Rewired, the $100 million robotics-focused venture studio and fund, has appointed Silicon Valley technology investment veteran Gleb Chuvpilo as managing partner.
Chuvpilo had previously served as a venture partner with Rewired, helping identify, validate, and collaborate with the firm’s growing list of portfolio companies working with applied science technologies to develop what Rewired calls “the next generation of robotics”.
Chuvpilo brings both venture experience and deep technical expertise, with a master’s degree from the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and an MBA in Finance and Strategic Management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
A seasoned investor in the advanced technology sector, Chuvpilo previously managed artificial intelligence-driven quantitative trading portfolios at Goldman Sachs, with $10 billion assets under management, and Clarium, Peter Thiel’s $6 billion global macro fund.
Chuvpilo also helped Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian launch an early-stage venture fund focusing on investments in Y Combinator startups.
Chuvpilo says: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to become involved with Rewired.
“Rewired has an incredible team, and we’ve put together an exciting, young, and incredibly promising portfolio.
“The intersection of robotics and AI will drive some of the most important advancements in the coming decades, and the response that we’ve already had to our fund has been extraordinary.
“I’m excited to be able to dedicate more time and energy to Rewired as a managing partner.”
Chuvpilo’s field experience in AI includes building AI algorithms at Palantir Technologies, an In-Q-Tel backed Silicon Valley startup, and co-founding several technology startups, including:
- Authy – Y Combinator class 2012, acquired by Twilio;
- Ride – with Uber co-founder Oscar Salazar, funded by TPG and Bono, acquired by Enterprise Holdings; and
- Pager – also with Oscar Salazar, funded by New Enterprise Associates and Ashton Kutcher.
In conjunction with Chuvpilo’s promotion to managing partner, Rewired also announced the official opening of its new office in Lausanne, Switzerland, with plans to launch the full robotics studio in 2018.
The Switzerland office will serve alongside Rewired’s existing London location.
Jae-Yong Lee, investment manager at Rewired, says: “Switzerland has fast become the epicenter of European robotics development, with some of the leading researchers and technologists in the world.
“Rewired is smart to develop their influence and presence here, but having Rewired’s expertise and resources more readily available to the Swiss robotics community is also an asset that will continue to propel the industry forward.”
Santiago Tenorio, general partner, says: “We already have important relationships in Switzerland, and we’ve recognized from the start of Rewired that a strong presence there would be a strategic advantage.
“Both Gleb’s hiring and our Lausanne office allow us to commit even more resources and time to the industry and make rapid advancements in the technologies currently being researched and developed.”
Rewired is backed by billionaire philanthropist Tej Kohli, through Cascade Global, a multifamily investment office.
In comments to City AM, Kohli says he is “deeply committed” to the investment goals of Rewired.
Kohli says: “What I like about Rewired is that it is driven by a more humanitarian notion of robotics and artificial intelligence.”
Rewired is currently particularly interested in companies or startups which are developing machine perception technologies.
Rewired says it believes improving sensory capabilities “will unlock the next generation of smart robotics”.
