Persona AI: Robotics Powerhouses Jerry Pratt and Nic Radford Launch a Bold New Humanoid Venture

In a major development for the home robotics space, two of the field’s most respected minds—Jerry Pratt, former CTO of Figure AI, and Nic Radford, seasoned NASA roboticist and entrepreneur—have teamed up to launch Persona AI, a next-generation humanoid robot startup.

The newly formed company is currently assembling a founding team of 10 to 20 world-class engineers and scientists, signaling a rapid and ambitious ramp-up. Backed by decades of combined expertise in humanoid locomotion, AI integration, and real-world robotic deployment, Persona AI is positioning itself at the cutting edge of embodied intelligence.

A Dream Team for Robotics

Jerry Pratt is no stranger to humanoid breakthroughs. At Figure AI, he played a pivotal role in advancing general-purpose humanoid systems capable of adapting to dynamic, human environments. Prior to that, he led transformative research at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), where his team’s walking algorithms helped push robotic agility to new heights.

Nic Radford, meanwhile, brings the grit and depth of experience that only NASA veterans possess. He served as chief engineer for NASA's Valkyrie humanoid robot, a complex, fully electric machine designed to operate in extreme environments, including planetary surfaces. After NASA, Radford co-founded Houston Mechatronics and launched the Aquanaut, an underwater robotic vehicle with military and industrial applications.

Together, their fusion of terrestrial and space-grade robotics expertise suggests Persona AI may aim to break new ground not just in form—but in function.

The Persona Vision

While detailed product specs haven’t yet been released, early signals suggest Persona AI will focus on creating highly capable, lifelike humanoid robots designed for real-world applications across home, enterprise, and possibly even field environments.

The name “Persona” hints at a new era of emotionally intelligent machines—robots that don’t just execute tasks, but understand and anticipate human intent. With large language models, embodied AI, and hardware agility converging, Persona AI could be among the first to fully merge personality, perception, and performance in a single humanoid platform.

Join the Build

For engineers, developers, and roboticists passionate about shaping the future of human-machine collaboration, Persona AI is currently hiring for its core founding team. It’s a rare opportunity to build from the ground up—alongside two of the most accomplished names in robotics.

At HouseBots, we’ll be keeping a close eye on Persona AI as it takes its first steps!