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Move Over, Tesla: This Robotics Stock Already Has Paying Customers

The Motley Fool·09/22/2026 12:09:00

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Key Points

While hype continues to build around Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots, Symbotic is already generating billions in revenue from robotics.
With a $22 billion backlog, Symbotic's metrics do help to assess near-term future potential.
Consider Symbotic a complement (rather than a replacement) for Tesla if you're looking for long-term exposure to the robotics trend.
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Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) 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.

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Production line robotics systems perform tasks in a factory.

Image source: Getty Images.

A Tesla competitor has already monetized robotics

Tesla may hope to make money from robotics one day, but Symbotic (NASDAQ: SYM) 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.

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.

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.

Thomas Niel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Symbotic, Tesla, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.