AUSTIN, Texas — Visionary venture capitalist Bill Gurley is investing in Texas Robotics’ new undergraduate degree program at The University of Texas at Austin, with the goal of making it the preeminent destination for tech-savvy, entrepreneurial freshman applicants. The program, which launches in Fall 2025 and will offer experiences in research, hands-on learning and competitive activities, is believed to be the first undergraduate program in the country to allow applications from entering freshmen. Texas Robotics received more than 3,500 applications for an estimated 50 slots in the inaugural class.
“Our state and our University have always been on the frontier of innovation with a shared goal to be the best. Bill’s gift drives that excellence. His investment will expand unique opportunities for our students and will propel us to the forefront of robotics innovation,” said UT interim President Jim Davis. “We are grateful to Bill for his generous and steadfast support.”
Gurley is among the world’s most successful investors focused on early-stage technology companies, helping to secure early investments in Uber, OpenTable, Zillow and many other companies that have disrupted industries. He serves on boards of several technology companies and is a general partner at venture capital firm Benchmark.
“High school maker spaces are filled with some of the most intelligent and creative students in our country, captivated by the possibilities of robotics. This program will establish the University of Texas as the premier destination for them to continue their passionate journey,” said Gurley, who earned an MBA from the McCombs School of Business. “Providing the financial resources to expand and strengthen Texas Robotics will ensure it attracts the most talented students—those with the greatest potential to become our nation’s future innovators and disruptors.”
The $5 million matching gift, which establishes the Amy and Bill Gurley Endowment for Texas Robotics, will provide one-for-one matches for other donors who make gifts that establish new endowments to support Texas Robotics. Gurley’s gift opens an exciting opportunity for other philanthropists to join in strengthening The University of Texas at Austin’s reputation as one of the world’s premier academic institutions for robotics. The Gurley gift will primarily support educational initiatives in Texas Robotics, including experiential learning and related research.
“This gift will set us apart from other programs around the country by allowing us to attract top students and faculty in robotics, sustain one of the nation’s first undergraduate robotics honors programs, and bring cutting-edge equipment into our labs,” said Peter Stone, director of Texas Robotics, the University’s interdisciplinary hub for all aspects of robotics.
Gurley’s gift will focus initially on Freshman Research Initiative streams, undergraduate research, student experiential learning and improvements to the Texas Robotics lab, including updates to equipment, computing power and materials.
Although the undergraduate program is new, many key elements of a world-changing robotics program have been in place for years. Researchers at UT are developing robots to assist nurses in hospitals, replace humans in hazardous environments, care for elderly or disabled people, and provide physical therapy for patients recovering from strokes or injuries. UT is also home to the Good Systems ethical AI initiative and the National Science Foundation’s Institute for the Foundations of Machine Learning, which involve fundamental research into the artificial intelligence that underlies numerous advances in applied robotics.
Students likewise benefit from learning with and working alongside world leaders in AI and robotics. The new program holistically weaves together social, academic and research opportunities, allowing undergraduates to participate in a robotics Living Learning Community and gain hands-on experience through the Freshman Research Initiative’s Robot Learning and Autonomous Robots research streams. UT students also compete against teams from around the world in robot soccer and in carrying out household tasks with autonomous service robots.
Texas Robotics includes 16 core faculty members, 40 affiliated faculty members and 200 students, postdoctoral researchers, visiting scholars and research engineers from top-ranked programs in the Cockrell School of Engineering and College of Natural Sciences, including aerospace engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science.
