The chief executive officer of one of Canada’s most interesting robotics companies departed his company unexpectedly this month.
“We are announcing a significant transition within our leadership team,” read a recent announcement from Sanctuary AI, whose Phoenix robot and Carbon AI combination stands among the world’s top innovations.
“After much consideration, Geordie Rose is leaving his position as CEO of Sanctuary AI,” the company stated. The decision comes following a capital raise and as Sanctuary’s technology begins deployment at Manga manufacturing facilities.
Rose, a cofounder, was described by Sanctuary as a “pioneering force and visionary in the development of human-like intelligence and humanoid robotics,” but the firm did not disclose why the CEO is leaving the company or whether he will remain involved with Sanctuary in some capacity.
“His leadership has established Sanctuary as a leader in this emerging field,” the memo read. “His commitment to advancing our mission and this category has inspired our progress and positioned us at the forefront of innovation.”
Despite significant contributions to the field and to Sanctuary, Rose was immediately scrubbed from the company’s “About” page, which we thought was suspicious. And now our suspicions have been confirmed.
Sanctuary AI’s board of directors “forced” Rose out of his role as chief, reports The Logic, which was followed by layoffs impacting “upwards of 30 people.” The exit of Rose, who is also known for founding Burnaby quantum computing pioneer D-Wave Systems, was “sudden and unexpected,” according to former employees.
Given the capital-intensive nature of the robotics business, one salient concern oriented around Sanctuary’s ability to raise funds. Sanctuary has secured $140 million so far, which may seem substantial but is in fact a drop in the bucket compared to what some U.S. robotics rivals have pulled off—Elon Musk’s Tesla AI, for example, secured nearly US$700M in a Series B round earlier this year.
Sanctuary unveiled the latest generation of Phoenix recently. The seventh generation Phoenix builds on its 2023 predecessor with upgrades to both the robot’s hardware and his AI software, including increased uptime, enhanced range of motion, and miniaturized hydraulics that reduce the power consumption and complexity of robotic movement. It’s also cheaper and faster to manufacture and automate than previous iterations.
Moving forward, James Wells will act as interim CEO.
“The Board and the executive team are fully committed to managing a transition and to positioning the company so we can continue the great work we’ve set out to do together,” Sanctuary AI stated.
Founded in 2018, Sanctuary AI ranks among Canada’s top startups to work for.
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