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Usually, I have an analysis and then a little birdie (my internals curated especially for you). But today I’m combining them simply because I have a lot of little birds talking to me about the new talent wars.
About seven years ago, the founder of a self-driving vehicle company told me that competing with the likes of… Waymo Because the talent was “like a knife fight.” Now there appears to be a new poaching war, according to a handful of young birds. It pays base salaries (not including stock and other benefits) between $300,000 and $500,000.
Here’s what happens. The bustling physical AI sector is filled with robotics and defense technology companies looking for people with a specific set of skills (to quote Liam Neeson). These people mostly work for companies developing self-driving trucks and robotaxis.
As these employees are tempted to move to other sectors — including defense — automakers and startups are being pushed to raise salaries or risk losing talent to better-paying “physical AI” jobs.
The ideal candidate for a self-driving car company has hybrid skills, which are a combination of classic robotics and AI knowledge, according to one of the founders. It is this specific understanding of how to integrate AI into devices such as humanoid robots, industrial robots, and autonomous forklifts, as well as with construction, mining, and agricultural equipment that has companies fighting for talent.
Defense technology startups appear to be the most generous when it comes to compensation, thanks to the Department of Defense’s open wallet. Jobs looking for an applied researcher or AI enablement engineer (or something similar) are hot tickets right now.
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This probably won’t hurt Waymo. As one of the founders pointed out, Waymo is not price sensitive. But startups and auto industries, which have invested heavily in self-driving vehicles, are likely to be hit the hardest, several little birds told me.
I expect a double follow-up effect. Automakers will have a hard time holding on to engineers working on automated driving, leading to a mass exodus. At the same time, startups will need to raise more money or become smarter about how they use that money.
birdie
Well, I’ve already got this week’s little bird. Scroll up! But I’m keeping this cute graphic to remind you all to reach out, call me, or email me for advice!
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosek at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com Or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.
Offers!
Remember 2016 when the phrase “autonomous driving” on a pitch seemed to instantly spawn a term sheet? While the 2016 vibes have carried over into 2026, founders and investors have continued to move forward. Now, as you’ve probably noticed, it’s all about physical AI, a loose category that extends far beyond robotaxis and self-driving trucks.
Palo Alto-based venture firm eclipse It has put itself at the heart of the physical work of AI and now has another job $1.3 billion To invest in it. The $1.3 billion in new capital is split between a $591 million early-stage incubation fund and another fund geared toward viable startups.
I spoke with an Eclipse partner Jitin Behl About the fund and where those dollars are likely to go. I was particularly interested in his thoughts on Eclipse’s role in startup incubation. Eclipse hasn’t rolled out any new checks yet, but Behl said the company will incubate more startups. “We’re definitely working on some really cool ideas,” he said.
So, stay tuned. and Check out the full story here.
Other deals that caught my attention…
Candelaa Swedish electric levitation company, has fallen Order 20 boats With the Norwegian operator Boreal. Meanwhile, Candela Founder and CEO Gustav Haselskog Step down. Sofia Gravlund is the new CEO and Haselskog will assume the role of CEO.
Hermiusa Los Angeles-based defense startup that develops drones, Raised $350 million With a valuation of $1 billion. This financing includes $200 million in equity led by Khosla Ventures. The remaining $150 million comes in the form of debt.
Sora Fuela sustainable aviation fuel startup based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has raised $14.6 million in a round co-led by Spero Ventures and Inspired Capital. Axios reported.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy He said during an interview on CNBC that there is Scope for airline mergers In the United States.
Notable Readings and Other Stories
Afried It is the latest self-driving car company to face criticism from residents upset with the behavior of its robotaxis. In this case, it is an autonomous vehicle (with a human safety agent). Run over and kill the mother duck In Austin, Texas, the Mueller Lake enclave. One witness said: “She did not slow down or hesitate at all, but rather moved forward quickly.” Read the story to learn how Avride dealt with it.
Gas prices It is not the only fueling factor Used electric car sales.
John Deere I reached a Settlement agreement worth $99 million To resolve a Right to Repair lawsuit pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Wired has good Collapse of this case Why does this matter?
If you didn’t get the memo, startups and big tech companies alike are working on physical AI and automation. Mariana mineralswhich focuses on the mining industry, is one of them. Chief Reporter Sean O’Kane He was interviewed founder Turner Caldwella former Tesla engineer who founded the startup in 2024, about the company’s latest partnership with the self-driving vehicle technology company Pronto (And yes, that’s Anthony Levandowski’s Pronto, which was just acquired by Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick’s company Atoms.)
Remember when Elon Musk Did he say a smaller, cheaper $25,000 electric car was meaningless and ridiculous? Well, according to Reuters sources. Tesla is developing The all-new smaller, cheaper electric SUV.
Volkswagen Will not produce anymore ID.4 fully electric At its US factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Replace it? Full-size vehicles like the upcoming gas-powered Atlas SUV.
The ID.4 will be available to US consumers while current stock runs out. VW told me it should last until 2027.
Meanwhile, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Moya America Some progress is being made on the self-driving vehicle front. Moya America and Uber The test has begun Self-driving microbuses In Los Angeles before the launch of the robotaxi service that the companies plan to launch by late 2026. Warning! When this service launches, you will not be without a driver at first. The company expects to remove the human safety factor from vehicles in 2027. Also, the term “microbus” may be a bit of an exaggeration; These vehicles will only accommodate four people.
Waymo and Wiz launched a Data exchange pilot program Which will transmit drilling data collected by robots to the free Waze platform designed for cities. Any city or state (or regular Waze user) where Waymo operates will be able to access that data as the program expands.
In other Waymo news, the Alphabet-owned company has done just that Opened its own robotaxi service To an audience in Nashville. Eleven cities and counting.