TL;DR
- Diligent Robotics appoints Rashed Haq (CTO) and Todd Brugger (COO), both former Cruise executives
- The company is preparing to scale its fleet of Moxi humanoid robots in hospitals and pharmacies
- Moxi supports non-clinical, high-frequency tasks like deliveries and inventory handling
- With 100+ robots already deployed, Diligent is entering an aggressive growth phase
- Backed by $90M+ from Tiger Global, True Ventures, Canaan Partners, and others
From Autonomy to Humanoids: Cruise Alumni Join Diligent
Austin-based robotics startup Diligent Robotics has made a decisive move to strengthen its executive team, bringing on two key former leaders from self-driving company Cruise. The company announced it has appointed Rashed Haq as Chief Technology Officer and Todd Brugger as Chief Operating Officer.
Haq previously led AI and robotics as VP at Cruise, while Brugger served as Chief Operating Officer until Cruise ceased operations earlier this year. Their combined experience in scaling autonomous systems from lab to real-world application aligns with Diligent’s ambition to industrialize humanoid robotics for the healthcare sector.
“We’re entering a new stage of operational scale,” said CEO Andrea Thomaz, co-founder of Diligent. “Both hires bring exactly the mix of expertise and execution we need.”
Moxi Moves Into Prime Time
Diligent Robotics’ signature product is Moxi, a humanoid robot designed to assist hospital staff with repetitive logistical tasks such as delivering lab samples, moving supplies, and collecting medications. Unlike surgical or patient-facing robots, Moxi focuses on support functions, alleviating the administrative burden on overworked clinicians.
With over 100 robots deployed across more than 25 healthcare networks, Moxi is already showing traction — not just as a trial but as a durable solution. This deployment volume sets Diligent apart from many robotics startups still in pilot or lab phases.
Strategic Experience Meets Tactical Execution
Diligent’s new CTO, Rashed Haq, emphasized the practical readiness of Moxi:
“Unlike ‘vibe revenue’ models that fizzle post-pilot, Moxi is now an integral part of daily operations in facilities,” said Haq. “This is a sticky product that has crossed the adoption threshold.”
Brugger echoed that sentiment, noting that Diligent faces familiar operational challenges from his Cruise days:
“You start with safety, move to reliability, and then broaden the robot’s capabilities. The pyramid is the same,” he said.
Their prior experience — scaling fleets of autonomous vehicles to real-world complexity — now transitions to humanoid robotics, with the added nuance of navigating medical facilities and real-time human interaction.
Scaling Up with VC Backing
Founded in 2017 by Andrea Thomaz and Vivian Chu, Diligent Robotics has attracted over $90 million in venture capital. Backers include Tiger Global, True Ventures, Canaan Partners, and others.
As the company pivots from operational refinement to full-scale rollout, the experience of Haq and Brugger could determine how quickly — and safely — Diligent can expand into more hospitals and pharmacy environments.
Data Callout: Diligent Robotics Key Metrics
| Metric | Details |
| Robots Deployed | 100+ humanoid Moxi units |
| Healthcare Networks Served | 25+ hospital systems |
| Founded | 2017, Austin, Texas |
| Total Funding Raised | $90M+ from top-tier VC firms |
| New Executive Hires | Rashed Haq (CTO), Todd Brugger (COO) |
Diligent Robotics / TechCrunch
Building Trust, Not Just Technology
Diligent is prioritizing safety and reliability as its foundational values — a clear reflection of Brugger’s operational discipline from Cruise. As Moxi robots work side-by-side with nurses and clinical staff, any failure could undermine years of trust-building.
But Thomaz remains optimistic:
“This isn’t about replacing healthcare workers — it’s about making them more efficient and supported.”
With demand for healthcare labor only increasing, especially in post-COVID environments, Moxi’s ability to take on non-clinical, time-consuming tasks could make it indispensable.
Looking Ahead: From Hospitals to Pharmacies
Diligent’s near-term goals include scaling within existing hospital clients, expanding into pharmacy logistics, and refining Moxi’s AI to learn from deployment data across systems. Haq and Brugger’s arrival comes at a strategic inflection point as the company prepares to commercialize nationally — and possibly internationally.
Whether Diligent can meet that demand depends on maintaining product reliability, managing cost-efficient deployments, and continuing to build institutional trust in environments where downtime is not an option.
