SEATTLE, Jan. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Retrocausal, the AI-native process optimization platform transforming the manufacturing industry, today announced that Steve Rodda has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Rodda will spearhead Retrocausal’s aggressive growth strategy and execution as the company scales from early adoption to widespread enterprise deployment across production execution and industrial engineering workflows. Co-founder Zeeshan Zia transitions from CEO to President, where he will continue to push the boundaries of AI research and steer the company’s technical and product vision.
Rodda brings more than 20 years of experience building, scaling, and exiting enterprise software companies. Across his career, he has driven four successful exits and raised over $80 million. Most recently, Rodda orchestrated the integration of Ambassador Labs with Gravitee. Before that, as CEO of Stoplight, Rodda led rapid growth, scaling the company from $1.7M to $7M in ARR in under two years and establishing a disciplined, repeatable enterprise playbook. Earlier leadership roles including senior positions at SolarWinds, Cherwell Software, and LOGICnow cement his reputation as a growth operator.
“Retrocausal has hit a key inflection point where everything is converging: our advanced computer vision and AI platform, accelerating customer adoption, and an expanding market hungry for what we have built,” said Zeeshan Zia, Co-Founder and President, Retrocausal. “I’m excited to work alongside Steve as we accelerate our next growth phase. With our technology already deployed inside core production workflows, my focus will be on continuing to evolve Retrocausal’s cutting-edge AI as Steve focuses on the company’s go-to-market scale.
Retrocausal applies proprietary computer vision models and AI to manual and semi-automated manufacturing processes, generating real-time understanding of how work is performed on the factory floor. The platform supports frontline execution as well as industrial engineering workflows such as process optimization, continuous improvement, and ergonomics, without disrupting existing systems or production.
“I’m thrilled to join Retrocausal as it tackles one of manufacturing’s toughest challenges: unlocking consistent performance in human-driven production,” said Steve Rodda, CEO of Retrocausal. “Zeeshan and his team have built a fundamentally AI-native platform that is already reshaping a legacy industry. I’m excited to build on this strong foundation and accelerate the company to the next phase of growth”
Retrocausal delivers best-in-class results in reducing rework and increasing yield, driving 25% improvements in first-time yield and process efficiency while reducing scrap costs by 90%. These results have generated multiple millions of dollars in ARR and are driving expansion across production lines and facilities at global manufacturers, including 3M, Forvia, Stellantis, Stryker, Boston Scientific, and Carrier. Siemens also selected Retrocausal as a partner within its Digital Industries Software business, recognizing it as a category-leading platform for improving yield, quality, and execution in complex manufacturing environments.
“Retrocausal has built fast, repeatable, and durable revenue in a core part of manufacturing,” said Kleida Martiro, Glasswing Managing Director and Retrocausal Board Director. “With strong product adoption and loyal, name-brand customers, the company is well-positioned for scale. This leadership transition reflects confidence and momentum.”
About Retrocausal
Retrocausal provides AI-native process optimization for manufacturing. Its software helps operators, industrial engineers, and plant leaders improve quality, productivity, and safety by making production execution measurable and continuously improvable across human-driven manufacturing environments. To learn more, please visit https://retrocausal.ai/
Media Contact:
Steve Rodda
steve@retrocausal.ai
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/610d8814-13d6-4509-81f1-21985ff66ea0
