Flywheel AI
San Francisco YC S25 start-up retrofitting excavators for remote teleoperation by actuating cab controls, using the data to train autonomy.
Flywheel AI is a San Francisco start-up that retrofits existing excavators so contractors can operate them remotely, and uses the operating data collected through teleoperation to train autonomous control models. The company describes itself as building a 'Waymo for excavators'. It was founded in 2023 by Jash Mota (founder and CEO) and Mahimana (Mahi) Bhatt (co-founder), who previously built machine learning data and evaluation pipelines at a self-driving company, and it went through the Y Combinator Summer 2025 batch.
Because most excavators are fully hydraulic and lack electronic joint control, Flywheel's retrofit mechanically actuates the joysticks and pedals inside the cab rather than requiring access to the machine's electronics, which the founders say makes it applicable to any make or model; the team has also tested CAN-bus integration alongside the hardware retrofit. The remote station streams video and engine audio and provides haptic feedback to the operator. Machines used publicly include a 38-ton Volvo EC380, on which the company collected a dataset, and a Kubota U17 compact excavator used for a small bucket pick-and-place model. The company says its approach could later extend to other hydraulic machinery, but its focus is excavators.
Flywheel's website markets the system as a way to do more with fewer operators on construction projects: contractors can remotely operate excavators, control multiple machines or sites from one place, monitor operator performance, and improve site safety and cost predictability. At its 2025 launch the company reported that retrofitted teleoperated excavators were already deployed on real construction sites, while autonomy had not yet been deployed in the field. Together with FrodoBots and BitRobot, Flywheel released an open dataset of about 100 hours of excavator operation collected on construction sites to support research into learning-based machine control.
The company lists its address as 2051 Third Street, San Francisco, California, and Y Combinator lists its status as active.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Flywheel AI excavator teleoperation system
Retrofit that mechanically actuates excavator joysticks and pedals for remote operation of multiple machines, with data used to train autonomy.
More related news
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
-
5
Construction Robotics Summit 2027: April 14, Brooklyn RobotToday · Oct 05, 2026
-
6
CONSTRUCTION ROBOTICS | BUSINESS MODELS & INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE RobotToday · May 13, 2026
-
7
CONSTRUCTION ROBOTICS | EXOSKELETONS & HUMAN AUGMENTATION RobotToday · May 04, 2026
-
8
CONSTRUCTION ROBOTICS | MATERIALS LOGISTICS & SITE AUTOMATION RobotToday · Apr 22, 2026
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
-
13
ISARC 2027: June 26-July 1, Odense, Denmark RobotToday · Oct 06, 2026
-
14
CICEE 2027: May 12-15, Changsha, China RobotToday · Oct 05, 2026
-
15
NASA Lunabotics Challenge 2027, KSC, May 24-27 RobotToday · Oct 05, 2026
Contact Flywheel AI
WEBSITE
https://useflywheel.aiPHONE
+1 415 714 7580HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2023
Primary Role
Software/Algorithm
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Early-Stage VC
Funding Total
-
