Ex-Waymo Engineers Launch Bedrock Robotics with $80 Million to Automate Construction
Created on July 17|Last edited on July 17
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After operating under the radar for over a year, Bedrock Robotics has formally launched with $80 million in backing from Eclipse and 8VC. The company is targeting a niche in autonomous vehicle tech that hasn’t seen as much public attention: construction sites and industrial work zones. Bedrock’s system is designed to retrofit existing heavy equipment with autonomous capabilities, allowing vehicles already in the field to become self-driving without full replacement.
Founding Team with Deep Roots in Robotics and Autonomy
Bedrock is led by Boris Sofman, formerly head of Waymo’s now-defunct autonomous trucking division and co-founder of the now-shuttered Anki Robotics. He’s joined by a team of familiar names from the robotics world. CTO Kevin Peterson, VP of engineering Ajay Gummalla, and fellow VP of engineering Tom Eliaz all bring experience from Waymo, Segment, and Twilio. Their backgrounds reflect a growing trend of self-driving talent shifting from on-road vehicle projects to off-road applications, which are seen as more commercially viable in the near term.
A Focus on Construction and Off-Road Autonomy
The core technology behind Bedrock’s system is a modular self-driving kit that integrates sensors, onboard computing, and AI software capable of adapting to constantly changing environments. Unlike urban driving, construction zones are unpredictable, with frequent human interaction, evolving terrain, and no fixed road infrastructure. Bedrock’s platform is built to understand project goals and execute tasks autonomously, potentially around the clock, with the flexibility to adapt as conditions shift on the ground.
Investor Confidence in a Competitive Sector
The $80 million raised by Bedrock is significant given the recent cooling in autonomous vehicle investment. However, off-road autonomy is seen as more immediately practical than robotaxis, which still face regulatory and safety hurdles. Companies like Pronto, SafeAI, Polymath Robotics, and Kodiak have also been moving into this space, signaling a broadening of autonomous vehicle applications beyond the passenger car. The capital influx indicates investors are betting on Bedrock’s ability to establish a stronghold in this emerging but fragmented sector.
Early Partnerships and Field Testing in the U.S.
Bedrock has already begun field testing in several U.S. states, including Arkansas, Arizona, Texas, and California. Its pilot partners include major names in the construction industry like Sundt Construction, Zachry Construction Corporation, Champion Site Prep Inc., and Capitol Aggregates Inc. These trials are helping validate the system in real-world environments and could lead to scaled deployments if performance and safety benchmarks are met. The retrofit model also lowers the barrier to adoption for firms looking to add autonomy without replacing costly heavy machinery.
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