TL;DR
Mind Robotics, a spinoff from Rivian, has raised another $400 million in funding, led by Kleiner Perkins, to advance industrial robotics. This follows a previous $115 million raise and values the company at over $3 billion.
Rivian’s spinoff company Mind Robotics has raised an additional $400 million in funding, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal, bringing its total funding to over $1 billion. This investment aims to accelerate the development of industrial robots capable of automating factory operations.
The new funding round was led by venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, with contributions from Volkswagen’s venture arm and Salesforce. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, who is also chairman of Mind Robotics, confirmed to TechCrunch that the company is focused on creating robotics with human-like skills to enhance automation in manufacturing environments.
Mind Robotics was initially created in 2025, initially known as ‘Project Synapse,’ with a previous $115 million investment from Eclipse. The latest funding values the company at more than $3 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Why It Matters
This development is significant because it signals continued investor confidence in advanced industrial automation, which could reshape manufacturing processes. The substantial funding boost indicates strong expectations for Mind Robotics’ potential to innovate in robotics technology, potentially impacting global supply chains and factory productivity.

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Background
Rivian, known for electric vehicles, spun off Mind Robotics to focus on industrial automation solutions. The company’s formation was driven by CEO RJ Scaringe’s belief that existing startups lacked the capacity to fully automate industrial work. The funding follows a broader trend of increased investment in robotics and automation, especially in manufacturing sectors seeking efficiency gains.
“We created Mind Robotics to develop robotics with human-like skills that can fundamentally change factory automation.”
— RJ Scaringe, Rivian CEO
“This investment reflects our confidence in Mind Robotics’ potential to lead in industrial automation innovation.”
— A venture capital representative from Kleiner Perkins

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What Remains Unclear
It remains unclear what specific products or prototypes Mind Robotics has developed so far, or when commercial deployment is expected. Details about the company’s technological breakthroughs and competitive positioning are still emerging.

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What’s Next
Next steps include further product development, testing, and potential pilot projects with manufacturing partners. The company is expected to announce more concrete milestones in the coming months, possibly including commercial rollouts.

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Key Questions
What exactly is Mind Robotics developing?
Mind Robotics is focused on developing industrial robots with human-like skills to automate factory operations, but specific products or prototypes have not yet been publicly disclosed.
How does this funding compare to previous investments?
The latest $400 million round brings total funding to over $1 billion, significantly increasing the company’s valuation to more than $3 billion, following an initial $115 million raise in 2025.
What is Rivian’s role in this company?
Rivian created Mind Robotics and its CEO, RJ Scaringe, is also the chairman. The spinoff allows Rivian to focus on electric vehicles while supporting robotics development for manufacturing automation.
When might we see products from Mind Robotics?
Specific timelines have not been announced; the company is likely in development and testing phases, with commercial deployment potentially several years away.