Chris Lobo opens by sharing his conviction that next-generation commerce infrastructure companies would master “how to build and validate operational AI and robotics at network scale.” His answer to implementing this vision became Stord Labs, a physical intelligence facility at Stord’s Atlanta headquarters.
The lab replicates complete fulfillment workflows—from receiving through returns—using the same systems that power production facilities. This allows the team to test innovations against real operational complexity rather than idealized scenarios.
Lobo identifies “the demo problem”: vendor demonstrations in controlled environments frequently fail in actual operations with mixed products, variable orders, and real-world variability. Stord Labs addresses this by running authentic orders through realistic conditions, stress-testing innovations before network deployment.
The facility includes distinct operational zones: storage and picking areas for robotics experiments, packing zones for workflow testing, an automation test area for agentic robotics pilots, and a control tower for AI development. Lobo highlights agentic systems as particularly promising—these employ dynamic decision-making rather than scripted robot movements.
The lab operates under strict discipline: every experiment requires defined hypotheses, success criteria, and measurement frameworks in advance. Only technologies demonstrating measurable improvement scale across Stord’s nearly 100 global facilities.
Future plans include quarterly demonstration days for customers and opportunities for selected partners to co-develop solutions within the lab environment.