Rivian spin-out Mind Robotics raises $500M for industrial AI-powered robots

Published: Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 4:12 pm

Rivian Spin-Out Mind Robotics Secures $500 Million in Funding

Mind Robotics, an industrial robotics lab spun out of electric vehicle maker Rivian, has secured $500 million in a Series A funding round. The investment was co-led by venture capital firms Accel and Andreessen Horowitz. This latest round follows a $115 million seed round led by Eclipse in late 2025, bringing the company's total fundraising to $615 million since its founding. The new funding values Mind Robotics at approximately $2 billion.

The company was founded by Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe, who serves as chairman. Mind Robotics was spun out of Rivian in November 2025. The core concept behind Mind Robotics is to leverage data from Rivian's electric vehicle factory to train industrial robots. The goal is to create robots that are more adaptable and possess human-like dexterity, addressing a gap in current industrial automation solutions. Existing robots excel at repetitive tasks, but lack the capabilities needed for a significant portion of factory work that requires complex physical reasoning.

Mind Robotics aims to build the AI foundation models, hardware, and deployment infrastructure to bridge this gap. Scaringe has stated that the company plans to deploy a significant number of robots by the end of this year. Mind Robotics will focus on traditional factory robot designs, rather than humanoid robots.

Potential collaborations between Rivian and Mind Robotics are also being explored. Rivian has developed custom silicon for its autonomous vehicle software, which could potentially be sold to Mind Robotics for use in its robots.

Mind Robotics is the second company Rivian spun out in 2025. The first was Also, an electric mobility company.

BNN's Perspective:

This investment in Mind Robotics highlights the growing interest in advanced industrial automation. While the focus on traditional robot designs may seem less flashy than humanoid robots, it reflects a pragmatic approach to solving real-world manufacturing challenges. The potential synergies between Rivian and Mind Robotics, particularly in areas like custom silicon, could create a competitive advantage. This investment signals a positive outlook for the future of automation in the manufacturing sector.

Keywords: Mind Robotics, Rivian, robotics, funding, Series A, AI, industrial robots, RJ Scaringe, automation, venture capital, Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Eclipse, factory, manufacturing, custom silicon

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