Launchpad Build AI opens El Segundo HQ after USD $11m
Mon, 4th May 2026 (Today)
Launchpad Build AI has opened its US headquarters in El Segundo and launched an artificial intelligence model focused on manufacturing. The move marks what the robotics company describes as a new phase of growth after raising USD $11 million in Series A funding.
It has also rebranded from Launchpad Build to Launchpad Build AI and appointed two senior executives to lead its technology and model development work. Founded in 2020, the business operates from El Segundo and Edinburgh, with deployments across the US and Europe.
Expansion move
The new headquarters is at 1330 E Franklin Avenue in El Segundo, an area known for aerospace, defence and advanced manufacturing businesses. The site is intended to support the company's next stage of growth in the US market.
Chief Executive Officer Jon Quick said the relocation, rebrand and product launch form part of the same stage in the company's development.
"Physical AI isn't just the future, it exists in the here and now. What better place to be building it than in El Segundo surrounded by first class entrepreneurs, top-tier talent, and established deep tech and defense tech companies. This is an important step forward in our journey alongside the launch of our Manufacturing Language Model and rebrand as Launchpad Build AI," said Quick.
El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel welcomed the company's arrival, saying the city had become a home for businesses across several hard-tech sectors.
"El Segundo's interdisciplinary hard tech community is truly unique, and Launchpad Build AI is exactly the kind of innovative, technology-driven company our city attracts and nurtures. They are not only building new solutions in AI and advanced manufacturing, they are building networks of partnerships across El Segundo," said Pimentel.
Model launch
Central to the announcement is what the company calls the world's first Manufacturing Language Model, or MLM, a system designed for industrial automation. The model can work from a photo, video or CAD input to help factories develop automation systems.
The company said the model has been trained on information from live production environments. It is intended to lower barriers to robotics adoption, particularly for high-mix, low-volume manufacturers that produce a wide variety of products in smaller runs and have often found automation harder to deploy.
The model forms part of a broader software and robotics offering for assembly automation. The technology is intended to reduce the time and cost of delivering automation systems by as much as 50%.
The rebrand reflects a greater emphasis on artificial intelligence across the company's platform and product range. Launchpad Build AI aims to apply AI to the design, deployment and operation of manufacturing systems.
Senior hires
The company has added two executives with backgrounds in industrial AI, computer vision and manufacturing data.
Ken Moynihan has joined as Chief Technology Officer. He brings more than 20 years of experience in computer vision, robotics and AI, and previously held senior research, development and leadership roles at TOMRA, known for AI-based sorting systems.
Yannis Georgas has joined as Head of Manufacturing Language Model. He was previously at Capgemini Invent, where he led industrial data and AI projects involving agentic AI, large language models and digital twins for manufacturing and defence clients.
The appointments show the company is investing in both robotics engineering and the development of the AI models used in production settings. Moynihan will support its next stage of technical scale, while Georgas will oversee development and deployment of the Manufacturing Language Model.
Funding backdrop
These changes follow a Series A round in the second half of 2025 that raised USD $11 million. Investors included Lavrock Ventures, Squadra Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Scottish National Investment Bank, PXN Group, CX2 and Ericsson Ventures.
The backing gives Launchpad Build AI support from investors with interests spanning defence, industrial technology and national economic development. That mix reflects the company's position at the intersection of robotics, manufacturing software and AI.
Launchpad Build AI was founded to rethink manufacturing and support local economies. Its business combines robotics with AI software for real-world assembly automation, with a focus on addressing labour shortages and helping manufacturers introduce automated systems more quickly.
Its systems are already deployed across the US and Europe.