
Ex-Waymo engineers launch Bedrock Robotics with $80M to automate construction
Bedrock Robotics, a startup founded by veterans of Waymo and Segment, has emerged from stealth mode with an $80 million funding round led by Eclipse and 8VC. The company is focused on developing an autonomous kit that can be retrofitted to construction and other worksite vehicles.
According to CEO Boris Sofman’s blog post, Bedrock is “upgrading existing fleets with sensors, compute, and intelligence that understands project goals, adapts to changing conditions, and executes work around the clock.” This technology aims to streamline construction processes by providing autonomous capabilities for these vehicles.
Sofman’s background in leading Waymo’s self-driving trucks program may have influenced the company’s focus on off-road environments. Bedrock Robotics’ other co-founders include Kevin Petersen, a CTO from Waymo; Ajay Gummalla, VP of engineering also from Waymo; and Tom Eliaz, who previously worked at Segment and Twilio.
Bedrock is not alone in its mission to apply autonomous vehicle technology to off-road environments like construction, mining, industrial sites, or defense. Other startups have entered this space recently, including Pronto, which acquired competitor SafeAI earlier this week. Kodiak Robotics, Polymath Robotics, Overland AI from Seattle, Potential from New Brunswick, Canada, and established companies like Forterra are also operating in the same sector.
Bedrock has been testing its technology at five corporate sites in Arkansas, Arizona, Texas, and California with Sundt Construction, Zachry Construction Corporation, Champion Site Prep Inc., and Capitol Aggregates Inc.
Source: techcrunch.com