Intrinsic Robotics Software Firm Merges into Google Under Alphabet

Google is expanding its presence in physical AI by integrating a well-known robotics software platform.

Intrinsic, an Alphabet company that develops AI models and software to make industrial robots more accessible, is joining Google, as announced on Wednesday. Intrinsic will operate as a distinct entity within Google but will collaborate closely with Google DeepMind and leverage Google's Gemini AI models and cloud services.

Alphabet did not disclose details regarding the funding or purchase price.

Intrinsic transitioned to an independent company under Alphabet in 2021 after five years of development within Alphabet's X, the company's moonshot research division. Other ventures that have graduated from X include the robotaxi company Waymo and the drone delivery company Wing.

Wendy Tan White has been the CEO of Intrinsic since its spinout in 2021.

The company began operations swiftly. Shortly after announcing its independence, Intrinsic acquired Vicarious, another robotics software company, in April 2022. While the acquisition price was not revealed, Vicarious had previously raised approximately $250 million from venture capitalists and prominent tech figures like Jeff Bezos.

A few months later, Intrinsic acquired several for-profit divisions of Open Robotics, a nonprofit organization that builds hardware and software platforms for the robotics industry.

Save up to $300 or 30% to TechCrunch Founder Summit

1,000+ founders and investors come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediately.

Offer ends March 13.

Save up to $300 or 30% to TechCrunch Founder Summit

1,000+ founders and investors come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediately

Offer ends March 13.

Despite this rapid expansion, Intrinsic reduced its workforce by 20% in January 2023.

The company launched its first product, Flowstate, just a few months later. Flowstate is a software platform for creating robotics workflows, designed for developers without extensive robotics experience—aligning with the company's mission to democratize robotics.

Since then, the company has refined the technology, enhanced its simulation capabilities, and released its Intrinsic Vision AI model in late 2025.

In October 2025, Intrinsic announced a joint venture with electronics manufacturer Foxconn. The partnership focuses on developing general-purpose intelligent robots to transform electronics manufacturing, with the ultimate goal of achieving full factory automation.

Now, the company is pursuing these objectives through closer collaboration with Google's AI expertise.

"By combining with Google's exceptional AI and infrastructure, we will unlock the potential of physical AI for a much wider range of manufacturing businesses and developers. This will fundamentally transform production, from its economics to its operations, and enable truly advanced manufacturing," Tan White stated in the company's blog post.

This strategic move is logical for Google, as many tech leaders, including Nvidia's Jensen Huang and Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon, view physical AI as the next natural progression for monetizing and advancing AI models and technology.