Industrial Vanguard Newsletter Vol. 16

Introduction

This week’s developments reinforce the increasingly complex interplay between industrial innovation and geopolitical friction. The U.S. continues its tariff-driven push to reclaim manufacturing primacy, as trade reviews, offshore project suspensions, and domestic reshoring accelerate. Meanwhile, capital flows into fusion, battery storage, AI hardware, and electrification—all as the policy environment grows more unpredictable. From power grids and production lines to supply chains and semiconductors, companies are working overtime to localize, digitize, and de-risk.

Materials

• Trump orders CFIUS review of Nippon Steel’s bid for U.S. Steel. Read more

Energy

• Samsung SDI begins production of 46-series cylindrical batteries for a U.S. customer. Read more

• Natural gas resurgence threatens nuclear market growth. Read more

• Base Power raises $200M Series B to strengthen the Texas grid and expand manufacturing. Read more

• Hexium emerges with a laser-powered solution to fusion’s fuel challenge. Read more

• Volkswagen’s Scania acquires Northvolt’s battery packs division. Read more

• Trump administration halts construction on New York’s Empire Wind project. Read more

• Capital Power inks $2.2B deal to expand into the PJM market. Read more

• Crux Climate raises $50M Series B to accelerate voluntary carbon markets. Read more

• Zero Industrial raises $10M to expand thermal storage. Read more

• Cosmic Robotics gets funding to automate solar installation. Read more

• Conifer raises $20M seed round for “drop-in” EV hub motors. Read more

• JD Power report: EV owners prioritize home charging speed. Read more

Design & Development

• DOE identifies 16 federal sites for data centers and AI infrastructure. Read more

• Rescale raises $115M to support AI-driven digital engineering. Read more

• Arena AI secures $30M for hardware testing automation. Read more

• Midwest data center buildout accelerates, raising energy concerns. Read more

Manufacturing

• GM lays off 200 workers at Factory Zero in Detroit and Hamtramck. Read more

• NVIDIA to manufacture AI supercomputers in the U.S. for the first time. Read more

• Xaba raises $6M to develop “synthetic brains” for industrial robots. Read more

• Saronic acquires Gulf Craft, unveils 150-foot autonomous ship. Read more

• Bezos-backed EV startup breaks cover. Read more

• Luxshare mulls U.S. production to counter tariffs. Read more

• Figure AI’s BMW partnership called into question. Read more

• Magma raises $5M to scale molten-metal 3D printing. Read more

Supply Chain & Logistics

• Kodiak Robotics to go public via SPAC in $2.5B deal. Read more

• Alphabet spins off supply chain “moonshot.” Read more

• Optilogic raises $40M Series B to build next-gen supply chain modeling tools. Read more

• NetRise raises $10M to secure software supply chains. Read more

• Warehouse automation threatened by tariffs. Read more

• Global vessel traffic slows, raising new concerns about maritime throughput. Read more

• Robotic sorting gains momentum. Read more

Recycling

• Redwood opens R&D center in San Francisco. Read more

• Powin and Circulor launch battery passport initiative. Read more

• Rare earth recovery from hard drives scales in the U.S. Read more

Market Updates

• China admits involvement in U.S. infrastructure hacks during closed-door talks. Read more

• Startups and PE firms reassess China-plus-one strategies. Read more

• Tariffs shake VC and PE exits. Read more

• Auto tariffs projected to cost $100B. Read more

• Intel CEO’s Chinese investments draw scrutiny. Read more

• China leads U.S. in biotech innovation, warns new report. Read more

• Scout AI unveils autonomous defense platform. Read more

• Murata launches U.S. corporate venture arm. Read more