Industrial Next wants factory robots to switch tasks in minutes, not weeks

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 says this lets a production line be retooled in minutes rather than weeks without traditional programming. The goal is to let manufacturers automate complex and delicate tasks that traditionally require human labor.

The company announced on stage that it’s partnering with BMW Group Technology Office to evaluate Industrial Next’s AI-powered dexterous manipulation for manufacturing.

Industrial Next was founded in 2021 by Lukas Pankau and Allen Pan, both of whom previously worked at Tesla. Pankau served as a lead electrical architect at Tesla before moving on to Waymo. Pan led Tesla’s autonomous factory efforts and later became a chief architect at autonomous driving company Neolix.

The pair came up with the idea for Industrial Next while working together at Tesla. Pankau’s first encounter with Pan was literally tripping over him as Pan was asleep on a factory catwalk after pulling an all-nighter. Although the two didn’t get along at first, they soon realized they shared an obsession with getting things done and had complementary skills. 

After years of watching cutting-edge vehicle and self-driving technology get held back by decades-old factory equipment, the founders realized that manufacturing needed to be rebuilt.

To check out more of the Startup Battlefield — along with a slate of established founders and VCs whose takes on the industry you won’t want to miss — join us at Disrupt, happening this week in downtown San Francisco.

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