Feb 14 (Reuters) - Robotics startup Figure AI is in

talks with investors to raise $1.5 billion in funding that would

value the company at $39.5 billion, Bloomberg News reported on

Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Align Ventures and Parkway Venture Capital are expected to

lead the deal, the report said, adding that the terms of the

transaction are not yet finalized and could change.

Align Ventures and Figure AI did not immediately respond to

requests for comment on the report.

Last year, Figure AI said it raised $675 million in a

funding round, with investors such as Nvidia ( NVDA ),

Microsoft ( MSFT ) and Amazon.com ( AMZN ) founder Jeff Bezos,

valuing the company at $2.6 billion.

Major tech companies, including Nvidia ( NVDA ), Meta

Platforms ( META ) and Tesla, alongside various

startups, are diving into the competitive field of humanoid

robotics, driven by advanced AI models that are accelerating

innovation in robotics and automation.

Meta Platforms ( META ) is establishing a new division

within its Reality Labs unit to develop AI-powered humanoid

robots that can assist with physical tasks, according to an

internal company memo viewed by Reuters on Friday.

In 2024, Tesla's chief executive Elon Musk said that the

company's humanoid robots, called Optimus, could potentially be

ready by the end of the following year.

Humanoid robots have sparked renewed investor interest as

AI-powered software expands the possibilities for human-robot

interaction and collaboration.