# Team and TAM, the keys to investing in robotics

- Show: [The Robot Report Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast)
- Published: 2024-03-29
- Length: 1h 18m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-03-29-team-and-tam-the-keys-to-investing-in-robotics
- Listen: https://soundcloud.com/robot-report-podcast/team-and-tam-the-keys-to-investing-in-robotics

## Summary

Jamie Lee, Managing Partner at Tamarack Global, explains the firm's investment thesis for robotics, centered on strong teams and large Total Addressable Markets (TAM), using their Series B investment in Figure AI as a primary example. He discusses why Figure CEO Brett Adcock’s prior success with Archer Aviation and his ability to secure massive compute resources from Microsoft and OpenAI made him a unique bet in the humanoid space. Lee also outlines the danger signs he looks for in pitches, such as founders solving for a solution rather than a problem, and emphasizes that commercialization success relies on leadership experience and supply chain management rather than just technical feasibility.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-03-29-team-and-tam-the-keys-to-investing-in-robotics#t=8) Introduction and Industry News
- [15:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-03-29-team-and-tam-the-keys-to-investing-in-robotics#t=909) Accenture's Investment in Sanctuary AI
- [23:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-03-29-team-and-tam-the-keys-to-investing-in-robotics#t=1401) Tamarack Global's Investment Thesis
- [28:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-03-29-team-and-tam-the-keys-to-investing-in-robotics#t=1690) Why Figure AI and Brett Adcock
- [34:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-03-29-team-and-tam-the-keys-to-investing-in-robotics#t=2050) Commercialization and Team Dynamics
- [40:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-03-29-team-and-tam-the-keys-to-investing-in-robotics#t=2452) Danger Signs in Pitch Decks
- [43:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-03-29-team-and-tam-the-keys-to-investing-in-robotics#t=2629) Evaluating Capital Needs and AI Risk
- [56:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-03-29-team-and-tam-the-keys-to-investing-in-robotics#t=3383) Competition: Figure vs. Tesla Optimus
- [1:03:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-03-29-team-and-tam-the-keys-to-investing-in-robotics#t=3803) Host Analysis and Conclusion

## Topics

- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Figure AI (company)
- Tamarack Global (company)
- Brett Adcock (other)
- Archer Aviation (company)
- Accenture (company)
- Tesla (company)
- Optimus (product)
- Agility Robotics (company)
- VM (company)
- Waymo (company)
- Cruise (company)
- MongoDB (company)
- Elliot Horowitz (other)
- Mujin (company)
- Pollux (company)
- Eclipse Automation (company)
- Microsoft (company)
- OpenAI (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [BONUS: Hear what Investors, Educators, and High Growth Companies have to say about the future of Robotics, Automation, and AI, Pt. 1 of 2 (brought to you by Cascadia Capital)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-06-24-bonus-hear-what-investors-educators-and-high-growth-companies-have-to-say-about) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [An Interview with Eric Klein](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-06-08-an-interview-with-eric-klein) (The Amp Hour)
- [112: Designing & Commercializing Robotics Inventions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-02-02-112-designing-commercializing-robotics-inventions) (Product Startup)
- [Reimagining and Investing in Legacy Industries with Obvious Ventures’ Nan Li](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-11-30-reimagining-and-investing-in-legacy-industries-with-obvious-ventures-nan-li) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Ep. 16: AI Is Changing the Physical World | The Robo Success Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast/2026-09-01-ep-16-ai-is-changing-the-physical-world-the-robo-success-podcast) (The Robo Success Podcast)

## Citing this page

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