Rivian just dropped its second major spinoff of 2025. The EV maker announced Mind Robotics, an industrial AI and robotics venture that's already secured $110 million in external seed funding. This marks another bold move by CEO RJ Scaringe to monetize Rivian's tech beyond vehicle manufacturing, following March's micromobility spinoff Also Inc.
Rivian just made robotics its next frontier. The EV startup announced Mind Robotics Tuesday, an industrial AI venture that's secured $110 million in seed funding before most people even knew it existed. This marks Rivian's second spinoff in eight months, signaling CEO RJ Scaringe's aggressive push to monetize the company's technology beyond electric trucks and vans. The timing couldn't be more strategic. While Tesla grabs headlines with humanoid robots, Rivian's quietly building what it calls a 'robotics data flywheel' using real operational insights from its manufacturing and logistics networks. According to the company's Q3 shareholder letter, Mind Robotics will focus on using 'industrial AI to reshape how physical world businesses operate.' That's corporate speak for applying machine learning to manufacturing, warehousing, and supply chain operations - areas where Rivian's accumulated serious expertise scaling production. The $110 million seed round puts Mind Robotics in rare company. Most robotics startups struggle to raise eight figures, but Rivian's operational credibility and data advantages clearly resonated with investors. Eclipse Ventures appears to be involved, based on trademark filings that list Eclipse partner Jiten Behl as a signatory and the firm's Palo Alto address as Mind Robotics' corporate headquarters. This follows the same playbook Rivian used with Also Inc, the micromobility spinoff launched in March. Eclipse led Also's initial funding, which eventually grew to over $305 million across two rounds. The pattern suggests Rivian's found a willing partner in Eclipse for commercializing its internal innovations. 'We believe AI-enabled robotics can support a wide range of industrial applications,' Rivian stated in Tuesday's letter. The company's staying deliberately vague about specifics, but the USPTO trademark application reveals ambitious scope - covering everything from machinery and vehicles to 'incubators for eggs.' That breadth hints at a platform approach rather than single-product focus. The robotics sector's absolutely on fire right now. Tesla unveiled its Optimus humanoids, while General Motors is building its own robotics division. Dozens of startups are chasing the industrial automation opportunity, from warehouse robots to manufacturing assistants. But Rivian's got something most competitors lack - real-world operational data from scaling an automotive manufacturing business. '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 in the shareholder letter. Reading between the lines, this suggests some Rivian employees might transition to Mind Robotics, similar to how the Also team spun out. The company declined to confirm staff movements, but the talent pipeline from Rivian's engineering teams would give Mind Robotics immediate credibility in a crowded field. What makes this particularly interesting is the timing. Rivian's still burning cash to ramp vehicle production, yet it's confidently spinning out valuable IP and talent. This suggests management believes the robotics opportunity is both immediate and potentially more profitable than the core EV business. Industrial automation typically commands higher margins than vehicle manufacturing, and the addressable market spans every physical industry. Mind Robotics essentially has zero digital presence beyond that trademark filing, which means we're seeing this company at its absolute earliest stage. The broad trademark language suggests they're keeping options open while figuring out which industrial applications offer the biggest opportunities.
