Kyle Vogt, the former CEO and co-founder of General Motors’ self-driving unit Cruise, has announced the launch of a new robotics company, The Bot Company, after stepping down from Cruise in November following an accident.
Vogt revealed the news in a LinkedIn post on Monday, stating that he had partnered with Luke Holoubek, a former Technical Advisor for Cruise, and Paril Jain, previously a Tech Lead and Manager in artificial intelligence (AI) at Tesla, to start the new venture.
“We’re building bots that do chores so you don’t have to,” Vogt wrote. “Everyone is busy. Bots can help.”
The company has already secured $150 million in funding from investors and entrepreneurs, according to Vogt, who promised more details about the venture would be forthcoming.
Jain, in a repost of Vogt’s announcement, expressed his excitement for the new opportunity and announced his departure from Tesla after seven years with the company.
The Bot Company’s mission, as stated on its website, is to “build robots that give you time back.”
Vogt’s tenure at Cruise began in 2013 when he helped found the company, which was later acquired by GM in 2016. Cruise had been operating driverless ride-sharing vehicles in San Francisco until an accident in October involving one of its self-driving vehicles led to a suspension of its license by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Following the accident, Vogt and another co-founder resigned, and the company announced layoffs affecting 24 percent of its staff, along with the termination of several other leaders.
