How YC-backed Bucket Robotics survived its first CES

2 months ago

Bucket Robotics CEO Matt Puchalski drove 12 hours in a rented Hyundai Santa Fe to ensure their booth setup at CES 2026 despite bad weather.
Bucket Robotics, a YC-backed startup, focuses on automating quality inspections for surfaces using advanced vision systems, eliminating the need for manual labeling.
The company generates simulated defects from CAD files to train its vision software, enabling quick defect detection on production lines without additional hardware.
Bucket Robotics attracted interest from automotive and defense sectors, positioning itself as a dual-use company.
Puchalski, with a background in autonomous vehicles at Uber and Ford, leveraged his industry connections during CES.
The startup's CES experience was intense but fruitful, leading to follow-up discussions with potential customers and investors.
Puchalski emphasized that automating surface inspections doesn't threaten jobs but addresses a long-standing industry challenge.

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