Inside the Industrial Technology Revival
Shop Talk
Capturing this week's zeitgeist
The fusion of AI and robotics is starting a new hype cycle. Manufacturing is transforming beyond basic automation to intelligent, adaptive systems. As the space heats up, venture capitalists are differentiating themselves through specialized industrial tech theses and strategic partnerships with research labs and corporations. To that end, Cybernetix Ventures has announced The Robotics Startup Playbook, an online guide for navigating the unique challenges of building and scaling robotics.
Assembly Line
This week's most influential Industry 4.0 media.
Inside the Billion-Dollar Startup Bringing AI Into the Physical World
Physical Intelligence believes it can give robots humanlike understanding of the physical world and dexterity by feeding sensor and motion data from robots performing vast numbers of demonstrations into its master AI model. âThis is, for us, what it will take to âsolveâ physical intelligence,â Hausman says. âTo breathe intelligence into a robot just by connecting it to our model.â
There is simply no internet-scale repository of robot actions similar to the text and image data available for training LLMs. Achieving a breakthrough in physical intelligence might require exponentially more data anyway.
Physical Intelligence hopes to gather a lot more data by working with other companies such as ecommerce and manufacturing firms that have robots doing a variety of things. The startup also hopes to develop custom hardware, such as the webcam-equipped pincer; it hasnât said how this will be used, but it could perhaps enable crowdsourced training with people performing everyday tasks.
IT/OT convergence: The 27 themes that define the future of industrial integration
Convergence is driven by the need for a scalable, robust, and secure data exchange. IT systems manage business-critical operations, while OT systems control physical processes and generate key operational data. Companies are recognizing that converging these two domains is becoming essential as they seek to enhance operational efficiency and digital capabilities.
Industrial DataOps aims to enhance data quality by providing structure and context for accurate, logical data representation, ensuring usability by downstream applications. DataOps enables deeper alignment between data producers (e.g., sensors, machines, SCADA) and consumers (e.g., various IT applications, analytics applications).
Inside VW and Rivianâs $5.8 Billion Bet to Rescue Each Other
VW had spent years and billions of dollars trying to build a digital-first car like this, and Rivian had produced a promising prototype in less than three months. Car companies today want to make their vehicles as easy to connect and update as a smartphone. So far, EV startupsâworking without the mechanical complexity of traditional vehiclesâhave better integrated the new technology, which involves consolidating vehicle electronics around a much more powerful central computer.
The joint venture will be run by co-chief executives, whom the companies named on Tuesday. Rivian appointed Bensaid as the projectâs leader with responsibility for technology, while VW put its chief technology engineer Carsten Helbing in charge of the operational side.
Machine Learning Might Save Time on Chip Testing
Engineers at NXP have developed a machine-learning algorithm that learns the patterns of test results and figures out the subset of tests that are really needed and those that they could safely do without.
Shroff says the problem has certain similarities to the machine learning-based recommender systems used in e-commerce. âWe took the concept from the retail world, where a data analyst can look at receipts and see what items people are buying together,â he says. âInstead of a transaction receipt, we have a unique part identifier and instead of the items that a consumer would purchase, we have a list of failing tests.â
Shroff and his colleagues analyzed data obtained from testing seven microcontrollers and applications processors built using advanced chipmaking processes. Depending on which chip was involved, they were subject to between 41 and 164 tests, and the algorithm was able to recommend removing 42 to 74 percent of those tests. Extending the analysis to data from other types of chips led to an even wider range of opportunities to trim testing.
New Product Introduction
Highlighting new and innovative facilities, processes, products, and services
TRUMPF Introduces Remote Operations Support for Automated Laser Cutting in the U.S.
TRUMPF has introduced Remote Operations Support, a new service for automated laser cutting machine customers in the United States. The service connects experts in Germany with U.S.-based customers operating TruLaser Center machinery. Designed for autonomous production, TRUMPFâs TruLaser Center is a full-service laser machine that automates the entire laser cutting process from loading of sheet metal to laser cutting and then part removal and sorting. The Remote Operations Support service was created to assist customers with this automated laser cutting technology.
The average processing time to remotely resolve a TruLaser Center machine standstill is estimated at less than fifteen minutes. In addition, the experts at TRUMPF have found that more than fifty percent of machine downtimes can be resolved remotely.
Worldâs strongest land-based crane passes test program
Mammoet has officially completed testing of the SK6000 â the worldâs strongest land-based crane. This process - overseen by maritime classification services organization Lloydâs Register, certifies the craneâs safe operation to its specification.
After reviewing the SK6000âs engineering design earlier during its development, Lloydâs Register confirmed that the test program was suitable to prove out its capacity charts. Testing was then carried out at Mammoetâs Westdorpe facility in the Netherlands over the last three months.
The SK6000 helps Mammoetâs customers across the energy sector to build on a larger scale than ever before, using modularized construction techniques to build in parallel and enhance the efficiency of assembly phases.
Augury Introduces the First Industrial-Grade, Edge-AI Native Machine Health Sensing Platform
Augury, a leading provider of AI solutions that help industrial and manufacturing companies increase their productivity, efficiency, and reliability, today unveiled the next generation of its Machine Health sensing platform with the release of the Halo⢠R4000 series of sensors. Advanced users of IoT-enabled solutions are familiar with the complexities of implementing new monitoring technologies, which often introduce challenges such as device management, network recovery, and other non-value-added tasks. Additionally, maintenance teams in more extreme environments often struggle to find solutions that can operate reliably in their specific conditions. Todayâs release unveils the next generation of AI-enabled IoT sensors that helps solve these challenges. The Halo R4000 series, the worldâs only true edge-AI-capable, industrial-grade machine health sensor, brings unparalleled smart diagnostics, self-healing connectivity, and protection to extreme environments â all in Auguryâs smallest and lightest sensor yet.
Business Transactions
This week's top funding events, acquisitions, and partnerships across industrial value chains.
Radiant Secures $100 Million in Series C Funding, Plans Milestone Test at INLâs DOME Facility
Radiant Industries, Incorporated, a leader in advanced nuclear technology, today announced a $100 million Series C funding round led by DCVC, a preeminent deep tech venture capital firm. The round included participation from a16zâs American Dynamism team, which led the Series B, and Union Square Ventures, and welcomed new investors Felicis, Washington Harbour Partners LP, and Chevron Technology Ventures. This investment comes on the heels of Radiantâs passive cooldown demonstration, a critical test of a full-scale, non-fueled reactor, and brings the companyâs total venture funding to $160 million.
The funding will primarily be used to complete Radiantâs Kaleidos Development Unit, the same reactor design that will be manufactured and sold to customers. At INL, the unit will undergo a comprehensive testing program including rigorous evaluations of the reactorâs failsafe mechanisms and proprietary semi-automated control system, providing validation cases for regulatory analyses. Funds will also be used for factory siting and early construction efforts, breaking ground on the facilities that are expected to produce up to 50 microreactors per year.
GITAI Raises an Additional US$15.5 Million in Funding
GITAI USA Inc. (GITAI), the worldâs leading space robotics startup, is pleased to announce that GITAI has raised an additional US$15.5M as part of its Series B Extension round in October 2024. This follows US$30M raised in May 2023 and US$15M raised in August 2023, bringing the total in the Series B Extension round to US$60.5M.
To reduce the cost of space operations by 100 times, GITAI is developing robotic satellites for on-orbit services, lunar robotic rovers for infrastructure construction, and inchworm-type robotic arms that can be used in both areas. All of these technologies are being developed in-house.
Vecna Robotics Taps Autonomous Vehicle Pioneer Karl Iagnemma as CEO, Secures Additional Funding to Drive Growth
Vecna Robotics, the leader in flexible material handling automation solutions, today announced it has brought on Karl Iagnemma as CEO and closed $14.5MM in additional funding from existing investors. Proceeds of the funding round are earmarked to accelerate technology and product enhancements to address the automation needs of operators in automotive, general manufacturing, and high-volume warehousing.
Iagnemma is a robotics expert and entrepreneur with a distinguished career blending academic research and industry leadership. He co-founded and served as CEO of autonomous vehicle technology company nuTonomy, which was later acquired by Aptiv in 2017 for $450MM. Under Iagnemmaâs leadership, nuTonomy launched the worldâs first public robotaxi pilots in Singapore. Iagnemma was also founding CEO of Motional, a $4B robotaxi joint venture between automaker Hyundai Motor Group and Tier 1 supplier Aptiv.
Prior to his industry career, Iagnemma directed the Robotic Mobility Group research laboratory at MIT, where he authored publications related to robotics and artificial intelligence that have been cited more than 20,000 times. Iagnemma is also an inventor with more than 50 issued or pending patents in robotics and autonomous vehicles. While at MIT, Iagnemma met Daniel Theobald, a fellow MIT alumnus and founder of Vecna Robotics. In 2020, Iagnemma made an angel investment in Vecna Robotics based on the companyâs technology leadership and the potential for robotics to revolutionize material handling.
Ecolectro Closes $10.5M Series A Round to Accelerate Next-Generation Green Hydrogen Electrolyzers
Ecolectro, an emerging leader in green hydrogen technology, today announced the successful close of its $10.5M Series A funding round, led by Toyota Ventures with participation from Starshot Capital, DNX Ventures, Energy Revolution Ventures, New Climate Ventures, Banco Popular Impact Fund, and Techstars, among others. This funding brings Ecolectroâs total capital raised to $27.7M, including grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, New York Stateâs Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the National Science Foundation. These funds will be used to accelerate the development and deployment of Ecolectroâs groundbreaking Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyzers, offering an affordable and scalable path to reducing carbon emissions through true green hydrogen.
Ecolectro, founded by Cornell PhD chemists Dr. Kristina M. Hugar and Dr. Gabriel G. RodrĂguez-Calero, has developed a breakthrough AEM electrolyzer. At the core of this technology is a proprietary membrane chemistry that eliminates the need for rare earth materials like iridium and harmful chemicals such as PFAS, instead utilizing readily available, recyclable and eco-friendly materials. This membrane is highly durable, operating efficiently in high-temperature and alkaline conditions, and achieves over 70% efficiency (<47.5 kWh/kg) in typical operating environments, significantly outperforming comparable PEM and alkaline systems.
Copernic Catalysts Closes $8M Seed Prime Led by Breakout Ventures to Scale Its Transformational Catalyst for Sustainable Ammonia Production
Copernic Catalysts, a developer of novel catalysts for sustainable chemicals and e-fuels, today announced it has raised an oversubscribed $8 million Series Seed Prime round. Breakout Ventures led the round, with existing investors Future Ventures and Engine Ventures and new investors, including Innospark Ventures, New Climate Ventures, and Impact Science Ventures. Copernic will use the fresh capital to scale its ammonia synthesis catalyst to the kg-scale and to expand beyond that work with its exclusive research partner, SchrĂśdinger, to develop a second catalyst target for the Fischer-Tropsch syngas-to-sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), thereby improving the carbon footprint of the aviation industry.
âTo realize the potential of ammonia in global decarbonization efforts, ammoniaâs own carbon intensity must be reduced. Copernic utilizes cutting-edge computational materials design to transform the production of commodity chemicals and e-fuels like ammonia for a low-carbon future,â said Dr. Jacob Grose, co-founder and CEO of Copernic. âOur first proprietary catalyst â already being tested by one of the worldâs largest ammonia producers â can drop into existing manufacturing infrastructure and drastically reduce the temperatures and pressures required for ammonia synthesis, thereby enabling the economic production of reduced- and zero-carbon ammonia.â
The Copernic founding team brings decades of experience in the chemicals industry. Dr. Grose was previously an Investment Manager at BASF Venture Capital, and Dr. Aruna Ramkrishnan, co-founder and CTO, previously held technical leadership positions at ExxonMobil and Linde.
Sunthetics Secures $4 Million Seed Round to Revolutionize Chemical Industry with AI-Powered Innovation
Sunthetics, a pioneering AI technology company, has announced the successful close of its $4 million Seed round, led by LâATTITUDE Ventures and joined by S3 Ventures, Hearst Level Up Ventures, and the Global Impact Fund II. The funds will be strategically allocated to expand the Sunthetics team and enhance the companyâs innovative machine learning platform, designed to accelerate the pharmaceutical and chemical research and development (R&D) process to drastically cut time-to-market and R&D costs.
Trusted by the worldâs largest pharmaceutical, chemical, and cosmetics companies, as well as leading research institutions, Sunthetics is quickly becoming the industry standard for AI-optimized process development. A top five pharmaceutical company saw 6x faster process development, a 75% reduction in expensive materials, and 12% higher efficiency with Sunthetics and other customers have seen similar results.
Rockwell Automation Brings Autonomous Operations to Life Using NVIDIA Omniverse
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the worldâs largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced it is integrating NVIDIA Omniverse application programming interfaces into its Emulate3D⢠digital twin software to enhance factory operations through artificial intelligence and physics-based simulation technology.
Rockwell Automationâs Emulate3D software uses the latest NVIDIA Omniverse APIs to create factory-scale dynamic digital twins based on OpenUSD interoperability and NVIDIA RTX rendering technologies. While visualization was previously possible, this enhancement enables true emulation and dynamic testing of multiple machines within a system. This integration, planned for early 2025, will enable improved visualization and simulation capabilities for manufacturing environments.