Andy Rubin, best known for co-founding Android and leading robotics efforts at Google, has quietly established a new company in Japan called Genki Robotics.

The Information reports that the startup is based in Tokyo, currently operating in stealth mode, and is focused on humanoid robot development.

Although the company has no public job listings or official website yet, Rubin has confirmed the project in a call and said that the team is already working on prototypes.

The name “Genki” means “vibrant” or “healthy” in Japanese, signalling that Rubin intends the robots to be active and capable of real-world movement rather than laboratory novelties.

According to a source in the Korean business press, the firm’s Tokyo office has begun hiring and prototyping though it remains private.

Why Tokyo And Why Now

Rubin’s return to robotics follows years of investment and exploration in hardware, AI and robotics. At Google, he led a major acquisition programme in 2013 for robotics firms in both the U.S. and Japan, including the University of Tokyo-based startup Shaft.

With Genki Robotics, Rubin appears to be tapping back into Japan’s deep engineering ecosystem and robotics tradition, an ecosystem he once helped navigate for Google.

The timing also reflects renewed interest in humanoid robotics across the tech industry. Companies such as Figure AI, Tesla and Agility Robotics have raised large sums to develop robots capable of mobile tasks.

Rubin’s Tokyo base gives him access to a country where manufacturing robotics, academic talent and compact-form robotics systems are mature.

What Genki Robotics Faces

Despite the hype, developing humanoid robots remains a difficult endeavour. Challenges include battery power, balance, interaction with unstructured environments and cost-effective manufacture.

Rubin knows this, his previous startup, Essential Products, folded after failing to break into the smartphone market.

For Genki Robotics the key questions include: how quickly they move from prototype to demonstration, how they position themselves relative to large industrial-robot firms, and how they secure manufacturing scale.

Another question: what market niche will they target? Domestic service robots, factory assistants or logistics bots are all possibilities, but none guarantee commercial success.

What To Keep An Eye On

Watch how Genki Robotics articulates its vision, whether Rubin aims for a broad “general-purpose humanoid” or a specialised robotics product. Monitor hiring announcements in Tokyo, prototype showcases and partnerships with Japanese manufacturers.

Also of interest: whether Rubin plans to raise venture funding soon, and how he positions Genki relative to other major players.

Rubin’s move may signal more than one founder’s new startup, it could reflect a wider comeback of humanoid robotics through global hubs like Tokyo. If Genki succeeds, the project could bridge Silicon Valley ambitions with Japan’s manufacturing and robotics base.