Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe Launches Mind Robotics Startup Focused on Practical Industrial AI Robots

Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has launched a new robotics company called Mind Robotics, which he founded in November 2025 as a separate entity from Rivian (though Rivian maintains a partnership and minority stake). The startup recently closed a $500 million Series A funding round co-led by Accel and Andreessen Horowitz, bringing total funding to $615 million and valuing the company at approximately $2 billion. Scaringe, who also oversees the micromobility spinout Also, explained that the idea for Mind Robotics originated from Rivian’s planning for high-volume production of its upcoming R2 SUV. Anticipating the need for multiple new factories, he researched the future of manufacturing and concluded that traditional industrial robots will persist for repetitive tasks, but advanced AI-enabled robots with human-like dexterity will be essential for complex, variable work—particularly tasks requiring precise hand movements. Scaringe critiqued many current humanoid robotics efforts (like those mimicking extreme human flexibility, such as backflips), arguing they add unnecessary complexity, increase failure modes, consume excess power, and miss the point that manufacturing value comes from hands performing detailed work in controlled environments. Unlike home-focused startups emphasizing general-purpose humanoids, Mind Robotics prioritizes industrial applications, leveraging Rivian’s factory data for AI training, modular designs (inspired partly by Also’s approach), simpler locomotion, and optimized hands tailored to specific tasks (e.g., different gripping for large pipes versus tiny fasteners). He emphasized practical deployment at scale in factories with mapped, stable environments and minimal human interaction risks, while ensuring robots appear approachable rather than intimidating. Scaringe serves as chairman, with board members including representatives from Accel, Eclipse, and Rivian. He indicated this is likely his last new venture spinout.