In most factories, automation is fixed: robots and machines are programmed for one specific task and product. Changing a line means reprogramming and physical retooling, or swapping out equipment, which can take weeks or months. San Francisco-based Industrial Next says it’s changing that.
The startup, which presented today on the Startup Battlefield stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, builds AI-driven, self-contained robotic stations powered by proprietary foundation models that connect vision, task context, and motion. The company claims this allows a production line to be retooled in minutes rather than weeks without traditional programming. The goal is to enable manufacturers to automate complex and delicate tasks that traditionally require human labor.
Partnership with BMW
Industrial Next announced on stage that it’s partnering with BMW Group Technology Office to evaluate its AI-powered dexterous manipulation for manufacturing.
Founders' Background
Founded in 2021 by Lukas Pankau and Allen Pan, both of whom previously worked at Tesla, the company emerged from their shared frustrations with traditional industrial equipment. Pankau served as a lead electrical architect at Tesla before moving on to Waymo, while Pan led Tesla’s autonomous factory efforts and later became a chief architect at autonomous driving company Neolix. The idea for Industrial Next was conceived while they were working together at Tesla.
Pankau recalls their first encounter: "I literally tripped over him as he was asleep on a factory catwalk after pulling an all-nighter." Despite a rocky start, they soon discovered their shared obsession with efficiency and complementary skills.
