Doug Field Joins Rivian’s Mind Robotics as President — SkimNews
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- Doug Field becomes president of Mind Robotics, the Rivian spinout focused on industrial robotics, taking charge of product, engineering, and operations alongside CEO RJ Scaringe.
- Mind Robotics has raised over $1 billion since late 2025, including a $500 million Series A and a $400 million round valuing the company at $3.4 billion, despite not yet revealing a public product.
- Rivian serves as both a major shareholder and launch customer for Mind Robotics, offering the startup access to its high-volume Normal, Illinois factory for real-world robot training and deployment.
- Tesla faces setbacks with its Optimus humanoid robot program, having failed to put any units into useful factory work by 2025 despite repeated promises, contrasting Mind Robotics’ quieter, factory-grounded approach.
- RJ Scaringe calls Field 'a remarkable leader with a track record of delivering new technologies,' signaling a strategic push to make Mind Robotics a core initiative, not a side project.
Why it matters: Mind Robotics gains a proven hardware industrializer in Doug Field at a critical stage, while Rivian strengthens its bet on robotics as a value driver. The $3.4 billion valuation and access to a live auto plant give Mind a tangible edge over rivals like Tesla’s stalled Optimus, where no robots are yet performing useful work despite years of hype.
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