A robotics startup that currently builds all of its autonomous haulers in Bangalore, India, has planted its flag in Madison Heights, opening a North American headquarters aimed squarely at Detroit's automakers and their suppliers. ATI Robotics is behind the Sherpa 10K, a heavy-duty autonomous tugger built to haul massive material loads around factory floors and warehouses.
Crain's Detroit Business covered ATI Robotics' arrival in Madison Heights, describing the move as a bet that proximity to Detroit's auto industry will position the company for growth. ATI Robotics has opened its North American headquarters in the city, with its Sherpa 10K serving as the company's signature product for moving heavy loads in industrial settings.
For now, the robots themselves are still made far from Michigan. According to WIRED, ATI Robotics currently manufactures all of its robots in Bangalore. The company has said it is setting up the Madison Heights facility with the intention of eventually assembling its robots there, though no firm timeline has been attached to that shift.
From Self-Driving Motors to Factory Haulers
ATI Robotics wasn't always in the business of building its own robots. WIRED's reporting notes the startup was founded in 2017 to develop motors for self-driving cars, before later pivoting to designing and building its own autonomous machines. That pivot has since scaled into a real commercial footprint: the company has several hundred robots operating in warehouses and factories and more than 50 customers in total, per statements from CEO Saurabh Chandra cited by the same outlet.
Chandra has framed the company's ambitions in sweeping terms. In comments posted on ATI Robotics' own site, he said, “Whatever moves is going to be autonomous as we go forward.” The company says its robots rely on a self-driving-car-like technology stack, combining camera and LiDAR data to navigate factory and warehouse environments safely.
Not every component in that stack is sourced outside China. Superintelligence News reports that ATI's tugger relies on Chinese battery cells, while its pallet mover uses a lidar sensor that currently has no ready non-Chinese substitute — a detail that complicates any clean narrative about a fully China-free supply chain even as the company builds out its Michigan ambitions.
ATI's Automotive Customer Base
Even so, ATI's own business still leans heavily on the auto sector. TechCrunch reported in January 2025 that 80% of ATI Motors' customers are in the automobile industry and that the United States dominates its revenues. That same report noted the startup's plans to expand its North American presence in Detroit — a plan that has now materialized with the Madison Heights headquarters.
ATI's Roots in India
ATI's roots remain firmly in India, where the company has built its robotics business, even as it looks to establish a parallel foothold near Detroit's auto corridor. For now, Madison Heights serves as ATI's commercial and strategic beachhead in North America, with assembly in Michigan described by the company only as a future goal rather than a current operation.
