Formic Opens Oakland Facility to Accelerate Humanoid Robotics and Physical AI
Formic, a full-service automation provider focused on U.S. manufacturers, has officially opened its new facility in Oakland, California, marking an important expansion of the company’s presence on the West Coast. The facility, which spans more than 13,000 square feet at 936 61st St., represents Formic’s first permanent location in the region and is expected to play a central role in the company’s efforts to advance humanoid robotics and physical artificial intelligence.
The grand opening, held on August 19, brought together hundreds of guests, including Formic executives, manufacturing leaders and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. The new facility provides Formic with a base from which to expand its relationships with manufacturers throughout the Bay Area while strengthening its access to the region’s extensive robotics, engineering and technology talent.
The Bay Area has increasingly emerged as an important hub for physical AI and robotics development. Companies such as Tesla and Amazon are investing in advanced robotic technologies, creating a growing ecosystem of engineers, researchers, manufacturers and technology providers. Formic sees the region as an ideal location for expanding its own automation capabilities and developing the next generation of robotic systems.
Expanding Formic’s National Footprint
The Oakland opening comes shortly after Formic expanded its operations in the Midwest. In June, the company announced the opening of a 53,000-square-foot production facility in the Chicagoland area. Less than two months later, Formic established its second robot factory and research and development center in the Bay Area.
According to Saman Farid, Formic’s founder and CEO, Oakland provides a unique combination of robotics expertise and manufacturers that are receptive to adopting automation. The company believes the location will help it attract engineering talent while allowing it to work more closely with businesses seeking practical automation solutions.
Formic plans to invest additional capital in accelerating humanoid robot deployment and expanding its automation fleet across the United States. The Oakland facility is expected to serve as a foundation for further growth beyond Formic’s existing Midwest operations and into additional U.S. markets.
The company’s broader expansion reflects growing demand from manufacturers for automation solutions that can increase production capacity, improve consistency and address labor-intensive tasks.
Supporting American Manufacturing
Formic was founded in 2020 with a mission to make robotic automation more accessible to U.S. manufacturers. The company believes automation can help manufacturers increase productivity while reducing costs, downtime and workplace safety risks.
Manufacturing businesses across the country face challenges related to labor availability, production demands and operational efficiency. Formic aims to address these challenges by providing robotic systems without requiring customers to make significant upfront investments.
At the Oakland opening, manufacturing executives highlighted the potential role of automation in improving working conditions. Patrick Henson, general manager at Masters Gallery Foods Willows, emphasized that employees remain a critical asset and that automation can allow workers to move away from physically demanding tasks and into roles where they can provide greater value.
This approach reflects Formic’s view that automation does not simply involve replacing manual work. Instead, the company sees robotics as a tool for helping manufacturers improve productivity while enabling employees to transition into different responsibilities.
Humanoid Robots Take Center Stage
While Formic has built its business around conventional industrial robotic applications, the Oakland facility represents a new phase of the company’s strategy, with humanoid robotics becoming a major focus.
Formic has already deployed robots for tasks such as palletizing, machine tending and other specialized manufacturing applications. The company believes its experience managing these systems can provide a foundation for deploying more flexible humanoid robots in environments where traditional industrial robots may not be suitable.
Humanoid robots are designed to perform a wider variety of tasks and operate in environments created for human workers. Their flexibility could potentially allow manufacturers to automate jobs that have historically been difficult to address with fixed robotic systems.
Danijel Lolic, Formic’s chief operating officer, said humanoid robots could significantly expand the range of manufacturing tasks that can be automated. He explained that the company’s previous experience with its Robots-as-a-Service model has given it a foundation for handling complex, specialized and high-volume manufacturing applications.
The Oakland facility will allow Formic to apply this experience to more dynamic and variable tasks. The company views this as the beginning of a larger effort to develop and deploy humanoid automation technologies.
Data and Physical AI
A central component of Formic’s strategy is its ability to collect and use data from deployed robotic systems. The company says that every deployment generates information that can improve its artificial intelligence models and operational capabilities.
Formic’s proprietary Cortex and Core technologies are designed to support the process of evaluating automation opportunities, deploying robotic systems and managing their performance in real time.
As more robots are deployed across different manufacturing environments, the company can gather additional operational data. Formic believes this growing dataset can help improve its ability to determine which tasks can be automated, optimize robot performance and develop solutions for new applications.
This approach is at the heart of the company’s physical AI strategy. Rather than limiting AI to digital environments, Formic is applying intelligent software and robotics to real-world industrial operations.
The company says it has built and manages one of the largest independent deployed robot fleets in the United States. Its experience with real-world robotic deployments provides an operational foundation for expanding into increasingly sophisticated applications.
Robots-as-a-Service Model
Formic’s expansion into humanoid robotics does not change its commitment to its Full Service Automation business model. The company provides automation systems through a Robots-as-a-Service approach designed to reduce the financial and operational barriers associated with adopting robotics.
Under the model, customers do not need to make a traditional capital expenditure to purchase robotic equipment. Instead, Formic provides the required equipment and automation systems for a flat monthly fee.
The service also includes deployment, maintenance, replacement parts and software designed to monitor and optimize system performance. Formic additionally offers contracted production performance, giving manufacturers a more predictable way to adopt automation.
The company believes this model can make advanced robotics accessible to manufacturers that may not have the financial resources, engineering teams or technical expertise required to develop and maintain automation systems independently.
Looking Ahead
The opening of the Oakland facility represents a major step in Formic’s national expansion and its transition toward more advanced forms of robotics. The company is positioning the facility as both a research and development center and a platform for expanding its automation fleet.
With a growing presence in Chicago and Oakland, Formic is building a broader operational network to support manufacturers across the United States. The company also expects to expand into additional regions as demand for automation increases.
At the same time, the growing focus on humanoid robots and physical AI could open new opportunities for Formic. By combining its robotic deployment experience, proprietary AI technologies and service-based business model, the company aims to bring increasingly flexible automation to American factories.
The Oakland facility therefore represents more than a new physical location. It is intended to serve as a hub for the company’s next stage of innovation, bringing together robotics talent, manufacturers, artificial intelligence and automation expertise.
As manufacturers increasingly look for ways to improve productivity, address labor-intensive processes and create safer workplaces, Formic is betting that accessible, full-service robotics will become an increasingly important part of the future of American manufacturing. Its expansion into Oakland and its growing focus on humanoid systems signal the company’s ambition to help define that future.
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