A Humanoid Firm Supported by Eric Trump Is Readying Its Robots for Combat

Certain companies aspire to have their humanoid robots take care of tasks like folding laundry or working in offices. However, Sankaet Pathak and his startup, Foundation Future Industries, have a somewhat different aim: to create an all-American robot supersoldier.

According to Pathak, the CEO of Foundation, the company intends to equip its humanoids with lethal capabilities shortly, although he withheld specific details. “We have some kinetic things we’re exploring,” he explains to WIRED. (He’s referring to weapons systems.) “We’ll likely reveal something in the upcoming months,” he notes. Beyond combat, the company claims its robots could excel in logistics, reconnaissance, and inspection tasks.

The U.S. military has shown persistent interest in humanoid technologies. Between 2012 and 2015, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency sponsored significant humanoid competitions. The Army’s xTechHumanoids program provides funding for developing “militarized humanoid capabilities.” Globally, militaries are quickly adopting new autonomous or semi-autonomous systems, including aerial drones, small vessels, and compact vehicles. Legged robots have the advantage of navigating more difficult terrain, with hopes that humanoids could undertake various tasks traditionally performed by human soldiers. The conflict in Ukraine has acted as a testing ground for many of these systems; Foundation claims to have tested its humanoid, Phantom MK1, alongside Ukrainian forces.

Foundation uniquely targets the military market, and so far, this approach has proven lucrative. The company holds government contracts worth millions and has prominent supporters to promote its vision: Eric Trump, the president’s son, serves both as an investor and the company’s chief strategy adviser. “People aren’t aware that he’s truly an engineer at heart, engaging in projects like milling at home,” Pathak remarks.

In an interview with Fox Business on April 23, Trump lauded the company’s robots. “When you interact with these robots—they fist-bump you, they high-five you, they follow commands,” he stated. “Integrating AI autonomy will revolutionize industries, military applications, and hospitality. The possibilities are endless, and I find it to be a wonderful thing.”

Foundation was established in 2024 and shortly afterward acquired Boardwalk Robotics, which had collaborated closely with the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), a renowned nonprofit research institution in Florida recognized for its work on humanoid robotics.

During Trump’s segment on Fox, the host mentioned a “$24 million contract with the Pentagon” awarded to the company, though that claim seems unclear: When WIRED inquired about Foundation’s contracts, the company provided details of two inherited from Boardwalk and three from IHMC. There appears to be no independently secured funding from the government.

Nonetheless, some believe it presents a promising niche. “From a military perspective, it makes a lot of sense, especially where soldiers still risk their lives—for instance, in breaching a building,” notes an anonymous roboticist familiar with Foundation, to avoid jeopardizing business relationships. “Consider the battle in Fallujah during the first Gulf War; U.S. troops faced thousands of insurgents hidden across 10,000 buildings as they moved door to door.”

“I think it’s nearly feasible that I’m surprised they aren’t already deployed,” they add.

Like many humanoid companies, Foundation often showcases its robots performing tasks autonomously—but experts agree that fully autonomous robot soldiers remain far from realization.

“Currently, it’s challenging to differentiate between the existing state of the art and the potential of humanoid technology,” says Robert Griffin, a senior research scientist at IHMC involved in robotics, who previously worked on a project with Boardwalk and served as a technical advisor to the company. “Many challenges span the entire spectrum of robotics when it comes to creating a genuine human soldier,” Griffin explains.