French Startup Bets on Non-Humanoid Design in Crowded AI Robot Race

A French tech startup called Genesis AI showed off its first robot on Tuesday, June 16. The robot, named Eno, is designed to work alongside people in places like warehouses and hospitals. Unlike most famous robots, Eno does not walk on two legs — it rolls on wheels. The company says this design makes Eno more useful for most real-world jobs.

Eno has a wheeled base, a foldable tower that can move up and down, and hands that are shaped like human hands. Genesis AI says the robot was not built to look like a person, but to do the kinds of tasks a person can do. The company chose wheels because most factories and warehouses have flat floors, where legs are not needed. Legs would only be useful in places where a robot needs to climb stairs.

Genesis AI was founded in early 2025 and has already raised $105 million. That makes it one of the biggest early funding rounds ever for a French company. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is one of the backers of the startup. The company's value has not been made public yet.

Eno runs on an AI model that Genesis AI built itself. Eric Schmidt said the robot will not take the place of human workers, but will "amplify" their skills. He called it "one of the largest economic opportunities of the AI era." The goal is to make workers more powerful, not to push them out of their jobs.

Genesis AI plans to start selling Eno to businesses by the end of 2026. The first customers will be in shipping and manufacturing. After that, the company hopes to bring Eno to hotels, hospitals, and eventually everyday consumers. The company has built dozens of robots so far and plans to make many more in the second half of 2026.

Not everyone feels good about robots moving into the workplace. A poll by Reuters and Ipsos found that 53 percent of Americans worry that AI could cost them or someone in their family a job. The robotics market is growing fast around the world, but experts say there are still big challenges to solve. Two of the biggest problems are processing power and battery life.