Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has made no secret of his ambitions for humanoid robots, predicting that machines like Optimus could one day outnumber the company’s cars. But one robotics executive believes investors may be overlooking where the industry’s biggest opportunity really lies.
The real value, according to Jerry Wang, global executive chairman of Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ:FFAI) and CEO of AIxCrypto Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AIXC), begins after the robot leaves the factory.
“Today, much of the robotics industry is still built around a single transaction: a machine is built, sold, and delivered,” Wang told Benzinga. “We believe the larger opportunity begins after delivery.”
Beyond Hardware Sales
Wang believes the robotics industry is approaching a business-model shift similar to what software experienced with subscriptions and cloud computing.
Instead of treating robots as one-time hardware purchases, he envisions them as long-lived assets that continue creating economic value throughout their operating lives. He calls the concept the “Robot Second Life Cycle,” where value extends beyond the initial sale through greater utilization, longer operating lives and the operational data robots generate while performing real-world tasks.
That distinction could eventually reshape how investors evaluate robotics companies. Rather than focusing solely on unit sales, the market may increasingly reward businesses that can generate recurring revenue from robots long after they’re deployed.
The Rise of Robot Rentals
That thinking also underpins Wang’s vision for Robotics-as-a-Service.
“A lot of businesses don’t necessarily want to own robots outright,” he said. “What they really want is access to robotic capabilities when those capabilities can create clear, measurable value.”
Instead of committing significant upfront capital, companies could rent robots for warehouse operations, inspections, security, deliveries or other specialized tasks, while robot owners generate income from equipment that might otherwise sit idle.
Wang sees parallels with another technology revolution.
“If cloud computing turned expensive servers into something you can access on demand, we think Robotics-as-a-Service can do something similar for robotic capabilities,” he said.
The Next Robotics Trade
For now, investors remain focused on which company will build the most capable humanoid robot. Tesla, Figure AI and other developers continue competing to improve mobility, intelligence and manufacturing scale.
But Wang argues the industry’s economics could eventually matter just as much as its engineering.
If robots become recurring revenue-generating assets rather than one-time hardware sales, the companies creating the most long-term value may not simply be those shipping the most machines—they could be the ones keeping those machines working, earning and generating data for years after deployment.
For investors, that suggests the next chapter of the robotics story may begin not when a robot is sold, but when it starts working.
Image courtesy company PR
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