Rivian’s RJ Scaringe thinks we’re doing robots all wrong

Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has launched a new robotics startup called Mind Robotics, marking his third company after Rivian and the micromobility startup Also. Unlike Also, which originated within Rivian, Mind Robotics is an independent private company with Rivian as a minority partner. Since its founding in November 2025, Mind Robotics has raised $615 million in funding led by venture firms Accel and Andreessen Horowitz, reaching a valuation of about $2 billion. Scaringe envisions Mind Robotics as a potentially large business that could complement Rivian’s manufacturing needs. The impetus for Mind Robotics came from Scaringe’s reflections on Rivian’s upcoming R2 electric SUV, which is expected to generate high production volumes and require multiple new factories. Concerned about the high capital expenditure and the risk of plants becoming outdated, Scaringe studied the future of manufacturing and concluded that traditional industrial robotics would persist but would not suffice for tasks requiring human-like skills. He identified