TL;DR
- Bedrock Robotics, founded by former Waymo and Segment engineers, emerges from stealth with $80M in funding.
- The company is building a retrofit self-driving kit for construction and worksite vehicles.
- CEO Boris Sofman previously led Waymo’s autonomous trucks unit and co-founded Anki Robotics.
- Investors in the round include Eclipse Ventures and 8VC.
- Bedrock is already testing in Arkansas, Arizona, Texas, and California with major construction firms.
Bedrock Robotics Targets the Off-Road Autonomy Market
A new player is entering the increasingly competitive world of off-road robotics. Bedrock Robotics, a startup founded by former Waymo and Segment engineers, has publicly launched after securing an $80 million funding round led by Eclipse Ventures and 8VC.
Unlike companies focused on consumer or on-road autonomy, Bedrock is taking aim at the construction and industrial sectors, offering a retrofit solution that brings autonomous capability to existing heavy machinery. According to CEO Boris Sofman, the company is “upgrading existing fleets with sensors, compute, and intelligence that understands project goals, adapts to changing conditions, and executes work around the clock.”
The product is being positioned as a plug-and-play “self-driving kit” for construction vehicles — a model that avoids manufacturing new equipment while unlocking automation for existing fleets.
Founding Team With Deep Autonomy Experience
Bedrock’s leadership team brings credibility and expertise from the top tiers of robotics and autonomous vehicle development. Sofman formerly led Waymo’s autonomous trucking division and earlier co-founded Anki Robotics, known for its hit consumer robot Cozmo before its 2019 shutdown.
Other Bedrock co-founders include:
- Kevin Petersen, CTO and former autonomy lead at Waymo
- Ajay Gummalla, VP of Engineering and former robotics infrastructure lead at Waymo
- Tom Eliaz, VP of Engineering with prior experience at Segment and Twilio
The startup is the latest to redirect experienced AV engineers toward off-road opportunities, where the market for industrial autonomy is both broad and relatively underdeveloped compared to on-road AVs.
Field Tests With Major Construction Partners
Bedrock is already operational in four U.S. states — Arkansas, Arizona, Texas, and California — and is testing its autonomous solutions in partnership with five major corporations:
The company’s retrofit kits are being piloted in real-world construction environments, allowing Bedrock to iterate quickly and integrate directly with ongoing job site operations.
Market Context: Growing Interest in Off-Road Autonomy
Bedrock joins a growing cohort of startups applying autonomy in non-road sectors such as construction, mining, and defense. Other companies innovating in this space include:
- Pronto AI, which recently acquired SafeAI
- Kodiak Robotics, focused on autonomous freight
- Polymath Robotics, offering low-cost autonomy tools
- Overland AI and Forterra, among others
This growing interest highlights an inflection point where industrial autonomy is shifting from pilot tests to scalable commercial solutions.
Bedrock Robotics Overview
| Metric | Details | Source |
| Funding Raised | $80 million | TechCrunch |
| Key Investors | Eclipse Ventures, 8VC | Eclipse, 8VC |
| Focus Area | Retrofit self-driving kits for construction and industrial vehicles | Bedrock Robotics |
| Founding Team | Ex-Waymo and Segment engineers, including Boris Sofman and Kevin Petersen | TechCrunch |
| Pilot Test Regions | Arkansas, Arizona, Texas, California | TechCrunch |
| Corporate Partners | Sundt, Zachry, Champion Site Prep, Capitol Aggregates | Sundt, Zachry |
