Altman backs stealthy robotics software startup Alfred

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is backing Alfred, a stealthy Hawthorne, California–based robotics software startup founded by ex-Tesla designer Ankit Ukil and ex-Meta Reality Labs engineer Dömötör Gulyas. Backed by Hydrazine Capital and other investors, Alfred aims to raise about $40 million and is building a software platform to help engineers design and deploy machines faster, with talks reportedly underway with automakers, defense, and robotics firms. Altman has framed robotics as OpenAI’s next frontier, and Alfred’s team includes alumni from Tesla, Ford, and Honda, reflecting the broader surge of investment in physical AI and the robotics arms race.