Previous generations thought of robots as pure science fiction. Today, robots are a ubiquitous reality, and robotics is a thriving and fast-growing industry. Modern robots are not necessarily the humanoid machines that baby boomers saw on TV and at the movies — although Boston Scientific Corp. (ticker: BSX) has made great strides in that area with its two-legged Atlas robot.
Most modern robots look like computer-driven industrial machines that are installed in factories and workplaces to do everything from flipping burgers to building cars. They often have wheels, mechanical arms, and claws used to grab things and move them around warehouses and manufacturing facilities — but they can do much more than just industrial tasks. Autonomous cars and self-driving taxis are essentially robots; robots harvest our crops, sort our trash for recycling and even conduct delicate surgeries in hospital operating rooms around the world. In short, robotics is a booming business and a hot investment theme in late 2025, which should continue well into the future.
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The momentum is undeniable. With ongoing labor shortages driving a critical need for automation, and the artificial intelligence boom making machines smarter than ever, the demand for robotics is soaring. Experts project the field is growing at a compound annual growth rate of between 13% and 16%, making it one of the hottest long-term investment themes as we close out 2025.
It’s clear the industry is reaching an inflection point, moving beyond manufacturing and into logistics, health care and consumer services. For investors, this creates powerful opportunities. Below are five stock profiles of companies that are focused on this dynamic and fast-growing industry. They each feature market leadership, cutting-edge technology and good long-term growth potential.
As with all technology investing, there is risk involved in robotics investing, but the following companies are making an impact in the field with long-term, high-growth opportunities and are worth researching by anyone interested in robotics:
| Stock | Market Value | YTD performance* |
| Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) | $4.7 trillion | 40% |
| Keyence Corp. (OTC: KYCCF) | $87 billion | -11% |
| Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) | $202 billion | 7% |
| Zebra Technologies Corp. (ZBRA) | $13 billion | -33% |
| Teradyne Inc. (TER) | $29 billion | 45% |
*Through Nov. 7 close.
Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)
The first name on this list probably needs no introduction. The tech giant made a name for itself in engineering and manufacturing graphic processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs) and microchips for advanced computing and gaming platforms. Recently, it’s become the industry leader in the most advanced and in-demand AI-accelerated computing platforms in the world.
Fewer investors know that NVDA is a powerhouse in robotics and autonomous machines. Its flagship robotics products are called the Isaac platform and the Jetson system. These GPUs and CPUs enable real-time, precise robotic functions from large- and small-scale industrial arms to humanoid robots. The company calls its robotic efforts “project GR00T” and has formed partnerships with General Motors Co. (GM), Tesla Inc. (TSLA) and OpenAI, among other companies, to position itself as a leader in the robotics revolution.
Keyence Corp. (OTC: KYCCF)
If robots are the muscles and Nvidia is the brain, Keyence is the eyes and nerve center of the autonomous factory floor. This Japanese giant is a “picks and shovels” play for the robotics revolution, specializing in factory automation sensors, machine vision systems, laser markers and measurement instruments.
Unlike many hardware manufacturers, Keyence operates on a “fabless” business model — it designs and develops highly specialized products but outsources manufacturing. This approach, combined with a highly efficient direct-sales model, allows the company to focus purely on innovation and proprietary technology. The result is one of the highest gross profit margins in the industrial sector, often exceeding 80%.
This incredible profitability stems from Keyence’s mission-critical role: Its sensors provide the micron-level precision that modern manufacturing and robotics require. With global manufacturing undergoing a massive modernization cycle driven by AI and automation, Keyence is positioned to capture demand for the essential components that make every smart robot functional. Analysts maintain a generally bullish sentiment despite missing its latest earnings estimates.
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Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG)
ISRG has established itself as a leader in robotic-assisted surgery with its da Vinci Surgical System. The da Vinci system facilitates minimally invasive procedures with smaller incisions and more precision than any human doctor can manage. It can be adapted and programmed to perform delicate procedures and complex surgeries, such as prostate and lung procedures.
“Intuitive’s competitive advantage stems from its sprawling installed base of a platform synonymous with robotic surgery and two significant switching costs: a rapidly growing clinical evidence database and a surgeon population almost exclusively trained on the da Vinci system,” says Alex Morozov, a director for Morningstar, who covers the stock. “Both advantages work hand-in-hand, which makes competitive inroads highly challenging, albeit not impossible.”
As of Sept. 30, there are 10,763 da Vinci systems installed around the world. Intuitive Surgical also saw a 20% increase in procedures and a 23% increase in revenue in the third quarter.
ISRG is a $200 billion stock that could be a premier choice for robotics investors.
Zebra Technologies Corp. (ZBRA)
If the robotics sector is a symphony, Zebra Technologies is the conductor of the complex movements happening behind the scenes — specifically within the supply chain, warehouse and health care frontlines. The company’s unique advantage lies in creating the full ecosystem that gives visibility and direction to both human workers and autonomous machines. This comprehensive, end-to-end approach — which Zebra calls Sense, Analyze, Act — ensures that every package, every worker and every robot is connected to the same digital brain.
This $13 billion company is the powerhouse behind the devices that digitize the factory and warehouse: mobile computers, advanced fixed industrial scanners, machine vision and RFID technology. Crucially, ZBRA acquired Fetch Robotics to integrate autonomous mobile robots into their existing software platform, creating solutions that move product, track inventory and direct labor in real time. The company also recently announced a collaboration with Salesforce Inc. (CRM) to create the first retail cloud point-of-sale on Android devices for better store operations.
The stock is down around 30% year to date despite beating analyst estimates in the third quarter. This disconnect could present a smart buying opportunity if you’re looking to increase your robotics exposure with a company that has a finger in many industrial pies.
Teradyne Inc. (TER)
While names like Nvidia dominate the AI chip space and giants like Intuitive Surgical revolutionize the operating room, Teradyne offers a fundamentally different, yet equally compelling, angle into the robotics boom. Teradyne isn’t just selling a piece of a robot — it’s selling the entire collaborative workforce of tomorrow’s factory floor.
What truly sets TER apart is its focus on pure-play collaborative and autonomous industrial robots. This segment is where the firm’s most exciting growth story lives. Unlike competitors focused on more narrow lanes like surgery (ISRG) or data capture (ZBRA), Teradyne is building collaborative robots, called “cobots,” that work alongside human operators. This makes TER the smart, diversified way to play industrial automation.
“Robotics are a minority of Teradyne’s total firmwide sales, but offer the firm’s highest growth opportunity, in our view,” says William Kerwin, senior equity analyst for Morningstar. “We expect these to benefit from greater penetration in industrial applications over the long term, generating strong growth.”
With a market cap around $29 billion, Teradyne is perfectly positioned to capture the long-term trend of companies seeking to automate repeatable, complex tasks globally. It’s an ideal pick for investors looking beyond chips and software to the foundational hardware that brings the collaborative robot revolution to life.
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5 Best Robotics Stocks to Buy Right Now originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 11/10/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
