Industrial Vanguard Newsletter Vol. 17

Introduction

This week’s industrial headlines reflect a world rapidly reshaping itself—where control over materials, manufacturing, and infrastructure has become a race for strategic advantage. As tariffs rise and global competition intensifies, startups and corporations are focused on rebuilding the real, tangible backbone of the economy. Succeeding in this new era will require clear vision, strong design, and the determination to build at scale.

🔩 Materials

• Northern Graphite and BMI Group plan a battery anode facility on the site of a shuttered Canadian paper mill.

• China's export controls on rare earths spark fear of vehicle production halts in the West.

• Durin raises $3.4M to automate critical minerals exploration.

• PHNX Materials pioneers low-carbon concrete using coal waste—a paradox of progress.

⚡ Energy

• CATL unveils second-gen sodium-ion batteries.

• Omnidian raises $87M to scale solar servicing.

• Halliburton warns of lower U.S. oilfield activity due to tariffs.

• Mainspring raises $258M to scale linear generators.

• UbiQD secures $20M Series B for solar nanotechnology.

• Geothermal’s slow progress contrasts its 100-year promise with 21st-century hesitation.

🧠 Design & Development

• Deep Infra builds AI inference infrastructure.

• Chinese startup Manus secures Benchmark funding at $500M valuation.

• Reducto raises $24.5M to parse documents via AI.

🏭 Manufacturing

• Abbott expects $100M+ in tariff costs.

• Corporate investors race to fund humanoid robotics.

• GM exec exits amid Mexico production controversy.

• Roche commits $50B to U.S. R&D.

• Isembard raises $9M to reshore U.K. manufacturing.

🚚 Supply Chain & Logistics

• U.S. moves forward with China-linked shipping fees.

• Atomic emerges with AI-powered inventory tools.

• Hapag-Lloyd reports 30% of China’s U.S.-bound shipments cancelled.

• Electra.aero raises $115M to expand electric aviation.

♻️ Recycling

• Redwood Materials expands battery recycling for micromobility.

• Cyclic Materials announces $20M U.S. facility investment.

📈 Markets, Policy & Venture Capital

• Honda Xcelerator Ventures argues that "hard tech" investments are less risky than commonly perceived, challenging a persistent venture capital bias against industrial innovation. Read more

• Peter Thiel doubles down on patriotic investing during the Trump era, emphasizing national resilience over globalist strategies. Read more

• TDK launches a new fund aimed at backing hardware startups, signaling long-term confidence in industrial technology despite tariff risks. Read more

• TPG and Temasek back Cliffwater, an interval fund specialist, illustrating growing institutional demand for private markets access. Read more

• Private Equity faces a "perfect storm" of higher borrowing costs, slower exits, and valuation uncertainty as global markets remain volatile. Read more

• Techstars boosts startup funding to $220,000 per company, moving closer to the Y Combinator model and heightening competition for early-stage founders. Read more

• Trade wars and safety concerns dominate headlines at the Shanghai Auto Show, underscoring the risks facing global automakers. Read more

• NYSE Texas officially opens, aiming to capture the growing number of industrial and energy-focused companies seeking alternative public markets. Read more

• Texas Ventures Acquisition III, an industrial tech-focused SPAC, raises $200M to pursue acquisitions in manufacturing and infrastructure. Read more

• Wise Road Capital considers selling UTAC, reflecting mounting pressures in the semiconductor and electronics supply chain space. Read more

• KOMPAS VC closes €150M Fund II to invest in sustainable and productivity-enhancing industrial technologies. Read more

• Sunflower Capital, led by a former Sequoia partner, raises $150M to support industrial and manufacturing startups. Read more

• Tony Pritzker launches a new firm aimed at backing private-equity funds amid growing uncertainty across traditional capital markets. Read more

• Michael Grimes, the veteran Morgan Stanley banker, is tapped to lead the Trump administration’s new "Invest in America" initiative. Read more

• CIV launches a $200M venture fund focused on manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure startups, reflecting a wave of industrial investment interest. Read more

• Green energy buyers are canceling projects amid uncertainty over U.S. tax credits, posing risks to clean tech growth. Read more

• China exempts certain U.S. goods from tariffs, offering a narrow reprieve in escalating trade tensions. Read more

• Intel reverses plans to spin out Intel Capital, retaining the strategic venture arm amid ongoing tech sector turbulence. Read more