Rivian's new industrial AI and robotics startup, Mind Robotics, has appointed Doug Field as its president. Field brings extensive experience in electric vehicle and technology leadership from his previous roles at Ford, Tesla, and Apple, including overseeing the development of the Tesla Model 3 and leading Apple's canceled Project Titan. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe highlighted the alignment in vision and work culture between himself and Field, emphasizing the importance of intentional robotics development and deployment across society and industry.

Founded last year, Mind Robotics aims to revolutionize industrial manufacturing by developing purpose-built robots powered by advanced foundation AI models. Unlike other robotics ventures that focus on humanoid designs, Mind Robotics is concentrating on practical automation tailored for scalable factory operations. Rivian itself serves as the startup’s initial customer and testbed, providing a high-volume production environment to train and deploy the technology in real manufacturing conditions.

Mind Robotics has secured over $1 billion in funding from top venture capital firms including Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Eclipse, and Kleiner Perkins, alongside strategic investments from the venture arms of Volkswagen and Salesforce. With Field stepping in to manage day-to-day operations encompassing product development, engineering, and operational execution, the startup is positioned to accelerate its growth trajectory and broaden its impact within manufacturing spaces.

This new leadership move follows Field’s departure from Ford in April 2026, where he had spent five years shaping the automaker’s electric vehicle strategy. Mind Robotics is Rivian’s second independent venture beyond its core EV business, complementing its micromobility startup Also. Both subsidiaries operate with Rivian holding minority stakes, illustrating Scaringe’s strategy of fostering innovation through specialized standalone companies while maintaining close ties to the parent firm.