Boris Sofman.

Boris Sofman is a robotics entrepreneur who co-founded Anki, the consumer robotics company that created Cozmo and Vector-AI-powered robots that captivated millions of users with their emotional intelligence and personality.

Anki raised over $200 million in venture capital and sold millions of robots before closing in 2019. After Anki, Sofman joined Waymo (Alphabet's autonomous vehicle division) as VP and Head of Product and Engineering for the Trucking division, applying his robotics and AI expertise to autonomous freight transportation. His work at Waymo focuses on bringing self-driving technology to the trucking industry, which represents a massive market opportunity given the chronic driver shortage and safety challenges in long-haul trucking. Sofman's career arc from building beloved consumer robots to leading autonomous trucking development demonstrates how robotics expertise can be applied across consumer and industrial applications. His ability to make AI systems that are both technically sophisticated and emotionally engaging represents a unique entrepreneurial skill set.