automation stocks are cyclical and tied to factory spending, which slows in downturns. And smaller names such as PROCEPT BioRobotics or UiPath can be far more volatile than mega-caps. Diversifying across several companies or using an ETF can reduce single-stock risk, but it will not eliminate market risk. Again, this is not financial advice.
How we selected these robotics stocks
We focused on publicly traded companies with clear robotics or automation exposure that US investors can actually buy, spanning the full stack from AI enablers and humanoids to industrial, medical, warehouse, and software robotics. Market caps were verified against a market-data reference source as of July 22, 2026, and we prioritized established, revenue-generating businesses while flagging higher-risk small caps and unproven, early-stage bets clearly. We did not rank these as “buys”; they are starting points for your own research.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best robotics stocks to buy in 2026?
Widely watched robotics stocks in 2026 include NVIDIA (NVDA) for physical-AI chips, Tesla (TSLA) for its Optimus humanoid, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) for surgical robotics, and industrial-automation leaders such as Rockwell Automation (ROK), Emerson Electric (EMR), ABB, Fanuc (FANUY), and Teradyne (TER). This is educational information, not financial advice; do your own research before investing.
Is robotics a good investment?
Robotics is a fast-growing long-term theme, driven by AI, humanoid robots, and labor shortages, but it is volatile. Established automation and medical-robotics companies are profitable today, while humanoid bets are largely unproven. Many investors gain exposure through a diversified robotics ETF rather than a single stock.
What is the best humanoid robot stock?
Tesla (TSLA) is the most prominent humanoid robot stock because it is deploying its Optimus robot in its own factories. NVIDIA (NVDA) is an indirect play as the AI platform behind many humanoid programs. Most pure-play humanoid developers, such as Figure AI, are still private.
What is the best robotics ETF?
The Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ) is the largest and most liquid robotics ETF, with an expense ratio of about 0.68%. Other popular options include ROBO Global (ROBO), ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics (ARKQ), and iShares (IRBO). Compare holdings and fees before buying.
Can I buy robotics stocks with a small amount of money?
Yes. Most major brokerages offer fractional shares, so you can buy a slice of a high-priced robotics stock like NVIDIA or Intuitive Surgical for as little as a few dollars, or invest in a robotics ETF to diversify with a small amount.
The bottom line
Robotics in 2026 is really two investments in one: profitable automation and medical-robotics companies you can own today, and a high-risk, high-reward bet on humanoids and physical AI led by NVIDIA and Tesla. A blend of established names, or a low-cost robotics ETF, is how most long-term investors get exposure without overloading on any single robot maker. For related ideas, see our guides to artificial intelligence stocks, AI ETFs, and energy storage stocks.
Last updated August 26, 2026. Market capitalizations were verified as of July 22, 2026 via a market-data reference source; figures change daily. The August 2026 update added a section on the private robotics companies that have no ticker, including the Agility Robotics merger with Churchill Capital Corp XI announced June 24, 2026 and Hyundai’s July 2026 agreement to buy SoftBank’s remaining Boston Dynamics stake. Market-size and humanoid forecasts are drawn from published industry and Barclays Research estimates and are projections, not guarantees. Nothing here is financial advice. Always do your own research or consult a licensed financial advisor before investing.