Latest news with #JeffCardenas
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Humanoids, AVs, and what's next in AI hardware at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 hits Moscone West in San Francisco from October 27 to 29, bringing together 10,000+ startup and VC leaders for three days of bold ideas, groundbreaking tech, and future-shaping conversations. One of the most highly anticipated sessions happening on one of the two AI Stages will spotlight where AI hardware is heading next, featuring a live look at the robotics and autonomous systems pushing boundaries in real time. In this session, two of the field's most visionary builders, Raquel Urtasun and Jeff Cardenas, will take the stage to explore the current and future state of AI hardware. They will unpack how it's enabling new applications across humanoid robotics and autonomous vehicles. Expect live demonstrations, deep technical insight, and a look at what it takes to move advanced simulation and embodied intelligence from concept to real-world deployment. Jeff Cardenas is the co-founder and CEO of Apptronik, a human-centered robotics company developing some of the world's most advanced humanoid robots. Focused on designing machines that safely and intelligently work alongside people, Cardenas has guided Apptronik through key partnerships with companies like Google DeepMind, Nvidia, and Mercedes-Benz. His mission is clear: make robotics practical, capable, and commercially viable. Raquel Urtasun, founder and CEO of Waabi, is one of the most respected voices in self-driving technology. As a decorated researcher and entrepreneur, she is building a new generation of autonomous vehicle systems grounded in simulation and AI. Her work has earned recognition from TIME, Business Insider, and the Royal Society of Canada, and her company is setting new benchmarks in scalable, intelligent AV platforms. AI hardware is no longer just a technical foundation — it is the interface between intelligence and action. Whether it's robots that can operate in human environments or autonomous systems navigating real-world complexity, the next phase of AI will depend on hardware that can think, sense, and perform. This session will examine the progress, the challenges, and the breakthroughs that are shaping this frontier. Catch Raquel Urtasun and Jeff Cardenas on the AI Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, happening October 27 to 29 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Register now to join more than 10,000 startup and VC leaders and save up to $675 before prices increase. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
TechCrunch
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- TechCrunch
Humanoids, AVs, and what's next in AI hardware at Disrupt 2025
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 hits Moscone West in San Francisco from October 27 to 29, bringing together 10,000+ startup and VC leaders for three days of bold ideas, groundbreaking tech, and future-shaping conversations. One of the most highly anticipated sessions happening on one of the two AI Stages will spotlight where AI hardware is heading next, featuring a live look at the robotics and autonomous systems pushing boundaries in real time. In this session, two of the field's most visionary builders, Raquel Urtasun and Jeff Cardenas, will take the stage to explore the current and future state of AI hardware. They will unpack how it's enabling new applications across humanoid robotics and autonomous vehicles. Expect live demonstrations, deep technical insight, and a look at what it takes to move advanced simulation and embodied intelligence from concept to real-world deployment. Building the future, piece by piece Jeff Cardenas is the co-founder and CEO of Apptronik, a human-centered robotics company developing some of the world's most advanced humanoid robots. Focused on designing machines that safely and intelligently work alongside people, Cardenas has guided Apptronik through key partnerships with companies like Google DeepMind, NVIDIA, and Mercedes-Benz. His mission is clear: make robotics practical, capable, and commercially viable. Raquel Urtasun, founder and CEO of Waabi, is one of the most respected voices in self-driving technology. As a decorated researcher and entrepreneur, she is building a new generation of autonomous vehicle systems grounded in simulation and AI. Her work has earned recognition from TIME, Business Insider, and the Royal Society of Canada, and her company is setting new benchmarks in scalable, intelligent AV platforms. Why this session matters AI hardware is no longer just a technical foundation — it is the interface between intelligence and action. Whether it's robots that can operate in human environments or autonomous systems navigating real-world complexity, the next phase of AI will depend on hardware that can think, sense, and perform. This session will examine the progress, the challenges, and the breakthroughs that are shaping this frontier. Catch Raquel Urtasun and Jeff Cardenas on the AI Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, happening October 27 to 29 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Register now to join more than 10,000 startup and VC leaders and save up to $675 before prices increase.
CNBC
10-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
33. Apptronik
Founders: Jeff Cardenas (CEO), Nick Paine, Luis SentisLaunched: 2016Headquarters: Austin, TexasFunding: $443 millionValuation: N/AKey Technologies: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, deep neural networks/deep learning, generative AI, machine learningIndustry: IndustrialsPrevious appearances on Disruptor 50 list: 0 While it may be years before robots replace human workers en masse, they may at least soon be coming into more of our workplaces. Apptronik in 2023 released its first-ever commercial humanoid robot, Apollo, building on its development of bi-pedal mobility platforms, upper body humanoid robots and wearable robotic systems. Described as a general purpose humanoid robot, Apollo mirrors the look of a human, in order to effectively handle the same equipment and work in the same spaces as humans. Apollo stands at 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, and operates for four hours per battery pack. Currently, the robot is designed to operate in warehouses and manufacturing plants, with tasks ranging from trailer unloading to case picking and machine tending. The newest Apollo model is assisted by an AI data engine that allows the humanoid to function autonomously. By following foundation models from datasets of human demonstrations, Apollo can learn and conduct new tasks. Apptronik hopes to eventually broaden Apollo's reach into additional industries such as healthcare, construction, oil and gas, electronics production, retail and even help out with housework. Apptronik has secured partnerships with Nvidia and NASA, including working on NASA's humanoid robot Valkyrie. The human-centered robotics company has also struck commercial deals with Mercedes-Benz and GXO Logistics to pilot Apollo at manufacturing and warehouse facilities. This past March, Google's DeepMind joined forces with Apptronik, announcing in a blog post that it plans to "build the next generation of humanoid robots with Gemini 2.0.," its generative AI large language model. In February, Apptronik announced a $350 million Series A funding round, which was co-led by B-Capital and Capital Factory and also received participation from Google, a cash infusion that will help it expand the deployment and accelerate the development of Apollo, along with growing the company's team and scaling operations. While the growth of artificial intelligence continues to fuel fear among workers, Apptronik says its technology will be supporting humanity on the job rather than replacing it. According to co-founder and CEO Jeff Cardenas, the goal is for these robots is to be cheaper than a car, and it for them to become much more affordable overtime. Elon Musk's Tesla Optimus is one of Apptronik's biggest rivals. Elon Musk said during its first-quarter earnings call that Tesla expects "to have thousands of Optimus robots working in Tesla factories by the end of this year." Cardenas says Apptronik is "right there" with Tesla Optimus. "Our investors are really backing us and think that we have a real shot at winning this race," Cardenas said in an CNBC "Squawk Box" interview at the time of its recent fundraising.
Forbes
31-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Humanoid Robots Is The ‘Space Race Of Our Time,' Says Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas
The struggle to be first in humanoid robots is the space race of our time, says Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas, who also says that major upgrades are coming to Apptronik's appropriately-named Apollo robot in 2025. 'It is just amazing to me to hear that there's a hundred companies working on humanoid robots,' Cardenas told me recently on the TechFirst podcast. 'Investors that I talked to two years ago that said humanoids don't make sense. They didn't wanna pay attention to hardware. Now they have a humanoid thesis and hardware's the name of the game.' Apptronik closed a massive $403 million funding round early this year with blue-chip investors including tech titans like Google, massive automotive brand Mercedes-Benz, and venture heavyweights such as B Capital and Capital Factory. The company has also partnered with $30 billion global manufacturing giant Jabil to ramp up production capabilities and achieve mass scalability. 'One of the things that we realized was that if we really are going to ramp to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of units, we need to really learn about how to do manufacturing right and do it at scale," Cardenas told me. There are two main challenges now in humanoid robots. One is the breakneck race to bring the best, fastest, smartest, most capable and most adaptable humanoid robot to market, and that's dominated by companies like Figure, Tesla, Agility Robotics, Apptronik itself, and about 20 other companies in humanoid robotics. A European manufacturer, Neura Robotics, says it will ship a 'best in world' humanoid robot this summer. The second is to manufacture at scale to get the price affordable. Bank of America says that is likely to happen by 2028, when humanoid robots begin a mass adoption trend for commercial use. Humanoid robots, Bank of America says, can replace 20% of the world's industrial sector jobs: roles that employ perhaps 800 million people today. Service sectors and the home sector will come next, with a project penetration rate of .7 humanoid robots per household, and this phase is projected to kick off in 2034. Figure alone plans to ship 100,000 humanoid robots in the next four years: perhaps optimistic, but intriguing nevertheless. One thing we can say about Apptronik is that it has the capital and the manufacturing relationships to boost its odds of winning. Powered by recent AI breakthroughs, Apptronik is shifting beyond simple tasks like box-moving to advanced dexterous tasks. Cardenas emphasizes a human-centered design philosophy, aiming to create robots people want to be around, and expects meaningful industrial deployment in 2026, with additional use cases in healthcare, hospitality and elder care to follow 3–5 years later. Apollo improvements we'll see this year include upgraded dexterity, modular batteries for 24/7 uptime, and a design robust enough for factory floors or fulfillment centers. While clearly there's the fear of human replacement and job loss, Cardenas sees humanoid robots as helper, not usurpers. 'These are tools to augment human productivity and capability,' he told me. 'I think that's particularly important for humanoid robots is that they're thought of and designed to be human helpers versus something that replaces humans.'
Sky News
30-03-2025
- Automotive
- Sky News
Humanoid machine performs real-world task in significant development in robot revolution
A humanoid machine called Apollo has just taken a tentative, slightly jerky, but significant step forward in the robot revolution. The 5'8" tall robot performed the first public demonstration in a real-world setting of a real-world task - in this case assembling an engine part - entirely autonomously. Clicking two parts together with a twist of its servo-controlled wrists, and handing it to a human colleague is a basic task. But it's also an important moment in the much-hyped world of human-like robot development. "This is a really big day for us," says Jeff Cardenas, chief executive of Apptronik, the US company behind Apollo. "We're excited to show this off, excited for the public to see the robot live and in person." Mercedes-Benz has announced a multimillion-pound investment in Apptronik and is trialling a handful of the humanoid robots at its factory in Berlin and another in Hungary. Investors and industrial firms - particularly carmakers with long experience of using robots in manufacturing - have been closely following the development of human-like robots. The costs of small, lightweight components have fallen as artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and computer vision technology have led to rapid advances in the field of robots that can emulate human movement and tasks. But despite a rising number of increasingly impressive-looking cyborgs being unveiled by tech companies in the US and Asia, few have taken their first steps out of the lab. The Apollo robot looks small and underpowered surrounded by the huge robotic arms that weld, bolt and inspect Mercedes' latest cars at the Berlin-Marienfelde plant. But hosting a robot with a human "form-factor" is more than just a photo opportunity, according to Mercedes-Benz. "There's one big advantage," says Jorg Burzer, head of production and supply chain management at the German carmaker. "A humanoid robot is flexible, so you can basically introduce it to an assembly line or internal logistics or quality inspection... you can basically move it from one place to another." Introducing a new assembly line, or upgrading an old one with traditional robotic arms is a major investment. A robot that can be adapted to a range of tasks and work alongside humans would avoid that investment. With hands and feet like ours, they can operate tools and work in the same workspaces as people. Apollo can lift more than 25kg and potentially perform repetitive tasks that are, in the words of humanoid robot developers, too "dull, dirty or dangerous" for humans. The purpose of the trial is to establish which tasks humanoid robots can usefully do and help improve the machine learning and dexterity required to do more. "We want to try to find out what is really possible," says Mr Burzer. "It's also very important to test how a humanoid robot can be integrated in running production together with our colleagues working here every day." Texas-based Apptronik is reluctant to make claims as bold as some of their rivals. "Everyone's ready for a robot to come into their home and do all of their laundry and all the things that they don't want to do. But it's very early on," says Mr Cardenas. "Take the analogy of the shift to the personal computer. We're in the early '80s so at the very beginning." Investors seem to believe in a robot-dominated future. One recent forecast sees the humanoid market growing 20-fold in the next eight years, with predictions of a population of tens of millions of the machines by 2050. One major hurdle is the AI brains behind them. Apptronik admits a truly "general purpose" robot capable of functioning outside a predictable and controlled environment like a factory won't be possible until computer intelligence can understand the real world like we do. So-called "world models" are very much a work in progress for AI developers. So the important questions, like when humanoid robots will steal our jobs, or whether they will go rogue and rise up against us can wait... for a little while at least.
