Destro AI raises $8 million to orchestrate warehouse robots

Destro AI launched out of stealth on Tuesday after securing an $8 million seed funding round. The investment was led by Base10 Partners and Bonfire Ventures, with participation from CoFound Partners. Rather than building proprietary robotic hardware, the startup has developed an artificial intelligence layer designed to coordinate logistics workflows. Its software manages both autonomous machines and human warehouse staff to streamline operations like cross-docking, where goods are transferred directly from incoming to outgoing trucks.

The company's technology stack relies on two core systems. Its Vision operating system, which runs on open-weight vision-language-action models, interprets camera feeds and instructions to guide physical hardware. Meanwhile, its Mothership operating system orchestrates the broader workflow by directing human workers, carts, and trucks. In an initial pilot at a Pacific Northwest facility operated by shipping giant Yusen Logistics, Destro AI used this software to manage three cart-moving robots manufactured by Miva Robotics.

Following the success of the initial trial, Yusen Logistics is expanding the Pacific Northwest deployment to 26 robots and launching a second pilot with 17 robots at a facility in Southern California. Destro AI founder Manthan Pawar plans to scale this cross-docking workflow across thousands of other warehouses. Pawar, an industry veteran with a master's degree in robotics from NYU Tandon, expects the startup to become cash-flow positive by the end of this year.

For logistics managers, Destro AI's approach offers an alternative to rigid, single-purpose automation systems. Pawar described the software as a "harness" around existing hardware and open-source models, allowing operators to integrate automation without replacing their entire infrastructure or relying on expensive, unproven humanoid robots. This orchestration reduces manual paperwork and ensures that human workers and robotic fleets remain synchronized in real time.