According to TechCrunch, Rivian has created its second spinoff company this year called Mind Robotics, an industrial AI and robotics venture that’s already secured around $110 million in external seed capital. The announcement came in Rivian’s third-quarter shareholder letter published Tuesday, where CEO RJ Scaringe mentioned using “industrial AI to reshape how physical world businesses operate.” This follows Rivian’s March spinoff of its micromobility division into Also Inc, which was funded partly by Eclipse Ventures. A trademark application filed Monday lists Eclipse partner Jiten Behl as a signatory and Eclipse’s Palo Alto headquarters as the corporate address, though it’s unclear if Rivian employees are moving over to the new company.
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<h2 id="what-we-know”>What we actually know
Here’s the thing – despite the $110 million funding and all the buzzwords, we basically know nothing about what Mind Robotics will actually do. The trademark application is ridiculously broad, covering everything from machinery to vehicles to “incubators for eggs.” Seriously, egg incubators? That’s either a brilliant pivot strategy or someone forgot to narrow their trademark claims.
And that’s the real mystery here. Rivian‘s talking about using their “operations data as the foundation for a robotics data flywheel” – which sounds impressive until you realize they’re not explaining what that actually means. Are we talking warehouse automation? Manufacturing robots? Agricultural equipment? The complete lack of a digital footprint suggests this is either extremely early stage or deliberately secretive.
Why the robotics rush?
Look, everyone’s jumping on the robotics bandwagon right now. Tesla’s pushing its Optimus humanoid robot, General Motors is building its own AI division, and there’s a whole ecosystem of startups raising massive rounds. But here’s what makes Rivian’s move interesting – they’re not starting from scratch.
They’ve got years of experience building complex electric vehicles, which involves plenty of robotics and automation in manufacturing. That operational data they’re talking about? It probably includes everything from assembly line optimization to supply chain logistics. The question is whether that translates into products other companies will actually buy.
The bigger picture
This is Rivian’s second spinoff in less than a year, which tells you something about their strategy. They’re essentially creating venture-backed startups within their own ecosystem. It’s a clever way to unlock value from their R&D without diluting focus on their core EV business.
But I can’t help wondering – is this genuine innovation or just riding the AI hype cycle? $110 million is serious money for a company that hasn’t even explained what it does. The trademark filing reads like someone checked every possible box without a clear product direction.
What’s fascinating is the Eclipse connection. They backed Also Inc in March and now appear deeply involved with Mind Robotics. That suggests this isn’t just Rivian experimenting – there’s real investor confidence behind these spinoffs. Still, until we see actual products or at least a coherent vision, it’s hard to judge whether this is brilliant diversification or expensive distraction.
