Figure Humanoid Robots Get Jobs With JCPenney, Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers

InnovationConsumer TechFigure Humanoid Robots Get Jobs With JCPenney, Aéropostale, Brooks BrothersByJohn Koetsier,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Journalist, analyst, author, podcaster.Follow AuthorMay 26, 2026, 10:03pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Figure 03 humanoid robot. Screenshot from a Brett Adcock tweet.John KoetsierFigure got a job at dad’s company. Not literally, of course, because humanoid robots don’t have dads. Or moms. But figuratively (sorry) because a key investor in Figure’s series C investment round just decided to bring in Junior to help with distribution and logistics.The company is Catalyst Brands, a multi-brand retail holding company that owns JCPenney, Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand and Nautica: about $9 billion in revenue and 60,000 employees across roughly 1,800 stores. It’s 50% owned by Brookfield, which was part of Figure’s $1 billion Series C at a $39 billion post-money valuation.“This agreement marks the first commercial bridge between Figure and a portfolio company of Brookfield," Figure said in a statement. ”As a shared investor in both companies, Brookfield’s support reflects a unified vision for the future of industrial automation."Where this sits in the humanoid robot get-a-job raceThe "got a job" milestone has been moving fast and furious for two years now in the humanoid robots space.In November 2024, Agility Robotics’ Digit was the only humanoid robot on the planet with a paying gig, CEO Peggy Johnson told me at Web Summit that year. Five weeks later, Figure 02 shipped to its first commercial customer, making Figure the second. In February 2026, Agility signed a robots-as-a-service deal with Toyota Canada. And just recently in April, Agibot’s wheeled G2 went live on a tablet production line in China: the first humanoid on a high-speed elect...