Jake Loosararian, the co-founder and CEO of Gecko Robotics, spent years working 100-hour weeks and living on the edge of bankruptcy to keep his startup alive. Launched in 2013 as a college project, Gecko began with faulty prototypes meant to inspect power plant boilers. These early devices often malfunctioned, forcing Loosararian to work in harsh and grimy industrial settings. Despite warnings from professors and family to give up the idea, he stuck with it—sleeping on couches, living off scraps, and refusing to walk away.
What kept him going was the belief in the problem he was solving. Hearing directly from customers about the importance of maintaining critical infrastructure gave him the motivation to push forward. In 2016, Gecko’s fortunes changed when it was accepted into the prestigious Y Combinator startup accelerator. This breakthrough gave Loosararian access to funding and key investors, setting the stage for the company’s rise.
Gecko Robotics now develops advanced AI-driven machines capable of climbing walls, swimming underwater, and inspecting hard-to-reach areas like power plants, dams, bridges, and military facilities. In June 2025, the company raised $125 million in new funding led by Cox Enterprises, boosting its valuation to $1.25 billion—nearly double what it was just six months earlier.
Reflecting on his journey, Loosararian credits the toughest times for shaping his resilience and leadership: “It was only possible through that refinement of going through hell.” His story stands as a powerful reminder of what determination, grit, and belief in a mission can achieve.
