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Robot maker · registered

Perrone Robotics

Corporate marketmobilitylogisticsCurated record
perronerobotics.com

Perrone builds the full autonomy stack in-house: the MAX general-purpose robotics operating system underpins the TONY vehicle-independent AV retrofit kit, which provides a complete artificial-driver solution (perception, planning, control) for geo-fenced shuttle, transit-bus, yard-truck and specialty-vehicle operations. The company traces to the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and 2007 Urban Challenge (Team Jefferson), and has recently integrated generative AI into TONY for real-time edge-case handling. It sells retrofit kits and turnkey autonomous shuttles, and also operates AV transit services itself (Detroit CONNECT).

HeadquartersCharlottesville, US
Founded2003
Corporate fundingNot disclosed
TeamNot listed
Deployments2
Open roles0
01

Company overview

Identity and operating footprint

Company typeRobot maker
Market segmentCorporate
StageVenture-backed (Intel Capital 2016; CapStone Holdings $10M equity 2021)
FoundersPaul Perrone (Founder & CEO)
Regions servedNorth America
Countries deployedNot listed
Service footprintNot listed
Last reviewed2026-07-21
MX

Robot models

Specifications remain vendor-claimed

Machinemobility

TONY AV Kit

  • Vehicle-independent autonomy retrofit kit deployable across transit vans, shuttles, buses and yard trucks

    TONY (TO Navigate You), built on the patented MAX robotics operating system, embeds inside any vehicle platform to provide a complete artificial-driver solution for retrofit or turnkey deployment

    Claim source
Machinemobility

TONY Turnkey Autonomous Shuttles (EV Star / E-Transit platforms)

  • World's first fully autonomous, all-electric, ADA-compliant, FMVSS-compliant, Altoona-tested transit shuttle (GreenPower EV Star with TONY)

    Turnkey autonomous shuttle built on GreenPower's EV Star, autonomized with the TONY retrofit kit on the MAX software platform, handling intersections, pedestrians and roundabouts

    Claim source
DP

Deployment log

Announced and cited only

AnnouncedCustomerSiteCountryCountEvidence
2025-11-12City of Detroit (Detroit CONNECT autonomous transit fleet)Not listedUSNot disclosedAnnouncement
2020-07-01Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)Not listedUSNot disclosedAnnouncement
CA

Funding history

Publicly announced rounds

Investors on recordIntel CapitalCapStone HoldingsGameAbove
TL

Company timeline

Milestones and announcements

2025-11-12Detroit CONNECT surpasses one year of daily autonomous public transit operations — longest-running public transit autonomous electric shuttle service in the USPR Newswire
2021-03-02CapStone invests $10 million in Perrone Robotics ↗Robotics & Automation News
2021-02-22CapStone Holdings makes $10M equity investment in Perrone RoboticsPR Newswire
SC

Source ledger

5 unique public sources

01
CapStone Holdings Inc. Invests $10M in Perrone RoboticsPR Newswire · retrieved 2026-07-21
02
Perrone Robotics — TONY AV Kit and MAX platformPerrone Robotics
03
Fully Autonomous GreenPower EV Star Being Developed with Perrone Robotics for Jacksonville Transportation AuthorityPR Newswire
04
Perrone Robotics Surpasses One Year of Autonomous Transit Operations in Detroit (fleet launched August 2024; initial $1.5M contract)PR Newswire · retrieved 2026-07-21
05
Fully autonomous GreenPower EV Star being developed with Perrone Robotics for JTAMass Transit Magazine