OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is quietly backing a stealth startup called Alfred, adding to the growing wave of investment flowing into robotics and physical AI.
Founded by former Tesla designer Ankit Ukil and former Meta Reality Labs engineer Dömötör Gulyas, Alfred is developing software designed to power robots, autonomous machines, and future vehicle technologies. While the company has largely remained out of the public spotlight, it is already attracting attention from some of Silicon Valley’s most influential investors.
According to internal documents reviewed by Business Insider, Alfred is also backed by venture capital firms including Khosla Ventures, SV Angel, and Chapter One. The startup is currently raising funding at a reported $40 million valuation.
The investment reflects a broader shift among technology leaders and investors who increasingly see robotics as the next major frontier for artificial intelligence. While much of the recent AI boom has focused on chatbots and software tools, companies are now racing to bring AI into the physical world through robots, vehicles, and automated systems.
With support from prominent investors and founders who previously worked at Tesla and Meta, Alfred is positioning itself to build the software layer that could help power the next generation of intelligent machines.