Cartwheel Robotics
US humanoid robot startup that developed the Yogi social companion robot; shut down in December 2025 after failing to secure further funding.
Cartwheel Robotics was an American humanoid robot startup founded in November 2021 by Scott LaValley, an engineer with nearly a decade of experience at Boston Dynamics working on the Atlas robot and five years at The Walt Disney Company, where he led the team behind the expressive Baby Groot character robot for Disney parks.
The company was based in Fallon, Nevada, and focused on developing emotionally expressive humanoid robots designed for home companionship and social interaction. LaValley's design philosophy centered on creating robots that could earn human trust through natural movement, approachable aesthetics, and expressive personality rather than purely task-focused utility.
Cartwheel's primary robot was Yogi, a humanoid designed around what LaValley described as 'toddler proportions' — a relatively large head, rounded body lines, and a slightly chubby build intended to appear friendly and non-threatening. Yogi was designed to move naturally, perform household tasks, and serve as a social presence in domestic settings. A second platform, Speedy, was positioned as a customizable commercial character platform capable of adopting different IP-licensed appearances.
The company operated as a small team of approximately seven people with $3 million in seed capital — a constrained funding base that limited its ability to scale production and attract the commercial partners needed to bridge the gap between prototype development and market-ready manufacturing. While Cartwheel attracted interest from venture capital investors and demonstrated technically promising work in expressive robot motion, it was unable to close a follow-on financing round.
Cartwheel Robotics ceased operations in December 2025 after exhausting financing and strategic alternatives. The company filed for bankruptcy in March 2026. Scott LaValley subsequently joined Google DeepMind as a senior mechanical engineer. Cartwheel Robotics is cited in industry commentary as an example of the funding challenges facing early-stage humanoid robot companies in the period between prototype demonstration and commercial-scale production.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Yogi
Social humanoid robot with toddler-proportioned design built for home companionship and natural human interaction.
Contact Cartwheel Robotics
WEBSITE
https://www.cartwheelrobotics.com/HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2021
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
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