Gecko Robotics inks $100 million energy deal
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Gecko CEO Jake Loosararian and NAES CEO Mark Dobler near Gecko's AI-driven robots. Image: Courtesy of Gecko Robotics
North Side-based Gecko Robotics is teaming up with a leading energy construction company to help meet America's growing appetite for power.
Why it matters: The nation's energy demand is surging — fueled partly by AI and data center expansion — straining an aging electric grid.
- The deal marks another win for Gecko, a tech startup driving the city's burgeoning AI scene with a client list ranging from the U.S. Navy to Siemens Energy.
The big picture: Gecko develops robots that scale critical energy infrastructure, such as power plants, to look for structural damage — reducing costs and saving workers from having to perform risky inspections themselves.
- The company on Thursday announced a multi-year, $100 million deal with NAES Corp., a national operator and maintenance services provider.
- NAES runs facilities across renewable, nuclear and fossil fuels, totaling 65 gigawatts of power generation. That's enough to power approximately 50 million homes.
Zoom in: Gecko's AI-powered software speeds up maintenance, bringing plants back online faster, according to the company.
- Jake Loosararian, CEO of Gecko Robotics, says the company's tech can slash reactive maintenance by 80% and double facility lifespan.
- The deal, presented as "Elon meets Edison," aligns with the Trump administration's focus on domestic energy production, according to the partners.
- "This is the first partnership that's been announced since Stargate," said Loosararian, a nod to the joint venture funded by tech giants like OpenAI to invest in data centers and other AI infrastructure.
By the numbers: Demand for electricity is expected to surge 16% in the next five years, according to a Grid Strategies estimate.
What they're saying: Gov. Josh Shapiro called the deal "incredibly important work" on a Thursday call. Shapiro said in January he wants to boost the state's energy production with an "all of the above" approach, promising tax credits and a fast track for energy facilities.
- "The demand for energy is going to grow substantially over the next five to 10 years," said NAES president and CEO Mark Dobler.
- Embracing technologies like AI and robotics can help attract top talent to the power industry, which has "not been historically viewed as technology-centric," he said. "We need to be smarter about how technology can support our workforce and infrastructure to deliver this. Every kilowatt counts."