Tesla (TSLA +0.79%) hasn't released its Optimus humanoid robot commercially, but the hype surrounding it remains high. In fact, recent news about supplier audits in China suggests that a massive ramp-up in Optimus production could begin later this year.
While Tesla's Optimus catalyst gets closer, consider that there's already a company in the robotics field generating material revenue from customers. Maybe Tesla shouldn't be the sole wager among robotics stocks.
Image source: Getty Images.
A Tesla competitor has already monetized robotics
Tesla may hope to make money from robotics one day, but Symbotic (SYM +1.57%) is already doing so. Symbotic is not in the business of building and selling humanoid robots. Rather, the Wilmington, Massachusetts, company focuses on developing automated warehouse systems. With strategic partner Walmart serving as its main customer, Symbotic generated over $2.2 billion in revenue during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 27, 2025.
NASDAQ: TSLA
Key Data Points
This fiscal year, analyst estimates call for sales of around $2.8 billion, a nearly 25% increase. Symbotic's backlog is climbing as well. As disclosed in the company's latest quarterly earnings release, its backlog currently totals $22.5 billion.
Two caveats and a takeaway
Symbotic remains highly reliant on Walmart. Not only is the retailer Symbotic's largest customer, making up 85% of fiscal year 2025 sales, but Walmart also previously sold its own robotics business to Symbotic in 2025, and the lion's share of Symbotic's pipeline is Walmart-related.
NASDAQ: SYM
Key Data Points
Alongside this lack of customer diversification, Symbotic has experienced slowing sales growth. With this, Symbotic, once a top robotics stock, has seen its stock price fall about 27% since the start of the year.
While Symbotic is ahead in terms of commercialization, don't view it as a stronger robotics play than Tesla, per se. If Optimus lives up to the hype and offers end users a more dynamic robotics and automation technology, it may further stymie Symbotic's ability to grow beyond its main customer. Still, for now, Symbotic offers investors what Tesla can't just yet: robotics revenue. It's a stock to complement, not replace, Tesla.
