Three ‘robot stocks’ that could be the next big thing – one could turn £10 a month into £30k

BETTING on AI stocks has delivered in big results for investors. Companies carried by the sector’s rapid growth have enjoyed blockbuster share price increases over the past year. Shares in semiconductor companies have also skyrocketed recently. These companies make the essential elements thatpower most of today’s tech. Now, smart investors are asking: which sector will be the next to boom? Dan Coatsworth from AJ Bell thinks the robotics sector is set to boom Credit: AJ Bell Dan shares his golden rule for investing in robotics stocks – know EXACTLY what you’re investing in, is that company making money now? Credit: Getty For a growing number of market watchers, the answer is robotics – the machines that put AI software to work in the real world It may sound like science fiction but robots can already be found everywhere from factory floors and warehouses to hospital operating theatres. Tesla boss Elon Musk is betting heavily on the success of his company’s Optimus humanoid robot, while Jensen Huang, head of chip giant Nvidia, declared this year that “the ChatGPT moment” for robotics has arrived. Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, says the sector is firmly back on investors’ radars. The logic, he explains, is the same one that powered the AI boom. “It’s all about increasing efficiencies – in factories for industrial companies, doing complex surgeries on the medical side of things. The humanoid stuff Tesla is talking about is basically doing tasks that humans don’t want to do,” adds Dzmitry Lipski, Head of Funds Research at Interactive Investor. “While humanoid robots grab headlines, professional investors are focusing on opportunities in warehouse automation, logistics, healthcare, semiconductor manufacturing, and factory automation.” Robots are not as far off as you think Fanuc industrial robots on a fully automated production line at Volkswagen’s headquarters in Germany Credit: AFP Robotics may make you think of living in the future but Coatsworth points out that they are already an active part of the world around us. “Ocado is essentially a robotics company,” he says. “Those tiny little robots go around picking out stuff to fill your shopping bags before they get delivered to you. They’ve been doing that for years.” Japanese giant FANUC has been building industrial robots for decades – its distinctive yellow robotic arms weld, paint, assemble, and pack products in factories around the world. His golden rule for anyone considering investing in the sector: “Look closely at what a company does and understand – is it making money now, or is it a story for tomorrow?” Unfortunately, many robotics firms are listed in parts of Asia where ordinary UK investors cannot easily buy shares. However, Coatsworth suggests three robotics stocks, all listed in the US and available through mainstream UK investment platforms. Remember, before you invest, that you should only use money you can afford to lose. 1. Nvidia: the robot’s brain NVIDIA has been one of the success stories of the last few years and is set to continue rising Credit: Reuters Nvidia is best known as the chip company powering the AI boom, but Coatsworth says there is a hidden robotics giant inside it. “Everyone thinks it’s just chips for data centres, but actually they have quite a lot of stuff for this,” he says. “They have an operating platform called Isaac, which provides robot simulation, AI training tools, and navigation software. They often talk about the brain for the robot.” Nvidia also holds stakes in a string of up-and-coming robotics firms such as Agility Robotics, the Amazon-backed maker of a warehouse robot called Digit, which announced plans in June to go public. “Through an investment in Nvidia, you’re actually exposed to lots more companies in this space than you might think,” Coatsworth says. If you had invested £10 in Nvidia each month for the last ten years, you would have around £30,000 today, despite only investing £1,200. 2. Rockwell Automation: the factory floor veteran Rockwell Automation is an established feature of factories and is expected to remain in demand Credit: Alamy For investors who are seeking to “back a company that actually makes money today”, as Coatsworth puts it, Rockwell Automation fits the bill. The American firm has been kitting out factories with automation and robotic systems for decades, selling to everyone from carmakers to food producers. But don’t rule it out just because it isn’t new, Coatsworth says automation “demand will be nice and steady for years to come”. It has been on a tear, with the shares hitting an all-time high at the end of June as investors warmed to automation. If you had invested £10 in Rockwell Automation a month for the last ten years and reinvested dividends, you would have around £2,800 today, despite only investing £1,200. 3. Intuitive Surgical: the robot surgeon going cheap? Intuitive’s da Vinci surigical robots have been used in operating theatres for years Credit: Getty – Contributor The robots that are already at work are not just found in warehouses – they are helping surgeons operate on patients. Intuitive Surgical makes the da Vinci robotic surgery system, which has been used in hospitals around the world since 2000. “The medical side of things is really interesting,” Coatsworth says. Intuitive Surgical may pop up on the radars of investors eyeing cheap stocks that the experts think have potential to soar. The company’s shares have had a rough year, falling by over a quarter since the start of 2026 due to investor concerns that its price wasn’t a fair reflection of its actual value. However, the business itself keeps growing, with procedures up 17% and revenues up 23% in its latest quarter. For bargain hunters, that may be exactly the kind of beaten-down quality name worth a look. Though a word of warning – shares that look cheap can always get cheaper. If you had invested £10 in Intuitive Surgical each month for the last ten years, you would have around £2,000 today, despite only investing £1,200. Want to avoid individual stocks? Investing in funds, rather than individual stocks, can help spread your risk Credit: Pacific Coast News If choosing individual companies to invest in feels like too much of a gamble, you can still gain exposure to the sector and still benefit from any growth. A fund is a bit like a shopping basket of different investments, which are small stakes in companies that you can buy. “There are a few robotics funds available that will give you broad exposure to lots of different things,” Coatsworth says. He points to the L&G ROBO Global Robotics and Automation ETF as a good option. Experts from Interactive Investor also flag the iShares Automation & Robotics UCITS ETF as “one of the largest and most diversified robotics ETFs in the space” – the fund has made market-busting returns of over 25 per cent in 2026 alone. If you had invested £10 each month into the L&G ROBO Global Robotics and Automation ETF for the last 10 years, you would have roughly £2,200 today, despite only investing £1,200. Go in with your eyes open Investing in robotics pay-off but you need to be aware of the risks before you commit your cash Credit: Getty Coatsworth is clear about what could go wrong when investing in robotics and says you should go in with your eyes open. “A key risk is that it’s already looking like it could be a very crowded market – lots of people thinking they’ve got the perfect solution,” he says. While this is good news for those looking to invest – as prices could tumble, creating an opportunity – if you already hold an investment, it could mean you risk losing money. There are also some unanswered questions around the sector. “Who’s going to be buying them? How many do they need to sell to make a profit? Do people trust these kits? What if something goes wrong with them?” he adds. “Robots are very specialist – it’s not like when factory equipment breaks down and you can get someone fairly quickly to come and fix it.” Dan’s verdict is that the robotics wave “does feel like it’s picking up again” – and nobody has the precise answer to whether right now is the perfect moment to jump in. As with any speculative sector, only invest money you can afford to lose – and remember that past performance is no indicator of future returns.