Mind Robotics, the industrial robotics venture founded by Rivian Chief Executive Officer RJ Scaringe, has named Doug Field as its president. Field will oversee product, engineering, and operations as the company prepares to scale deployment in high-volume manufacturing settings. The appointment was announced onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 and signals a significant leadership expansion for the Palo Alto-based startup.
Leadership Expansion
Scaringe said he initially contacted Field to ask for a recommendation before the conversation evolved into a deeper alignment on mission and culture. Field will handle day-to-day aspects of the business while Scaringe remains involved with the startup alongside his role at Rivian. The structure mirrors Scaringe's approach at Also, his micromobility company where Chris Yu runs daily operations.
Industrial Focus and Funding
Mind Robotics is building a full-stack platform that combines foundation models, purpose-built hardware, and deployment infrastructure for manufacturing tasks. Unlike humanoid robots being pursued by Tesla and others, the company is not attempting to replicate all human biomechanics. Rivian serves as its first customer and a live, high-volume manufacturing environment for model training and deployment.
Investors have backed the startup with more than US$1 billion in funding, according to details shared at the event. Backers include Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Eclipse, Kleiner Perkins, and the venture arms of Volkswagen and Salesforce. This capital base supports Mind Robotics as it moves from early research toward industrial scale operations.
Field's Track Record
Field joins Mind Robotics after serving as Chief EV, Digital and Design Officer at Ford, where he helped shape the automaker's electric vehicle strategy. Earlier, he led Apple's Special Projects Group and Mac hardware engineering, and he was senior vice president of engineering at Tesla during Model 3 production. His career also includes being employee number one at Segway, giving him deep experience across hardware, software, and advanced manufacturing.
Strategic Vision
Field described the integration of AI and robotics as one of the most important and difficult engineering challenges of the current era. He highlighted Mind Robotics' ability to deploy and learn inside a real, high-volume factory from day one as a distinctive advantage. The company is positioning itself to help redefine American manufacturing through automation.
Operational Positioning
Mind Robotics operates as a standalone company with a minority stake held by Rivian, which reported owning about one third of the startup as of June 30, 2026. It was founded in 2025 and has already attracted a team spanning AI, robotics, and industrial manufacturing. The appointment of Field reflects a push to strengthen leadership as the company prepares for wider deployment.
Broader Venture Strategy
Mind Robotics is the second company Scaringe has created outside of Rivian. The first, Also, is a micromobility startup focused on high-end e-bikes and is led day to day by Chris Yu, the former chief product officer of Specialized. Both ventures remain independent, and Rivian reported owning minority stakes in each as of mid 2026.
The addition of Doug Field gives Mind Robotics a seasoned executive with proven experience bringing complex hardware and software products to market. With substantial funding, a high-profile team, and direct access to Rivian's manufacturing operations, the startup is well positioned to advance industrial automation. Its progress will be closely watched as it attempts to turn foundation model robotics into practical factory tools.