Rivian Spins Off Mind Robotics with $115M to Bring Industrial AI to Manufacturing

Rivian creates another spinoff company called Mind Robotics | TechCrunch

Rivian has created its second spinoff company this year: an industrial AI and robotics venture called Mind Robotics. The new effort will be focused around using "industrial AI to reshape how physical world businesses operate and leverage Rivian operations data as the foundation for a robotics data flywheel," according to a the company's third-quarter shareholder letter published Tuesday. (That's a mouthful of buzzwords; we've asked Rivian to clarify things a bit more and will update the post if it does.) Rivian said Tuesday it has secured around $110 million in "external seed capital," but did not immediately offer any other information about Mind Robotics. "We believe AI-enabled robotics can support a wide range of industrial applications," Rivian wrote in the letter. The launch of Mind Robotics marks the second time this year that Rivian has created a new standalone company. In March, the company spun out its skunkworks micromobility division into a startup called Also Inc. That new company was funded in part by money from Eclipse, with additional funding from Greenoaks Capital. A trademark application for Mind Robotics was submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Monday that lists Eclipse partner Jiten Behl as a signatory for the newly-created company, along with Eclipse's Palo Alto headquarters as the corporate address. Behl did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It's unclear if Rivian employees are moving over to Mind Robotics, like was the case with Also. A Rivian spokesperson declined to say. But the company hinted at the possibility in Tuesday's letter. "With our strong bench of technology talent and an innovation-driven culture, we have been able to identify additional areas of value to accelerate our mission on a wider scale while maintaining Rivian's focus," Scaringe wrote Robotics and industrial AI are hot areas for investment right now. There is a slew of humanoid robotics companies raising money and trying to ship products, including Tesla. General Motors is working on its own robotics and AI division, too. Beyond Rivian's announcement Tuesday, though, very little is known about what Mind Robotics will get up to. There is essentially no digital footprint for the company yet, save for the trademark application. That application is very broadly targeted and says Mind Robotics could use the trademark for everything from machinery, to vehicles, to "incubators for eggs."

Rivian Is Getting Into Robotics Through A New Spinoff Company

In November, it set up a company called Mind Robotics, with $110 million of seed capital. Following in the footsteps of Tesla, which is developing a humanoid robot called Optimus, Rivian on Tuesday announced its entry into the world of robotics. The electric vehicle startup said it spun off a new company called Mind Robotics in November with the help of $110 million in external funding. What exactly it will do isn't totally clear yet. "We believe there are synergies shared between the development of autonomous driving and physical AI," the company said in its third-quarter shareholder letter. "Mind Robotics will focus on the advancement of industrial AI to reshape how physical world businesses operate and leverage Rivian operations data as the foundation for a robotics data flywheel." It added that the kind of "AI-enabled robotics" it plans to build "can support a wide range of industrial applications." So, are we looking at an all-purpose human-shaped robot like Tesla and other startups are trying to build? Or is Rivian working on equipment for specific use cases? We don't really know yet. What we do know is Rivian thinks it can apply what it's working on in the self-driving space to other kinds of products. And that may make sense. Both technologies use AI models to learn and operate in the real world -- "physical AI," as the new buzzword calls it. And Rivian isn't alone. Other carmakers are following Tesla's lead too. General Motors recently said it's robotics lab is working on "collaborative robots" that work with humans, along with "AI that learns and improves with every manufacturing cycle."

Rivian launches Mind Robotics with $115M seed funding

Rivian's new company, Mind Robotics, aims to apply AI to real-world operations, turning factory data into intelligent robotic systems. Rivian announced the creation of Mind Robotics, its second spinoff company this year, focusing on industrial AI and robotics to enhance manufacturing efficiency through data from its operations. The third-quarter shareholder letter, released on Tuesday, describes Mind Robotics as an entity dedicated to applying industrial AI to transform operations in physical-world businesses. This involves establishing a robotics data flywheel based on Rivian's existing operations data. During an investor call on the same day, CEO RJ Scaringe explained that the company identified an opportunity to create products and robotic solutions specifically designed to improve the efficiency of its manufacturing plants. He emphasized the board structure, stating that he would serve as chairman of the board of directors for Mind Robotics, with Rivian holding a shareholder position in the new venture. Scaringe elaborated on the strategic rationale during the investor call, noting the transformative potential of AI beyond digital applications. He stated, "As much as we've seen AI shift how we operate and run our businesses through the wide‑ranging applications for LLMs, the potential for AI to really shift how we think about operating in the physical world is, in some ways, unimaginably large." This perspective underscores the decision to form a separate company to maintain control over the development process. He further described the initiative as "the culmination of us coming to the view that we wanted to have direct control and direct influence over the design and development of advanced AI robotics that would be very focused on industrial applications." Rivian provided no additional details beyond these statements when asked for clarification on the technical aspects outlined in the shareholder letter. Mind Robotics has secured a $115 million seed funding round, led by the venture capital firm Eclipse. Jiten Behl, a partner at Eclipse and a former Rivian employee, confirmed this investment through a LinkedIn post following an initial report by TechCrunch on Eclipse's involvement. This funding supports the early-stage operations of the spinoff, enabling it to pursue its objectives in industrial AI and robotics. This launch represents Rivian's second spinoff in 2024. Earlier, in March, the company separated its skunkworks micromobility division into a standalone startup named Also Inc. That entity received partial funding from Eclipse, supplemented by investments from Greenoaks Capital. The structure of Also Inc. involved the transfer of Rivian employees to the new company, but details regarding personnel movements to Mind Robotics remain undisclosed. A Rivian spokesperson declined to provide information on whether employees would transition to the new venture. However, the shareholder letter suggests this possibility by highlighting the company's resources. Scaringe wrote in the letter, "With our strong bench of technology talent and an innovation‑driven culture, we have been able to identify additional areas of value to accelerate our mission on a wider scale while maintaining Rivian's focus." This approach allows Rivian to explore adjacent opportunities without diverting core electric vehicle production efforts. The field of robotics and industrial AI currently attracts substantial investment. Numerous humanoid robotics companies are securing capital and advancing product development, with Tesla among the prominent players. General Motors is also establishing its own division dedicated to robotics and AI initiatives. These trends reflect growing interest in applying AI to physical operations across industries. Despite this context, specific plans for Mind Robotics remain limited in public disclosure. Mind Robotics lacks a substantial online presence at this stage. The only available record is a trademark application filed under the name, which encompasses a wide range of potential uses. This includes machinery, vehicles, and even incubators for eggs, indicating flexibility in future applications but providing no concrete operational details.

Rivian Spins Off a Robotics Startup to Foray Into Physical A.I.

The EV maker's latest venture takes its A.I. expertise beyond cars and into robotics. Rivian, the electric vehicle maker known for its sleek, adventure-ready designs, is venturing into robotics. The Irvine, Calif.-based company's newest spinoff, Mind Robotics, focuses on applying A.I.-powered robots to industrial settings. The spun-off entity has already raised $115 million in funding. Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter Sign Up Thank you for signing up! By clicking submit, you agree to our <a href="http://observermedia.com/terms">terms of service</a> and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime. See all of our newsletters Mind Robotics was unveiled during Rivian's third-quarter earnings yesterday (Nov. 4). Rivian reported $1.5 billion in revenue for the July-September quarter, a 78 percent year-over-year jump driven by a surge in sales ahead of the September expiration of federal EV tax credits. The company posted a $1.1 billion net loss, better than analysts had expected. It also reaffirmed plans to launch its R2 SUV -- a more affordable model priced at $45,000 -- in 2026. But Rivian's ambitions now extend beyond cars and software. "We believe there are synergies shared between the development of autonomous driving and physical A.I.," the company wrote in its shareholder letter. Rivian was tight-lipped on how Mind Robotics will leverage that synergy, saying only that the startup will "focus on the advancement of industrial A.I. to reshape how physical world businesses operate and leverage Rivian operations data as the foundation for a robotics data flywheel." Mind Robotics' $115 million seed round was led by Eclipse, the VC firm's partner Jiten Behl announced in a LinkedIn post. Behl, a former Rivian executive, noted that Eclipse had previously invested $105 million in ALSO, another Rivian spinoff launched earlier this year to streamline its technology into smaller, lightweight vehicles. ALSO debuted its first product line -- an electric bike -- in October. Rivian will remain independent from Mind Robotics but holds a stake in the startup. CEO RJ Scaringe, who also chairs Mind Robotics' board, said Rivian will be among the first to benefit from the company's innovations. The startup emerged, he explained, after Rivian took a long-term view of its manufacturing infrastructure and determined it needed to "develop products and robotic solutions that can allow us to run and operate our manufacturing plants more efficiently," he told analysts. While A.I. already underpins much of Rivian's in-house software, Scaringe said Mind Robotics will give it a more physical role -- helping design plant logistics and layouts, among other uses. "As much as we've seen A.I. shift how we operate and run our businesses through the wide-ranging applications for LLMs, the potential for A.I. to really shift how we think about operating in the physical world is, in some ways, unimaginably large," he said. Rivian isn't the first tech player to wade into A.I. and robotics. Rival EV maker Tesla has staked much of its future on self-driving vehicles and its forthcoming Optimus humanoid robot, while chipmaker Nvidia is similarly betting that the next wave of technology will center on physical A.I. systems. Robotics investment overall has surged across Silicon Valley in recent months. As of September, funding in the sector exceeded $8.5 billion, according to Crunchbase data, surpassing last year's $7.5 billion and putting the industry on pace for its biggest year since 2021.

Rivian Robotics Spinoff Will 'Reshape' Physical World Businesses - Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN)

Electric vehicle company Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) announced third-quarter financial results Tuesday along with an update on upcoming vehicles. The company also announced the spinoff of a new robotics company. RIVN is among today's top performers. Get the inside scoop here. Rivian Robotics Unit Spinoff After spinning off micromobility assets into a company called ALSO, Rivian formed Mind Robotics, aimed at the industrial segment. "We have been able to identify additional areas of value to accelerate our mission on a wider scale while maintaining Rivian's focus," the company said Tuesday. Rivian said it set up Mind Robotics in November, while securing $110 million in external seed capital for the company. "We believe there are synergies shared between the development of autonomous driving and physical AI." The company said Mind Robotics can support the industrial sector with "AI-enabled robotics." "Mind Robotics will focus on the advancement of industrial AI to reshape how physical world businesses operate and leverage Rivian operations data as the foundation for a robotics data flywheel." Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, who will serve as Chairman of the Mind Robotics board of directors, discussed Mind Robotics details during the company's earnings call, as shared by TechCrunch. "As much as we've seen AI shift how we operate and run our businesses through the wide-ranging applications for LLMs, the potential for AI to really shift how we think about operating in the physical world is, in some ways, unimaginably large," Scaringe said. Scaringe said the company will design and develop AI robots focused on industrial applications. Venture Capital firm Eclipse led the $115 million seed round, according to TechCrunch, citing a LinkedIn post from Eclipse partner Jiten Behl, a former Rivian employee. Read Also: Is This Rivian's Billion-Dollar Spinoff Also Inc.'s Upcoming Electric Bike? Rivian Spins Off Businesses Rivian previously spun off its micromobility segment into a company called Also Inc. The company includes segments like e-bikes and short-trip electric vehicles. "This started with the launch of our micromobility business Also, developing a vertically integrated platform to enable a portfolio of exciting, micromobility EVs," the company said Tuesday. Also launched its first line of products in October, which includes an electric bike for consumers and an electric quadricycle for commercial customers. Eclipse also helped fund that company, along with funding from Greenoaks Capital. Rivian said it maintains a 40.6% minority interest in Also. The company did not share what percentage of Mind Robotics it currently owns. Rivian Stock Gains Rivian shares are up 11.4% to $13.92 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $9.50 to $17.14. Rivian shares are up 5.1% year-to-date in 2025. Read Next: Rivian Expects To Draw $6 Billion Biden-Era Loan Before Production Begins At Georgia Plant In 2028: Report RIVNRivian Automotive Inc$15.2221.8%OverviewMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs