Key takeaways
- Top pick: FANUC, best for: Manufacturers automating welding, handling and assembly.
- Also near the top: ABB Robotics and Intuitive Surgical.
- How it was ranked: 10 deep tech companies compared. Each verdict is below.
Best Robotics Companies: Top 10 Ranked. FANUC ranks first, with a Lister Score of 97.1.
FANUC leads for industrial robot arms, with more than a million robots shipped, and
ABB Robotics is the broadest industrial supplier, from arms to mobile robots.
Intuitive Surgical is the most proven name in surgical robotics, and
Universal Robots is the default choice for collaborative robots that work beside people.
Best Robotics Companies in 2026, compared| RANK | ENTRY | BEST FOR | SCORE | FROM |
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| 1 |  FANUCFANUC reached a cumulative one million industrial robots shipped in August 2023. | Manufacturers automating welding, handling and assembly | 97.1 | Custom |
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| 2 |  ABB RoboticsABB's robotics business had revenue of $2.3 billion in 2024, about 7% of ABB group sales. | Manufacturers wanting arms, cobots and mobile robots from one supplier | 95.8 | Custom |
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| 3 |  Intuitive SurgicalIntuitive reported a da Vinci installed base of about 12,094 systems as of September 30, 2026. | Hospitals adding robotic-assisted surgery | 94.6 | Custom |
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| 4 |  YaskawaYaskawa's cumulative MOTOMAN robot shipments passed 500,000 units in February 2021. | Manufacturers automating welding, painting and handling | 93.3 | Custom |
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| 5 |  KUKAMidea Group completed the acquisition of a 94.55% stake in KUKA in January 2017 and bought the remaining shares in 2022. | Car makers and manufacturers needing heavy-payload robots | 92.0 | Custom |
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| 6 |  Boston DynamicsHyundai Motor Group acquired a controlling interest in Boston Dynamics in June 2021. | Industrial sites automating inspection and truck unloading | 90.8 | Not public |
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| 7 |  Universal RobotsUniversal Robots announced in 2025 that it had sold more than 100,000 collaborative robots. | Small and mid-sized manufacturers starting with automation | 89.5 | Not public |
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| 8 |  SymboticUnder its January 2025 agreement, Walmart plans to buy Symbotic systems for 400 store-based Accelerated Pickup and Delivery centres if performance targets are met. | Retailers and grocers automating distribution centres | 88.2 | Custom |
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| 9 |  Figure AIFigure's humanoids have been piloted at BMW Manufacturing in Spartanburg, South Carolina. | Manufacturers piloting general-purpose humanoids | 86.9 | Not public |
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| 10 |  Unitree RoboticsUnitree lists the Go2 Air quadruped at $1,600 and the H2 humanoid at $29,900 for the base model, before freight and tax. | Researchers and developers who want affordable legged robots | 85.6 | From $1,600 |
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How to choose
Start from what you need it for. Where each entry fits best:
- FANUC (#1): Manufacturers automating welding, handling and assembly
- ABB Robotics (#2): Manufacturers wanting arms, cobots and mobile robots from one supplier
- Intuitive Surgical (#3): Hospitals adding robotic-assisted surgery
- Yaskawa (#4): Manufacturers automating welding, painting and handling
- KUKA (#5): Car makers and manufacturers needing heavy-payload robots
- Boston Dynamics (#6): Industrial sites automating inspection and truck unloading
- Universal Robots (#7): Small and mid-sized manufacturers starting with automation
- Symbotic (#8): Retailers and grocers automating distribution centres
- Figure AI (#9): Manufacturers piloting general-purpose humanoids
- Unitree Robotics (#10): Researchers and developers who want affordable legged robots
Each entry's full verdict is below.
The ranking, in detail
01
Industrial robots, cobots and CNC systems
FANUC, based in Oshino, Japan, makes industrial robot arms, collaborative robots and CNC controls used in car, electronics and general manufacturing. It shipped its one millionth industrial robot in August 2023.
PROS- Very large installed base and service network
- Robots, controls and machine tools from one maker
CONS- Industrial arms usually need an integrator
- Price on request
- Best for
- Manufacturers automating welding, handling and assembly
- Where it falls short
- Industrial arms usually need an integrator.
97.1
02
Industrial, collaborative and mobile robots
ABB Robotics, headquartered in Zurich, makes articulated robot arms, collaborative robots and autonomous mobile robots. ABB agreed in October 2025 to sell the business to SoftBank Group for $5.375 billion, with closing expected in mid-to-late 2026.
PROS- Broad range from arms to mobile robots
- Global sales and service network
CONS- Pending sale to SoftBank adds uncertainty
- Price on request
- Best for
- Manufacturers wanting arms, cobots and mobile robots from one supplier
- Where it falls short
- Pending sale to SoftBank adds uncertainty.
95.8
03
da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery
Intuitive, based in Sunnyvale, California, makes the da Vinci robotic surgical systems and the Ion system for robotic lung biopsy. It placed 546 da Vinci systems in the third quarter of 2026, including 315 da Vinci 5 systems.
PROS- Largest installed base in surgical robotics
- Deep clinical evidence across procedures
CONS- High system and instrument costs
- Growing competition from newer surgical robots
- Best for
- Hospitals adding robotic-assisted surgery
- Where it falls short
- High system and instrument costs.
94.6
04
MOTOMAN industrial robots and motion control
Yaskawa Electric, based in Kitakyushu, Japan, makes MOTOMAN industrial and collaborative robots alongside servo motors, drives and motion controllers. Cumulative MOTOMAN shipments reached 500,000 units in February 2021.
PROS- Strong in arc welding and material handling
- Makes its own motors and drives
CONS- Projects usually run through integrators
- Price on request
- Best for
- Manufacturers automating welding, painting and handling
- Where it falls short
- Projects usually run through integrators.
93.3
05
Industrial robots and automation systems
KUKA, based in Augsburg, Germany, makes industrial and collaborative robots and builds automation systems, with its Swisslog unit covering warehouse logistics. It has been part of China's Midea Group since 2017.
PROS- Long track record in automotive production
- Robots plus warehouse logistics through Swisslog
CONS- Large projects usually go through integrators
- Price on request
- Best for
- Car makers and manufacturers needing heavy-payload robots
- Where it falls short
- Large projects usually go through integrators.
92.0
06
Spot, Stretch and Atlas mobile robots
Boston Dynamics, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, sells the Spot quadruped for industrial inspection and the Stretch robot for unloading trucks, and is developing the electric Atlas humanoid for industry.
PROS- Decades of legged-robot engineering
- Robots in commercial use, not just demos
CONS- Price not published
- Atlas still early in deployment
- Best for
- Industrial sites automating inspection and truck unloading
- Where it falls short
- Price not published.
90.8
07
Collaborative robot arms
Universal Robots, based in Odense, Denmark, and owned by Teradyne, makes collaborative robot arms that can work alongside people in many applications without safety fencing. It passed 100,000 cobots sold in early 2025.
PROS- Large ecosystem of grippers and add-ons
- Simple to program for small teams
CONS- Lower payload and speed than industrial arms
- Prices set through distributors
- Best for
- Small and mid-sized manufacturers starting with automation
- Where it falls short
- Lower payload and speed than industrial arms.
89.5
08
Robotic warehouse automation for retailers
Symbotic, based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, builds robotic systems that store, retrieve and palletise cases in distribution centres, and has worked with Walmart since 2017. In January 2025 it agreed to acquire Walmart's Advanced Systems and Robotics business.
PROS- Large multi-year customer contracts
- Covers storage, picking and palletising
CONS- Heavy reliance on one large customer
- Large, capital-intensive projects
- Best for
- Retailers and grocers automating distribution centres
- Where it falls short
- Heavy reliance on one large customer.
88.2
09
General-purpose humanoid robots
Figure AI, based in San Jose, California, builds general-purpose humanoid robots and the Helix AI model that controls them. It raised more than $1 billion in a Series C at a $39 billion post-money valuation in September 2025.
PROS- Heavy investment in robot AI
- Fast pace of new hardware generations
CONS- Not on open sale
- Early commercial stage
- Best for
- Manufacturers piloting general-purpose humanoids
- Where it falls short
- Not on open sale.
86.9
10
Affordable quadruped and humanoid robots
Unitree, founded in 2016 in Hangzhou, China, sells quadruped robots such as Go2 and humanoids such as G1 and H2 directly online. It won approval in July 2026 for a STAR Market IPO in Shanghai.
PROS- Low prices for capable hardware
- Available to buy online now
CONS- Sold mainly as development platforms
- Freight and duties add to listed prices
- Best for
- Researchers and developers who want affordable legged robots
- Where it falls short
- Sold mainly as development platforms.
85.6
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best Robotics Companies?
FANUC ranks first on Lister. FANUC, based in Oshino, Japan, makes industrial robot arms, collaborative robots and CNC controls used in car, electronics and general manufacturing. It shipped its one millionth industrial robot in August 2023.
What are the top 10 Robotics Companies?
1. FANUC; 2. ABB Robotics; 3. Intuitive Surgical; 4. Yaskawa; 5. KUKA; 6. Boston Dynamics; 7. Universal Robots; 8. Symbotic; 9. Figure AI; 10. Unitree Robotics.
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