Foundation CEO Discusses 'Dual-Use' Humanoids, From Factory Floors to Future Battlefields

In an extensive interview (watch here) on the @overthehorizon YouTube channel, Foundation Robotics CEO Sankaet Pathak offered a detailed look into the strategy behind his company's "dual-use" humanoid robots, designed for both factory work and military support. The discussion covered the company's core technical philosophies, aggressive scaling plans, and its unusually frank stance on defense applications, a topic most U.S. humanoid developers currently avoid.

A Bet on 'Dual-Use' Dominance

Foundation is positioning itself as a key player in what it sees as an inevitable convergence of industrial and military robotics. Pathak confirmed the company's commitment to this vision, which was previously detailed by his co-founder, former Marine Mike LeBlanc, who pitched the robots as a way to "not send a Marine where you can send a robot first."

"When I started Foundation, I wanted to exclusively do defense," Pathak revealed in the interview, explaining that his co-founder convinced him to adopt the dual-use model. This approach informs their entire strategy, from building robust hardware to developing AI capable of operating in unstructured environments. By being transparent about its military ambitions, Foundation is carving out a distinct—and potentially controversial—niche in a field dominated by companies focusing on logistics and consumer-facing tasks.

Hardware Philosophy: Efficiency Over Precision

A significant portion of the conversation focused on Foundation's hardware choices, particularly its use of cycloidal actuators. Pathak argued against the industry's focus on achieving zero backlash with harmonic drives, which are common in competitors' robots.

"We don't think backlash is the most important metric to measure and care about anymore," Pathak stated. Instead, Foundation prioritizes low friction, high energy efficiency (claiming 95% efficiency for their gearboxes), and durability. He argued that vision systems can correct for minor imprecision, while high efficiency is critical for longer operational times and reduced heat—a key advantage in demanding industrial or field environments. This choice, Pathak believes, will allow them to build more robust and cost-effective robots at scale.

The Shadow of the Past and an Ambitious Future

The company's bold plans are set against the backdrop of CEO Sankaet Pathak's previous venture, the failed fintech firm Synapse, which collapsed into bankruptcy leaving customer funds in limbo. This history raises questions of execution and financial oversight that loom over Foundation as it pursues its capital-intensive goals.

Those goals remain incredibly ambitious. Pathak reiterated the company's target to deploy 40-50 robots by the end of this year, scaling to 10,000 in 2026. He acknowledged the numbers sound "insane" but maintained there is a "nonzero chance of us being able to pull this off," contingent on breaking ground on a U.S.-based factory capable of producing 30,000 units per year.

Foundation's strategy is a high-stakes gamble. It is betting that its distinct hardware choices and its unapologetic embrace of military applications will give it an edge. Success will require not only clearing immense technological and manufacturing hurdles but also convincing investors and customers that it can execute on its vision, a task made more challenging by the lingering questions from its CEO's past.

Watch the full interview