Mind Robotics, the industrial AI startup spun out of Rivian, has appointed former Ford electric vehicle executive Doug Field as president. The appointment announcement brings an experienced automotive technology leader to a company developing AI-powered robots for manufacturing.
Field will oversee product development, engineering and daily operations, while Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe remains involved as chairman. Founded in 2025, Mind Robotics has raised more than $1 billion from investors including Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Eclipse, Kleiner Perkins, Volkswagen's investment arm, and Salesforce Ventures.
Mind Robotics Targets Industrial Manufacturing
The startup is developing purpose-built robots powered by AI foundation models to automate complex factory tasks. Unlike humanoid robots designed to reproduce human movements, Mind Robotics focuses on machines optimised for industrial operations.
Rivian is the company’s first customer and provides an active manufacturing environment for collecting training data, testing models, and deploying robotic systems. Scaringe believes access to a functioning automotive factory will help the company develop robots capable of operating at industrial scale.
Field described combining AI and robotics as a major engineering challenge, emphasising the advantage of developing technology inside a working factory. His appointment places him in charge of translating that approach into products and manufacturing operations.
Doug Field Brings Experience From Ford, Tesla and Apple
Field left Ford in April 2026 after five years leading parts of its electric vehicle and technology strategy. His departure came during a broader leadership reorganisation at the automaker.
Before Ford, he led Apple’s Project Titan electric-and-autonomous-vehicle initiative, which Apple cancelled in 2024. He also served as Tesla’s senior vice president of engineering, overseeing Model 3 development and its difficult production ramp-up, and was the first employee at Segway.
Mind Robotics is Scaringe’s second major Rivian spinoff after Also, a micromobility company developing electric bicycles. Both operate independently, with Scaringe serving as chairman while dedicated executives manage daily operations.
According to Rivian’s June 2026 financial filing, the automaker retained a 32.1% ownership stake in Mind Robotics and a 35.3% stake in Also as of June 30. The investments maintain Rivian’s involvement in both businesses while allowing them to pursue their own development strategies.
