Making a bet on the Phl
Three young Filipino-Americans, who are making a bold move to start up an AI-native defense technology and robotics hardware company that designs and builds motors and actuators for drones, robots and other autonomous machines in the United States, have established manufacturing operations here in the Philippines that will be part of its global operations.
Three Filipino-American entrepreneurs, Christian Mochen, Tom Baron, and Carlo Dela Rosa, have ventured into the AI-native defense technology and robotics hardware industry with the establishment of Atlas Motion Systems. The trio has set up manufacturing operations in the Philippines, specifically at Laguna Technopark in Biñan, Laguna.
The company has invested $300,000 to establish a PEZA-registered manufacturing plant and is already producing 10,000 motors in their 1,500-square-meter factory, with plans to ramp up production to 40,000 motors by year-end. They have secured $11.5 million in additional funding from US investors, including Greycroft and Also Capital, and are in negotiations for further debt financing for future manufacturing plants in the US.
The company plans to establish US-based factories focusing on technical automation, software platforms, and tooling orchestration for customers needing procurement from the US. The founders' unique backgrounds, rooted in their Filipino heritage, have brought them together to create a globally relevant business. Christian, the CEO, brought quality assurance experience from Toyota, Tesla, and Shield AI; Tom, the chief growth officer, has expertise in AI software design and production line development; and Carlo, the chief operating officer, has experience in technical program management, cost control, and manufacturing quality across various industries.
Despite challenges in cost and labor, the founders believe that the Philippines has the potential to become a dominant force in actuator manufacturing, mirroring Taiwan's dominance in semiconductors. They aim to expand their operations to other countries, including Germany, Italy, Estonia, Denmark, Nigeria, Taiwan, and Korea, to serve customers in those regions.
Written by urgent.news from Philippine Star Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
