Show notes
Why aren’t hundreds of millions of intelligent robots already operating in the physical world?In this episode of NEXT with John Koetsier, John speaks with Seth Winterroth, partner at Eclipse, about the rapidly changing robotics investment landscape, the rise of physical AI, and the race to build the next generation of autonomous machines.They explore whether the world really needs hundreds of humanoid robotics companies, why timing matters as much as technology, and why some robotics startups may need to build the entire stack ... from hardware and embedded software to AI models, evaluation systems, and deployment infrastructure.The conversation also covers Genesis AI, Wayve, Project Prometheus, Apptronik, Figure, 1X, autonomous vehicles, delivery drones, industrial automation, surgical robotics, and the future of robots in the home.Topics include:• Why robots still aren’t widely deployed • The five forces driving robotics investment • Whether 400 humanoid robotics companies are too many • Full-stack versus platform-based robotics strategies • The challenge of achieving reliability and safety • When useful home robots may finally arrive • Why autonomous vehicles are already robots • The industries likely to adopt robotics first • The future of manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and surgery • What the next major robotics inflection point could be Seth Winterroth is a partner at Eclipse, an investment firm focused on companies transforming physical industries. Eclipse has backed robotics and automation companies including Genesis AI, Wayve, MiND Robotics, Foxglove, and Third Wave Automation.Subscribe to NEXT for more conversations about AI, robotics, emerging technology, and the companies shaping the future.00:00 Why aren’t robots everywhere yet?00:37 Introducing Seth Winterroth01:03 The robotics investment landscape02:00 Seth’s background in applied robotics03:01 The five forces accelerating robotics04:04 Are there too many humanoid robot companies?05:00 Creative destruction in robotics06:02 How investors pick the winners06:38 Why robotics companies need velocity07:00 The danger of being too early or too late07:51 How Wayve benefited from entering later08:36 Project Prometheus and the $10 billion seed round09:05 Why Genesis AI is building full stack10:01 Full-stack robotics versus foundation-model platforms11:03 The dirty secret: Where are all the robots?12:03 Reliability, safety, and deployment friction12:39 The challenge of vertical integration14:02 What robotics companies should build themselves15:03 Capital requirements and the robotics J-curve16:01 How robotics companies can scale rapidly16:39 When humanoid robots may reach the market17:04 Figure, 1X NEO, Unitree, and AgiBot18:24 A broader definition of robotics19:04 Are cameras and dishwashers robots?19:39 Autonomous vehicles as embodied AI20:23 Why transportation autonomy could be transformational21:05 Why humanoids still have a long way to go21:44 One general-purpose robot or many specialized machines?22:35 What will make home robots successful?23:39 Finding the minimum viable home robot24:20 Physical and digital products25:04 Why the App Store model matters for robotics26:05 How robots will gain new capabilities over time26:35 The brutal economics of consumer robotics27:12 Consumers buy outcomes, not robots27:48 Robotics beyond humanoids28:18 Kiva Systems and the modern robotics era29:05 Why constrained environments win first30:02 Robotics in automotive manufacturing and logistics31:02 Eclipse’s robotics portfolio31:31 When robots will begin walking among us32:03 The next major robotics inflection point32:42 Escaping the trough of disillusionment33:29 Why autonomous transportation is nearly solved34:04 How self-driving changes cities and society34:36 The future of robotic surgery35:01 Delivery drones and regulatory barriers35:39 Closing thoughts