How YC-backed Bucket Robotics survived its first CES | TechCrunch

"At those jobs, Puchalski developed deep connections in the automotive industry, and we crossed paths all week. There he was at an industry networking party one night. On another night, in my hotel lobby at 10 p.m., he was debating how to balance quality and manufacturing yield with Sanjay Dastoor - founder of mobility startups Skip and Boosted, both of which also got off the ground at YC."

"It took 12 hours driving in the rain, but the gear - and Puchalski - made it safely to Las Vegas, and so began the young company's first-ever CES. San Francisco-based Bucket Robotics was just one of thousands of companies exhibiting at the annual tech conference, a speck of sand on a beach full of products and promises. But despite its modest setup in the automotive-focused West Hall, Puchalski said the trip was worth it."

Matt Puchalski, CEO and founder of Bucket Robotics, rented a Hyundai Santa Fe and drove 12 hours in the rain to transport the company’s booth gear to CES 2026 to avoid flight delays. The company exhibited in the automotive-focused West Hall during its first-ever CES. Puchalski spent the last decade working on autonomous vehicles at Uber, Argo AI, Latitude AI, and Stack AV, building deep automotive-industry connections. He used tireless networking and constant pitching at parties and hotel lobbies, discussing manufacturing quality and yield with industry founders, and preparing Media Day with sales associate Max Joseph while showcasing a prototype from a yellow Pelican case.

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