About - Sunrise Robotics

Our Mission

Sunrise is on a mission to augment humanity through intelligent robotics.

We’re starting with industrial manufacturing, a key catalyst of human progress. Everything we touch and use in our daily lives is manufactured, yet the industry and our economies face growing challenges—labor shortages, the need for greater flexibility, and rising supply chain risks.

Automation is clearly the answer, but there is still too much friction. Automation should not be reserved for high volume industries, it should work at any scale. With Sunrise it does.

By combining advanced software with artificial intelligence, Sunrise is building intelligent robotic cells that are not only effective but transformative, enabling manufacturers to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

It’s our responsibility to enable autonomous craftsmanship at scale, in order to deliver unmatched product quality, while intelligent autonomous processes drive enhanced efficiency, reduced waste and empower our partners to succeed in this constantly changing environment.

Our Story

Sunrise was founded by Marko, Joe and Tomaž to build a future where intelligent robotics augment humanity, by automating unsafe and undesirable work across industries.

The founding team has previously built autonomous robotic systems, intelligent robotic systems for automotive parts manufacturers, helped ship over 100M consumer electronics products for tier 1 brands, and built software services serving 150M+ users daily.

We are a team of engineers, scientists, roboticists, and designers, designing and engineering products that power intelligent robotics of today towards the general embodied intelligence of the future.

Sunrise is a pan-European company working in a collaborative way, drawing on the best talent across Europe. We regularly meet at our headquarters in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Tomaž Štolfa

Co-founder, CEO

Prior to Sunrise, Tomaž was part of the leadership team at Pitch, where he led special projects and oversaw key product areas. Earlier, he co-founded Layer, a messaging infrastructure company that powered over 600 live apps and supported more than 150 million daily users. Tomaž brings deep expertise in product strategy, company building, and large scale software infrastructure, with a track record of building both foundational platforms and high-impact teams.

Marko Thaler

Co-founder, CTO

A PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Marko has been building AI-powered systems since 1999 and brings deep technical leadership at the intersection of robotics, automation, and advanced manufacturing. Before Sunrise, Marko was the CTO of Kolektor Digital, the tech arm of a €1B+ industrial group, following the acquisition of his previous startup Airnamics, which focused on high-performance aerial and ground robotics.

Joe Perrott

Co-founder, CCO

Joe brings decades of experience in global hardware manufacturing and operations. Prior to Sunrise, Joe was Head of Global Program Management at PCH International, where he led large-scale product development and delivery for top-tier companies including Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Square—shipping over 100 million devices. With a background spanning engineering, supply chain, and executive ops, Joe excels at building and scaling complex systems from concept to mass production with precision and speed.

Our Values

Customer-Driven Impact

We strive to deeply understand our customers’ needs—sometimes better than they do. We design intelligent technology solutions that are simple, powerful, and transformative, ensuring our products make a real difference.

Focus on What Matters

We prioritize relentlessly. The work we do is complex, but our decisions are clear and transparent. By saying no to distractions, we create the space to build world-changing robotics with focus at a fast pace.

Relentless Drive & Curiosity

We push boundaries, take smart risks, and never stop learning. Failure is part of progress, and every challenge is an opportunity to innovate. Curiosity fuels us — excellence defines us.

Stronger Together

We are one team united by a shared mission. Collaboration drives everything we do, as building the future of intelligent robotics to augment humanity is more significant than any one of us. Trust, transparency, and integrity keep us moving forward — together.

Excellence with Purpose

We hold ourselves to the highest standards. From design and engineering to execution, we build with passion, discipline, and craftsmanship — because our work shapes the future of intelligent robotics aligned with human potential.

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