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Tangent Robotics
Touch-sensing robot hands for fine manufacturing work
- —
- FVCTVCLF+1
- New York
- AI
Open roles at Tangent Robotics
3 positions we're tracking, re-checked daily
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A role stays uncontested for about four days. Here's the window, and where we put you in it.
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- +2h+2hrole spotted & verified1
- +4h+4hyou get the alert1
- day 3day 3you've applied~8
- day 7+day 7+hits the job boards250+
What Tangent Robotics is building
Tangent is building what it calls a fine motor skill layer for robots: hands that can feel what they touch, and learning methods that let them master the last few millimetres of manufacturing work. Its target tasks are assembly, threading, connector mating, gasket seating, snap fitting and gear meshing. These are the steps where vision-only robots fail, because the important information is in contact and force, not in pixels. The product has three parts. First, multi-fingered hands designed to track human fingertip motion, which makes it easy to collect demonstration data from people. Second, light-based touch sensors built into the fingers, which are highly sensitive, react quickly and have adjustable stiffness. This builds on the DISCO finger from Ciocarlie's lab. Third, learning methods that combine vision and touch to train policies for precise contact work. The company has shipped hardware versions, including the TR01 'Heavy' hand and the TR02. The team does not try to copy the human hand. In Ciocarlie's words: 'Trying to copy the human hand is a mistake akin to building flying machines with flapping wings.' The stated goal is to cut the practice time a robot needs to learn a new skill to days, and then to hours.
Why this matters
Robot foundation models and humanoid demos have made pick-and-place look solved, but fine manipulation in factories still isn't. Connectors, gaskets and snap fits are exactly where most assembly lines still need people. The lab behind Tangent has shown this works: its hand that does in-hand manipulation by touch alone, even in the dark, was on TIME's Best Inventions of 2023. The open question is whether that research can be made robust enough for a factory floor. Toyota co-leading the round points to the most obvious first customer group: automotive and component manufacturing.
Investors: Fly Ventures (co-lead), Toyota Ventures (co-lead), Logos Fund, Sparked Ventures
Hiring outlook
The careers page lists three open roles in New York City (Research Scientist, Robot Learning; Robotics Software Engineer; and an open 'Define Your Own Dream Job' role) and says it welcomes 'exceptional candidates at all levels of education (BS, MS, PhD)'. The raise is explicitly for deployment, which takes people.
Working at Tangent Robotics
Tangent Robotics is a AI company based in New York, USA. For a AI company this size, the reality is opportunity to shape your role based on the company stage.
Most Tangent Robotics jobs are based in New York, USA.
How to actually get hired at Tangent Robotics
Why applying the normal way doesn't work
Tangent Robotics has an ATS but the real pipeline is referrals → sourced → recruiter picks → cold apps. You can still get through, but know where you stand.
Who to contact at Tangent Robotics
- Who decides
- the hiring manager
- Best channel
- LinkedIn or direct email
What to show them
A small open-source tool that records synchronized vision and tactile data from a teleoperated hand with time alignment, plus a replay viewer. This is the plumbing that dexterous data collection depends on.
A cold email that works at Tangent Robotics
What Tangent Robotics screens for
Two leads with different reasons. Fly Ventures is a Berlin technical seed fund that backs deep-tech founders early. Toyota Ventures is a strategic investor whose parent runs some of the most demanding assembly lines in the world. A pre-seed round with a corporate co-lead usually means a real path to pilots. The team today is about eight people, mostly research scientists, so the first engineers who can harden the work for production will shape how it reaches factories.
Tailor your CV to the specific Tangent Robotics role rather than sending a general one. Applications that mirror the language of the job description clear automated filters at a materially higher rate.
Don't make these mistakes
Don't open with humanoids or 'general-purpose robots'. Matei has worked on touch sensing and hand design for over a decade and has said publicly that copying the human hand is the wrong approach. Excitement about five-fingered humanoid hands puts you on the wrong side of the company's core thesis. Pedro did his PhD on this and later worked at Samsung AI Center, so generic 'I love robotics' interest won't land. Lead with a specific contact-heavy task you've made a robot do, and how it failed.
Mistakes that kill Tangent Robotics applications
Don't send the same CV you sent everywhere else. At people it's obvious, and it's the fastest rejection there is.
Lead with their problem, not your ambition. Tangent Robotics is focused on Robot foundation models and humanoid demos have made pick-and-place look solved, but fine manipulation in factories still isn't — show you understand that.
Don't apply and wait. The median AI application gets no response ever. One follow-up at day five roughly doubles reply rates.
Applying to Tangent Robotics? Get the contact, not the form.
The Tangent Robotics interview process
We don't yet have verified candidate reports for Tangent Robotics. What follows is the typical process for a -person AI company, so treat it as a model, not confirmed detail.
Interview stages
- 1
Recruiter Screen
Phone or video · 30 min
What it testsBasic qualification and logisticsUsually run byRecruiter or HR - 2
Hiring Manager Interview
Video call · 45 min
What it testsRole fit and experience deep-diveUsually run byHiring manager - 3
Technical/Functional Round
Video call · 60 min
What it testsSkills assessment and problem-solvingUsually run byTeam members - 4
Final Round
In-person or video · 60 min
What it testsCulture fit and cross-functional alignmentUsually run bySenior leadership
Tangent Robotics take-home assignment
Tangent Robotics includes a take-home exercise in their interview process. For AI roles, this typically involves a practical problem that takes 2-4 hours. Focus on clean, working code over premature optimization. They're evaluating how you think and communicate, not just the solution.
Tangent Robotics interview timeline
Tangent Robotics runs about 14 days from first contact to offer. The median for AI companies at people is 14 days, so Tangent Robotics is about average than most.
Interviewed at Tangent Robotics?
Tell us how it went: stages, questions, timeline. Takes 90 seconds and it's how this page stays accurate for the next person.
Tangent Robotics jobs, frequently asked questions
How many jobs does Tangent Robotics have open?
We're tracking 3 active openings at Tangent Robotics (verified October 3, 2026).
Does Tangent Robotics hire remotely?
Tangent Robotics doesn't have remote openings at the moment. All roles are in New York, USA.
What roles is Tangent Robotics hiring for?
Tangent Robotics is hiring across Data, Engineering, Other. The most recent opening is Research Scientist, Robot Learning (NYC).
How do I apply for a job at Tangent Robotics?
Click through to apply, or see our detailed guide on landing a job at Tangent Robotics.
Does Tangent Robotics respond to cold emails?
We haven't verified response rates at Tangent Robotics yet.
Who is the hiring manager at Tangent Robotics?
At this size, hiring is usually run by the hiring manager.
How competitive is it to get hired at Tangent Robotics?
Expect 100-250 applicants in the first two weeks for AI roles at this size. Apply within 72 hours for best odds.
How many rounds is the Tangent Robotics interview?
4 stages: Recruiter Screen, Hiring Manager Interview, Technical/Functional Round, Final Round.
Is the Tangent Robotics interview hard?
The interview emphasizes technical depth and system design over abstract problems. Hardest stage: Technical Interview.
Does Tangent Robotics give a take-home task?
Yes, Tangent Robotics includes a take-home assignment.
How long does Tangent Robotics take to get back to you?
Around 14 days across the full process.
What should I prepare for the Tangent Robotics interview?
Prepare for technical depth and system design. A -person startup wants proof you can ship, not that you can whiteboard.
Where is Tangent Robotics based?
Tangent Robotics is headquartered in New York, USA.
Get Tangent Robotics roles before they're posted
A role stays uncontested for about four days. Here's the window, and where we put you in it.
From $5.99/week, cancel any time.
- live
- +2h+2hrole spotted & verified1
- +4h+4hyou get the alert1
- day 3day 3you've applied~8
- day 7+day 7+hits the job boards250+
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