Brett Adcock

Brett Adcock
Born	(1986-04-06) April 6, 1986 Moweaqua, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Tech entrepreneur, CEO
Years active	2013–present
Known for	Founder and CEO of Figure AI; founder of Archer Aviation, Vettery, and Cover

Brett Adcock (born April 6, 1986) is an American tech entrepreneur and billionaire, recognized as the founder and CEO of Figure AI. He launched Archer Aviation in 2018, five years after creating Vettery. In 2023, he also started Cover. As of June 2024, Forbes values his net worth at approximately US$1.4 billion.

Early life and education

Adcock grew up on his family’s farm near Moweaqua, Illinois. At age sixteen, he began developing web ventures, including an e-commerce platform specializing in outdoor electronics and a content site named Street of Walls. He graduated as the valedictorian from Central A&M High School.

Although he initially pursued engineering, Adcock earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida's Warrington College of Business in 2008.

Career

Adcock founded Vettery in 2013 (later renamed Hired), a digital marketplace designed to connect employers with candidates possessing technical skills. In 2018, Vettery was acquired by The Adecco Group for $100 million. That same year, Adcock established eVTOL manufacturer Archer Aviation. In 2022, he launched Figure, an AI startup based in Sunnyvale, California, focused on creating general-purpose humanoid robots. The Figure team includes experts formerly from Boston Dynamics, Tesla, Google DeepMind, and Apple. Adcock considers humanoid robotics a key response to workforce shortages.

Vettery

Founded by Brett Adcock in 2013 at NYU's Varick Street Incubator and officially debuting in 2015, Vettery served clients such as Jet, Casper, Etsy, Blue Apron, and Percolate. By 2017, it had secured $12 million in venture capital led by Greycroft Investors, Raine Ventures, and Pritzker Venture Capital. In February 2018, The Adecco Group acquired Vettery to strengthen its digital hiring capabilities.

Archer Aviation

In October 2018, Adcock created electric aircraft firm Archer Aviation, initially supported by a University of Florida research grant and now headquartered in Palo Alto, California. United Airlines placed a $1 billion order for Archer’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in February 2021 to serve urban airports. Archer went public on the New York Stock Exchange with investors including United Airlines, Stellantis, Exor, Baron Capital, Marc Lore, and Brett Adcock himself.

Figure

Adcock founded AI robotics company Figure in May 2022 with the aim of building humanoid robots that perform autonomous tasks resembling human actions. In February 2024, Figure raised $675 million in venture funding from backers such as OpenAI, Microsoft, Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and Intel, valuing the startup at $2.6 billion. By August 2024, Figure unveiled its second-generation humanoid robot—Figure 02—equipped with enhanced natural language abilities powered by OpenAI technology.

Cover

In October 2023, Adcock introduced Cover, an AI-driven security company focused on preventing school shootings across the United States. The firm utilizes proprietary technology licensed from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to improve safety through advanced AI and intelligent camera systems.

Personal life

Brett Adcock resides in Palo Alto, California with his spouse and their three children. He is a devoted fan of the Robot series by Isaac Asimov, which has significantly shaped his entrepreneurial approach.

Honors

Adcock earned a spot on the Time 2024 roster highlighting the most influential figures in artificial intelligence.