Sanctuary AI
Phoenix · Canada · Founded2018
Sanctuary AI was founded in 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia by Geordie Rose and Suzanne Gildert. Rose previously co-founded D-Wave (quantum computing) and Kindred AI (warehouse robots). The company has raised over $140M CAD in funding.
Key Metrics
About Sanctuary AI
Phoenix is a general-purpose humanoid standing 5'7" and weighing 155 lbs. Its key differentiator is the Carbon AI system, which focuses on human-like dexterous hand manipulation - Sanctuary believes hands are the hardest and most important problem in humanoid robotics.
The company has piloted Phoenix in retail settings with Mark's (a Canadian Tire brand) and partnered with Magna International, the automotive parts giant, for manufacturing scale. Sanctuary has also received Canadian federal government funding.
Founders: Geordie Rose, Suzanne Gildert
Headquarters: Vancouver, Canada
Latest Update
Phoenix Gen 7 commercial humanoid targeting general-purpose work tasks in retail and manufacturing
Key Milestone
Phoenix Gen 7 launched with cognitive AI for general-purpose work
Robot Models
Related Articles
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Every humanoid robot company in the world is burning cash faster than it is generating revenue. That is normal for an industry in its pre-revenue phase. What is not normal is the variance. Some companies have 5+ years of runway at current burn rates. Others have less than 18 months. The companies that run out of money before the market reaches scale will become footnotes. The ones that survive will define the industry.
The Sensory Cliff: Why Robots Can Deadlift 50kg But Cannot Feel a Grape
Boston Dynamics Atlas can lift 50 kilograms overhead. No humanoid robot on Earth can reliably pick up a grape without crushing it, peel a banana, or thread a needle. The gap between what robots can move and what they can feel is the most consequential bottleneck in the industry. Walking was the hard problem of 2020. Touch is the hard problem of 2026.
Sanctuary AI Built the World's First Robot That Thinks Before It Moves. 15 Units Is Just the Beginning.
Sanctuary AI has shipped 15 Phoenix humanoid robots. In a race where Chinese leaders count shipments in the thousands, that number looks irrelevant. But Sanctuary is not playing the volume game. Built by D-Wave co-founder Geordie Rose, Sanctuary is the only humanoid company betting that cognition must come before hardware. Their Carbon AI system is designed to give robots human-like understanding of tasks, not just human-like bodies. If they are right, the companies shipping thousands of units today are building on the wrong foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many robots has Sanctuary AI shipped?
Sanctuary AI has shipped approximately 15 Phoenix humanoid robots as of early 2026, with pilot deployments in retail and manufacturing.
Who founded Sanctuary AI?
Sanctuary AI was founded by Geordie Rose and Suzanne Gildert in 2018 in Vancouver, Canada. Rose previously co-founded D-Wave and Kindred AI.
What robots does Sanctuary AI make?
Sanctuary AI produces the Phoenix general-purpose humanoid, which features the Carbon AI system focused on human-like dexterous hand manipulation.
Sources
- Sanctuary AI Official - accessed 2026-03-28
- Crunchbase - Sanctuary AI - accessed 2026-03-28