# Relari Expands from AI Evaluation Frameworks into Physical Robotics

**Author:** Zero G Talent
**Published:** 2026-11-11
**Category:** engineering
**Tags:** yc-hiring, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, software engineering, hardware engineering

[Read on Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com/blog/relari-expands-from-ai-evaluation-frameworks-into-physical-robotics)

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San Francisco seed-stage startup [Relari](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-companies/relari) is building testing and evaluation infrastructure for autonomous systems, spanning software agents and physical robotics hardware. Founded in 2023 and backed by Y Combinator's W24 batch and E14 Fund, the company originally established itself through open-source software tools like continuous-eval and Agent Contract. Recent hiring reveals a direct expansion into robotic manipulation, EMG sensors, and neuromuscular data collection.

The company currently lists five open positions, focusing on robotics software engineering, hardware prototyping, human biomechanics research, and data operations in San Francisco.

## Autonomous Vehicle Roots and Data-Driven AI Evaluation

[Relari](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-companies/relari) was co-founded by CEO [Yi Zhang](https://zerogtalent.com/people/yi-zhang) and CTO [Pasquale Antonante](https://zerogtalent.com/people/pasquale-antonante). [Yi Zhang](https://zerogtalent.com/people/yi-zhang) previously managed product teams for autonomous vehicles at Pony.ai and warehouse robotics at Dexterity.ai after completing a computer science degree at Northwestern University and an MBA at Harvard Business School. [Pasquale Antonante](https://zerogtalent.com/people/pasquale-antonante) completed a PhD at MIT centered on the reliability and safety of complex AI systems, such as self-driving cars, alongside past engineering roles at NVIDIA and Raytheon Technologies.

In an interview with [Tesoro AI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEcLV-obViY), [Yi Zhang](https://zerogtalent.com/people/yi-zhang) explained that testing generative AI applications faces challenges similar to autonomous vehicles sticking in long demo phases. While real-world data collection can be slow or cost-prohibitive, synthetic data allows developers to simulate edge cases and stress-test systems across virtual scenarios.

As reported by [MarkTechPost](https://www.marktechpost.com/2024/03/18/meet-relari-an-ai-research-startup-building-an-open-source-platform-to-simulate-test-and-validate-complex-generative-ai-genai-applications/), [Relari](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-companies/relari) built an open-source platform to simulate user behavior and validate complex Generative AI applications across text generation, code functionality, and retrieval tasks. Speaking at a developer meetup hosted by [Dagger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HA9h1MnUz0), [Yi Zhang](https://zerogtalent.com/people/yi-zhang) outlined the team's Agent Contract framework. The system verifies multi-agent workflows by setting preconditions, postconditions, and path conditions to ensure step-by-step compliance throughout long-horizon task execution.

## Hardware, Biomechanics, and Robot Learning Search

Relari's open positions indicate an active move beyond software-only evaluation into hardware platforms that capture human movement data to train dexterous robot arms and hands.

The engineering team is hiring a [Hardware Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/relari/hardware-engineer-106812) on-site in San Francisco to design, fabricate, and iterate on physical systems, including in-house electromyography (EMG) sensors, contact-sensing hardware, and evaluation robot fleets. Working alongside physical prototyping, the [Research Engineer, Human Biomechanics](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/relari/research-engineer-human-biomechanics-106811) role focuses on signal-processing pipelines to model neuromuscular activity, muscle responses, and touch feedback for robot learning.

To connect sensor hardware with machine learning models, the team is recruiting a [Robotics Software Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/relari/robotics-software-engineer-118968) to build software systems for robot arms and dexterous hands that learn manipulation tasks from human data. In parallel, the [AI Research Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/relari/ai-research-engineer-118965) position develops machine learning pipelines, deploying imitation learning models and foundation models onto physical robot hardware.

To support the pipeline of sensor datasets, Relari is hiring a [Data Operations Lead](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/relari/data-operations-lead-106814) to manage human-data collection, vendors, and sensor inventory in a hybrid or remote setup.

## Open Roles at Relari

| Role | Location | Work Mode | Salary Range |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Robotics Software Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/relari/robotics-software-engineer-118968) | San Francisco, CA, US | Onsite | $125,000 – $175,000 |
| [AI Research Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/relari/ai-research-engineer-118965) | San Francisco, CA, US | Onsite | $125,000 – $175,000 |
| [Data Operations Lead](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/relari/data-operations-lead-106814) | San Francisco, CA, US / Remote | Remote | $100,000 – $150,000 |
| [Hardware Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/relari/hardware-engineer-106812) | San Francisco, CA, US | Onsite | $125,000 – $175,000 |
| [Research Engineer, Human Biomechanics](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-jobs/relari/research-engineer-human-biomechanics-106811) | San Francisco, CA, US | Onsite | $125,000 – $175,000 |

[See all open roles at Relari](https://zerogtalent.com/ai-companies/relari)

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*Source: [Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com), the job board for space, defense, AI, robotics and frontier-tech companies.*