Tesla Loses Some AI Staff to New Startup Sunday Robotics

After Sunday Robotics emerged from stealth mode final week, it revealed a workforce stocked with Tesla alums.

At the very least 10 former Tesla staff work on the robotics startup, together with a number of longtime staff who had been concerned in Tesla’s humanoid robotic and self-driving efforts, based on a LinkedIn evaluation.

Perry Jia, who labored on Tesla’s Autopilot and Optimus applications for almost six years, introduced final week that he’d left the electric-car maker throughout the summer season to work on the startup.

Nadeesha Amarasinghe additionally joined Sunday Robotics throughout the summer season, his LinkedIn profile exhibits. He’d beforehand labored at Tesla for greater than seven years, serving as an engineering lead for AI infrastructure, the place he assisted with each Optimus and Autopilot.

Tesla’s Autopilot and Optimus programs are among the many firm’s most high-profile efforts. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated the carmaker’s potential to unravel autonomous driving will decide its long-term worth. He has additionally positioned a heavy emphasis on the Optimus humanoid robotic, saying the corporate goals to finally ship hundreds of thousands of items able to duties starting from manufacturing facility work to private care.

Sunday Robotics additionally has an array of former Tesla interns and Autopilot staff who’ve labored at Tesla over the previous 5 years, together with Jason Peterson, a former Optimus and robotaxi expertise worker, based on his LinkedIn profile.

In complete, the startup employs round 50 folks, together with engineers and “reminiscence builders” who help in coaching the robotic, based on Sunday Robotics’ LinkedIn web page.

Tesla and Sunday Robotics didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

Cheng Chi and Tony Zhao cofounded Sunday Robotics in 2024. Zhao interned on Tesla’s Autopilot workforce in 2022, based on his LinkedIn profile.

On November 19, Sunday Robotics unveiled its residence robotic, Memo. Zhao posted a video on X that confirmed Memo choosing up wine glasses, loading a dishwasher, and folding socks.

Sunday Robotics is one of many robotics startups that’s constructing a house robotic.

Most not too long ago, robotics startup 1X unveiled the consumer-ready model of its Neo residence robotic in October. The corporate has stated it plans to start transport the robotic to clients subsequent yr.

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