REK
REK is an American humanoid robot fighting company that stages live combat between human-controlled humanoid robots.
Last updated October 10, 2026
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Overview
REK is an American company that operates in the emerging field of humanoid robot fighting. According to its official website, the company presents events in which humans control humanoid robots in combat, with the tagline "Real Steel is now real" and the promise that audiences will see who gets "REKt" first. The brand positions itself at the intersection of robotics, live entertainment, and competitive gaming, offering a spectacle in which human operators remotely or directly pilot bipedal machines against one another. The company is described in public data as an American humanoid robot fighting company, indicating that its primary market is the United States and that its core activity is the organization and promotion of robot combat events. REK's website serves as the main public-facing platform for the brand, where it promotes its fights and invites viewers to watch humans control humanoid robots in competition. Because REK operates in a relatively new category, its product is not a physical consumer good but an entertainment experience: live or broadcast robot fights. The brand's identity leans heavily on the cultural reference to the film "Real Steel," using that comparison to explain its concept to a broad audience. The name itself is used as a verb-like pun ("REKt"), reinforcing a playful, competitive tone. As of the available evidence, REK appears to be an early-stage or privately held venture, with no public information about founders, funding, headquarters location, or corporate ownership. Its activities are centered on the United States, and its website is the primary source for its events and branding. The company remains active, promoting humanoid robot combat as a new form of sports entertainment.
History
REK is an American company that has emerged in the field of humanoid robot fighting. Public data identifies it as an American humanoid robot fighting company, and its official website presents its core proposition: humans controlling humanoid robots in fights to determine who gets "REKt" first. The brand explicitly compares its concept to the film "Real Steel," stating that what was once science fiction is now real. The company's history is not well documented in the available evidence. There is no information about its founding date, founders, headquarters, funding, or corporate structure. What is clear is that REK operates in the United States and focuses on organizing and promoting live or broadcast events in which human operators control humanoid robots in combat. This places the brand within a broader wave of robotics entertainment ventures that seek to turn advances in humanoid robotics and teleoperation into spectator sports. REK's public presence is centered on its website, rek.com, which serves as the primary channel for its branding and event promotion. The site's messaging emphasizes the novelty and spectacle of the concept, using the "Real Steel" reference to connect with audiences familiar with robot-fighting fiction. The name REK is used playfully, with the past-tense pun "REKt" suggesting defeat in a fight. As of the available evidence, the company appears to be active but early-stage or privately held, with no public disclosures about its ownership or financial backing. Its activities are focused on the United States market. Further details about its events, participants, and business model are not available in the provided sources.
Products and positioning
A sports-entertainment brand bringing science-fiction robot combat to life, where humans pilot humanoid robots in competitive fights.
Human-controlled humanoid robot fights
Live or broadcast events in which humans control humanoid robots in combat.
Controversies
2026
California State Athletic Commission sends cease-and-desist letter to Rek over human vs. robot fight
The California State Athletic Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to Rek, the startup behind what it calls the 'humanoid robot fighting league', after Rek hosted an unsanctioned September 18 match in which a human, Frankie LaPenna, fought a humanoid robot owned by the startup that was being piloted by a human using what the NYT described as a 'remote virtual-reality system'. The letter, which Rek CEO Cix Liv posted to X on September 30, called the fight 'unsanctioned' and demanded that Liv and REK stop 'holding, promoting or advertising any boxing or mixed martial arts contest match, or exhibition, involving any human' in California without the approval of the California State Athletic Commission.
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