Diligent Robotics Boosts Leadership with Two Former Cruise Trailblazers

Rolling Out the Big Bosses: Diligent Robotics Swears Up New CTO & COO

Pop those factory circuits, because Diligent Robotics is upping the ante. The Austin‑based startup, which has already built a quarter‑of‑a‑century of its Moxi humanoid robots, is bringing in fresh minds from the world of self‑driving cars to take its hospital and pharmacy play to the next level.

Meet the New Power Players

• Rashed Haq – Chief Technology Officer 

  He left Cruise as the vice president and head of AI & robotics. Haq’s main gig was turning cutting‑edge algorithms into real‑world feats on the open road — a perfect fit for a platform that needs to navigate the bustling halls of medicine.

• Todd Brugger – Chief Operating Officer 

  Brugger, Cruise’s former COO, oversaw the company’s push from zero to hundreds of autonomous vehicles roaming the streets. That knack for scaling is exactly what Diligent was craving.

Why Now is the Moment

“We’ve deliberately kept the growth rate measured over the past two‑to‑three years,” explains co‑founder and CEO Andrea Thomaz, before talking TechCrunch. “We’ve fine‑tuned the operations and are now prepped to scale on a whole new level at the end of this year and into the next.”

Thomaz’s first conversation with Haq was all about his deep‑dive AI chops and how he’s been able to make algorithms that used to stay locked in labs actually roll on real roads. As for Brugger, she cashed in a mutual connection and recognized his experience heading a company from a handful to a fleet that’s ready to hit the streets.

What This Means for Diligent’s Robot Gig

With a growing roster of about 100 Moxi machines already helping with non‑patient‑facing tasks, the company is poised to push these aids into more hands. The addition of Haq and Brugger signals a serious commitment to expanding that footprint while keeping the bot staff well‑wired and efficient.

Bottom Line

From cruise to clinic, Diligent Robotics is making moves that blend AI prowess with proven scaling experience. The next few months should see a noticeable surge in their robot presence across healthcare facilities — and the good news? It’s all grounded in real, on‑the‑ground engineering.

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Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise.

Diligent’s Turbocharged Takeoff: A Robot Tale with a Dash of Humor

It was a crisp, Californian fall in San Francisco—October 27‑29, 2025—all buzz, buzz, and a sprinkle of robot‑shininess. The city’s tech crowd was on the edge of their seats as “Todd and Rashed worked so well together at Cruise,” Thoma said, spotlighting a partnership that’s now riding the wandering wheels of Diligent.

From Cruise to Diligent: The Shift in the Playground

Those two high‑stakes engineers weren’t just swapping gear; they were swapping dreams. Todd’s knack for spatial sense and G1’s flame‑for‑machines made their connection at Cruise feel like a pre‑drummed conversation over coffee.

“Vibe Revenue” vs. Sticky Robots

• Haq’s T-Shirt Comment: “Many companies get some early revenue, like a warm hug that turns to a cold draft.” He called it “vibe revenue.”
• But when the robots started showing up in everyday tables, kitchens, or patient rooms, that revenue didn’t waver—it glued itself to the business.

Brugger’s Pyramid Blueprint

• Beyond the Safety Layer: “Safety sits at the bottom—no compromising on that.”
• Next came Reliability, then Product‑Market‑Fit.
• Once you hit that sweet spot, the business starts scaling up deployment like the newest block‑buster movie.

Diligent 101: Who’s Who and Why It Matters

• Founded: 2017 – by Thoma and Vivian Chu.
• Current Deployment: Over 25 healthcare networks feel the robot-everyday vibe.
• Funding: $90 million+ from Tiger Global, True Ventures, Canaan Partners, and others.