Ex-Tesla Engineers Launch Robotics Startup to Automate Warehouse Logistics

Mytra, a robotics startup founded by former Tesla engineers, has launched with $78 million in funding to revolutionize warehouse logistics. 

The company's software-powered robots aim to transform material handling by automating common tasks like moving and storing goods to reshape the logistics industry.

Investment firm Greenoaks led the round which also included investments from Eclipse, 515 Ventures and Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan.

Mytra says it plans to use the funds to hire new staff and scale its technology to meet growing customer demands from blue-chip companies.

“Material flow makes up the lion's share of the work in a warehouse but is still largely done the same way it was a century ago,” said Chris Walti, Mytra’s co-founder and CEO.  “This is because the alternatives are too complex, have too many parts and are customized for specific applications.” 

"We're taking a radically different approach by reducing the number of parts and moving the focus from hardware to software. We are the first and only solution that can universally automate many of the most labor-intensive, costly and complex aspects of material flow, which are the 'red blood cells' of any industrial operation.”

Founded in 2022, the San Francisco-based startup automates one of the most common tasks in the logistics industry: moving and storing materials.

Related:Tesla to Start Using Humanoid Robots by Next Year

Mytra says that current material processes in warehouses and manufacturing facilities haven’t changed in the last half-century. 

It aims to augment material moving processes through robotics, providing companies with a customizable platform that automates pallet and case handling without needing forklifts or pallet jacks.

Mytra offers rectangular robots that traverse vertical shelves, moving items along designated paths. They’re designed to work in tandem, with hundreds of bots operating together, each of which can move up to 3,000 pounds horizontally and vertically.

A software platform optimizes robot routes and manages inventory, ensuring items are moved efficiently while also monitoring bot performance.

Walti previously led the Tesla team developing the Optimus humanoid robot. This week, Elon Musk said Tesla will start using humanoid robots in production from next year.

Mytra’s other co-founder also worked at Tesla. Ahmad Baitalmal led the company’s factory software efforts. The startup’s inception came from the venture equity at investment firm Eclipse.

Mytra estimates that warehouses leveraging its solutions save up to 88% of labor hours and experience double the internal rate of return compared to the current best-in-class technologies.

Related:Autonomous Warehouse Robotics Startup Raises $100M

“Mytra enables infinite ways to move, store and retrieve materials, changing applications instantly — all of which are controlled by software,” Walti said. “This will drive massive efficiencies not only within warehouses but also in adjacent transportation and manufacturing operations.”

The company has already secured several commercial partners, including grocery store chain Albertsons.

“Mytra's automation system offers unique flexibility to address many different applications using the same hardware,” said Mustafa Harcar, Albertsons’ vice president of supply chain automation. “Mytra's highly simplified approach has the potential to unlock new levels of efficiency, with the confidence that the system can adapt to future needs.”