Bedrock Robotics Secures $80M to Automate Construction Equipment Amid Labor Shortage

San Francisco-based Bedrock Robotics has raised $80 million in funding to retrofit construction machinery with AI-driven automation systems. The startup's technology equips standard excavators and bulldozers with cameras, sensors, and machine-learning software to operate autonomously on job sites.

Founder and CEO Boris Sofman highlights the urgent need for such solutions: a half-million-worker labor shortage plagues the industry, with 40% of the current workforce approaching retirement. The autonomous systems, already operational in multiple states, aim to address both productivity gaps and safety concerns without eliminating human jobs.

Bedrock plans to deploy fully operator-less equipment by 2026, positioning its technology as a critical enabler for delayed infrastructure projects across housing, transportation, and energy sectors.