Bob McGrew, former research chief at OpenAI, has quietly launched a startup called Arda that aims to revitalize U.S. manufacturing through AI. The company has raised $230 million in funding, achieving a $1.5 billion valuation. Investors include Altimeter Capital, Accel, and Khosla Ventures. Arda develops AI software designed to automate manufacturing processes, reducing the time and labor required to adapt production lines to new designs.
McGrew, who also led product and engineering at Palantir, explained that Arda's AI models are already in use with military tech firm Anduril. He described the software as a tool that helps manufacturing engineers build assembly lines faster, much like how AI assistants like Claude or Cursor aid programmers. The technology addresses the challenge of retraining human workers versus updating automation, which can take months.
McGrew joined OpenAI in 2017 and worked on early reasoning capabilities before the launch of ChatGPT. He left during a wave of high-profile exits in 2024, including Mira Murati and Ilya Sutskever. Despite leaving, he praised OpenAI's work, particularly its focus on achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI). Arda's co-founders include Augustus Odena, Alex Mark, and Jakob Frick, all with backgrounds in tech and engineering.
Altimeter's Apoorv Agrawal, who led the funding round, highlighted the potential of Arda to capture a significant portion of the $16 trillion global manufacturing industry. McGrew emphasized the economic opportunity, especially as the Trump administration pushes to onshore manufacturing. He noted that Arda's technology could enable the assembly of smartphones in the U.S., creating jobs and boosting domestic production.