Fourier
Fourier began in rehabilitation robotics and launched the GR-1 humanoid in 2023, becoming one of the first Chinese companies to ship humanoids in volume to research labs. Its 2025 products include the open-source N1 and the care-focused GR-3.
- Type
- startup
- Headquarters
- Shanghai, China
- Founded
- 2015
- Founders
- Gu Jie, Zen Koh
- Status
- active
- Employees (est.)
- n/d
- Disclosed funding
- n/d
- Valuation
- n/d
- Listed
- private
- Website
- fftai.com
What the record says.
Fourier, legally Shanghai Fourier Intelligent Technology and long known as Fourier Intelligence, was founded in Shanghai in 2015 by Gu Jie (Alex Gu), its CEO, with Zen Koh as co-founder. Its original business was rehabilitation hardware: the X1 walking exoskeleton of March 2017, an open EXOPS platform with National Instruments in 2019, and the 2020 purchase of Zhuhai RHK Healthcare, which the company says put its products in more than 2,000 institutions in over 40 countries.
A humanoid unit was started in 2019 and a 1.65 m prototype walked in 2022. The GR-1 was unveiled at the World AI Conference in July 2023 and delivered in small numbers to universities and AI labs, with a production version late that year; the GR-2 (175 cm, 53 degrees of freedom) followed on 30 September 2024. In early 2025 the company released N1, an open-source small humanoid, and on 7 August 2025 the GR-3, a soft-shelled care robot priced above 200,000 yuan and aimed at hospitals and eldercare rather than consumers.
A Series E of about 800 million yuan closed in early 2025, backed by Guoxin Investment and Prosperity7, the Saudi Aramco venture arm. Fourier has not published humanoid unit volumes, revenue or headcount, and remains private.
4 humanoids tracked.
Fourier GR-1
GR-1 was revealed at WAIC in July 2023 and entered production the same year, one of the first Chinese humanoids sold in volume to research labs. It grew out of Fourier's rehabilitation robotics business.
Fourier GR-2
GR-2 doubled the battery capacity of GR-1 with a swappable pack and added 12-DOF hands, for a total of 53 degrees of freedom. The payload figure refers to each arm.
Fourier GR-3
GR-3 is Fourier's care-oriented humanoid with a soft, sensor-covered exterior and a rounded design meant for elder care and rehabilitation. It marks Fourier's move from research platforms to healthcare products.
Fourier N1
N1 is Fourier's open-source humanoid: the company published the bill of materials, CAD files, actuator specs and training code. It is 130 cm tall and aimed at developers and universities.
Rounds and valuations.
| Date | Round | Amount | Valuation | Lead | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | Series E | $110M | n/d | Prosperity7 Ventures, Guoxin Investment, Zhejiang University Lianchuang | Round of close to CNY 800 million (about USD 110 million) for the Shanghai company behind GR-1, GR-2 and the open-source N1; Saudi Aramco's Prosperity7 had also backed earlier rounds. Lead investor reporting was inconsistent. |
* reported, not confirmed by the company.
At customer sites.
| Robot | Customer | Site | Since | Status | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fourier GR-3 | Care and hospital settings in Shanghai (partners not individually disclosed), China | Aug 2025 | announced | n/d | |
| Fourier GR-1 | Rehabilitation hospitals and clinics in China (partners not individually disclosed), China | 2024 | pilot | n/d |
Milestones.
Fourier Intelligence unveils GR-1 at WAIC Shanghai
Rehabilitation robotics company Fourier shows GR-1, a 165 cm, 55 kg humanoid with 40 degrees of freedom, and says mass production starts later in 2023. GR-1 becomes one of the first Chinese humanoids sold to research labs in volume.
Deposits, lead times and warranties: reading a humanoid order sheet
Of 42 buy records, 2 publish a deposit, 1 a warranty, 1 a shipping cost and none a lead time in weeks. The order sheet for a humanoid is mostly blank, and the blanks are where the money goes.
How long does a humanoid robot actually run
22 of 182 humanoids on record quote a runtime. The claims run from 1 to 8 hours with a median of 4, and of the 44 machines you can order, 4 say anything at all.
Open-source humanoids: what you can actually build
24 of the 182 humanoids on record call themselves open source. 15 publish hardware files and software, 3 name a licence, 12 can be ordered, and none of the four on preorder has any autonomy evidence yet.
Who is paying for humanoids: 69 funding rounds
Our funding record holds 69 entries. Take out the government funds, the acquisitions and the IPOs and $6.33 billion of disclosed private money remains. 37 percent of it went to companies with no robot on record.
The uncanny valley, and why the newest humanoids have no face
Masahiro Mori warned in 1970 that a nearly human face repels. Of the 182 humanoids in our record, four describe one, and none of the four does physical work for a customer.
Sources
- 01Fourier official siteFourier
- 02Fourier (company)Wikipedia
- 03Fourier launches GR-2 humanoid, software platformThe Robot Report
- 04