Tesla is facing another wave of talent drain as a new robotics firm, Sunday Robotics, pulls in engineers who once worked on the company’s most high-profile AI projects. The startup, which recently exited stealth, has hired at least 10 former Tesla employees, many of whom were deeply involved in the Optimus humanoid robot and the Autopilot self-driving programme.
LinkedIn records show that Sunday Robotics’ growing team includes several long-serving engineers from Tesla’s AI division. Among them is Perry Jia, who spent nearly six years working across Autopilot and Optimus before leaving this summer. Another key figure is Nadeesha Amarasinghe, a seven-year Tesla veteran and former engineering lead for AI infrastructure, who also joined the startup in recent months.
The migration includes former Autopilot specialists, Optimus engineers and multiple ex-interns who contributed to Tesla’s robotaxi vision. The startup now employs about 50 people, including engineers and “memory developers” who help train its robots.
Sunday Robotics, founded in 2024 by Cheng Chi and Tony Zhao, himself a former Tesla Autopilot intern, unveiled its first home robot, Memo, on November 19. In a demo posted on X, Memo performed household tasks like loading a dishwasher, picking up glassware and folding socks, signalling the firm’s ambition to push humanoid home robotics into mainstream use.
Tesla has long positioned Optimus and full self-driving as core to its future value, with CEO Elon Musk repeatedly stressing the strategic importance of solving autonomy. The steady movement of specialised talent into emerging startups highlights the intensifying competition in advanced robotics and AI-powered consumer devices.
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