Rivian creates another spinoff company called Mind Robotics

Rivian has created its 2nd spinoff institution this year: an concern AI and robotics institution called Mind Robotics.

The caller effort volition beryllium focused astir utilizing “industrial AI to reshape however carnal satellite businesses run and leverage Rivian operations information arsenic the instauration for a robotics information flywheel,” according to a the company’s third-quarter shareholder missive published Tuesday. (That’s a mouthful of buzzwords; we’ve asked Rivian to clarify things a spot much and volition update the station if it does.)

Rivian said Tuesday it has secured astir $110 cardinal successful “external effect capital,” but did not instantly connection immoderate different accusation astir Mind Robotics. “We judge AI-enabled robotics tin enactment a wide scope of concern applications,” Rivian wrote successful the letter.

The motorboat of Mind Robotics marks the 2nd clip this twelvemonth that Rivian has created a caller standalone company. In March, the company spun retired its skunkworks micromobility division into a startup called Also Inc. That caller institution was funded successful portion by wealth from Eclipse, with additional backing from Greenoaks Capital.

A trademark application for Mind Robotics was submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office connected Monday that lists Eclipse spouse Jiten Behl arsenic a signatory for the newly-created company, on with Eclipse’s Palo Alto office arsenic the firm address. Behl did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

It’s unclear if Rivian employees are moving implicit to Mind Robotics, similar was the lawsuit with Also. A Rivian spokesperson declined to say. But the institution hinted astatine the anticipation successful Tuesday’s letter.

“With our beardown seat of exertion endowment and an innovation-driven culture, we person been capable to place further areas of worth to accelerate our ngo connected a wider standard portion maintaining Rivian’s focus,” Scaringe wrote

Robotics and concern AI are blistery areas for concern close now. There is simply a slew of humanoid robotics companies raising wealth and trying to vessel products, including Tesla. General Motors is moving connected its ain robotics and AI division, too.

Beyond Rivian’s announcement Tuesday, though, precise small is known astir what Mind Robotics volition get up to. There is fundamentally nary integer footprint for the institution yet, prevention for the trademark application. That exertion is precise broadly targeted and says Mind Robotics could usage the trademark for everything from machinery, to vehicles, to “incubators for eggs.”