Tesla has filed a lawsuit against a former engineer after claiming he stole sensitive information from its Optimus humanoid robotics project.
The engineer, Zhongjie “Jay” Li, allegedly used the data to launch a rival startup called ‘Proception’.
The complaint was filed on June 12, 2025, and it accuses Li of misappropriating trade secrets related to Tesla’s robotic hand sensors.
According to Tesla, these designs were key to Optimus, the company’s ongoing robot development project.
The Allegations
Li worked at Tesla from August 2022 to September 2024. During this time, he had access to confidential engineering files.
The company claims he downloaded these files to two personal smartphones without permission.
In addition, the complaint notes that Li researched “humanoid robotic hands” and startup funding sources during work hours.
This activity took place in the final months of his employment. Then, less than a week after resigning, Li incorporated Proception.
Within five months, the startup publicly announced a working prototype. Tesla says the prototype closely resembles its own designs.
Also read: Top 10 Humanoid Robots of 2025
Proception Claims Innovation
Proception describes its goal as building the “world’s most advanced humanoid hands,” backed by Y Combinator, a well-known startup accelerator.
Its website emphasizes improvements in human-robot interaction. However, Tesla remains unconvinced.
The lawsuit claims Proception’s product could not have been developed so quickly without using stolen information.
It argues that Li relied on proprietary data from his former office to accelerate his new venture. So far, neither Tesla nor Proception has issued a public response.
The Optimus Project
Tesla first revealed plans for the Optimus humanoid robot in 2021. CEO Elon Musk claimed the robot would perform repetitive and dangerous tasks.
And in 2022, Tesla projected a 2023 launch; however, development delays followed. In July 2024, Musk announced a new timeline. He stated Tesla would begin selling Optimus in 2026.
At Tesla’s “We, Robot” event in October 2024, the company demonstrated several humanoid prototypes that were remotely controlled by off-site operators.
This brings the humanoid’s full autonomy into question.
