John B. Stroud
| John B. Stroud | |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, finance and operations professional |
|---|---|
| Known for | Co-founder, COO, and CFO of Azalea Robotics Corporation |
| Education | University of Georgia (BS Mathematics and Economics, 2016) Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University (MBA) |
John B. Stroud is an American entrepreneur, finance professional, and co-founder, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer of Azalea Robotics Corporation, a startup developing robotic systems to automate airport baggage handling. The company participated in Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch and is based in Berkeley, California.[1]
Career
Stroud graduated from the University of Georgia's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Economics in 2016. He later earned a full-time MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Prior to founding Azalea Robotics, Stroud worked in airline operations, management consulting, and large-scale operations finance. He held a position as Senior Manager of Supply Chain Finance FP&A at United Airlines, where he gained direct experience with the operational challenges of major international airlines, including the difficulties associated with manual baggage handling systems.
In 2023, Stroud co-founded Azalea Robotics Corporation with David Millard. The company develops autonomous robotic systems designed to automate airport baggage handling operations. Azalea Robotics' robots perform tasks including loading and unloading bags between belts, carts, and unit load devices (ULDs) using vision-guided systems, as well as automated sortation with barcode reading and real-time validation to reduce misloads. The company also offers fleet management software for operational tracking and efficiency.[2]
The company addresses a global airport baggage handling systems market that it estimates at over $20 billion. Azalea Robotics has noted that approximately 4.5 billion bags were processed at airports in 2023 and that traditional baggage handling involves physically demanding, repetitive labor that can lead to long-term injuries among workers. The company's robotic systems are intended to reduce injury risk, improve efficiency, and enhance on-time flight performance.
Azalea Robotics participated in Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch. The company's team draws on experience from organizations including NASA, Google X, and United Airlines. Stroud's co-founder, David Millard, brings robotics and software engineering expertise from Google X's Everyday Robots project and doctoral research funded by a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship. Stroud contributes operational and financial expertise from his background in airline operations and consulting.
The company introduced its ARC 1 robotic system and has exhibited at industry events including FTE Global 2025.
References
- ↑ "Azalea Robotics Corporation". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Azalea Robotics – Robotic Baggage Handling For Every Airport". 'Azalea Robotics Corporation}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.