Industrial Vanguard Vol. 39

Introduction

The industrial tech ecosystem continued to build momentum this week with new capital flowing into next-gen hardware, manufacturing AI, and clean-energy infrastructure even as policy debates and macro headwinds reminded everyone how complex innovation at scale can be. Materials startups secured early funding to accelerate critical mineral recovery and specialty chemistry, while policy headlines around U.S. lithium underscored how geopolitics continues to shape supply chains. Energy players raised fresh rounds for grid resilience, batteries, and renewables acquisitions. On the design-and-development front, AI hardware and chip-cooling technologies drew substantial investment, reflecting persistent confidence in compute-driven growth despite warnings about an “AI bubble.” Manufacturing saw significant progress in robotics, industrial sensors, and surplus-management solutions, signaling that automation is moving from concept to operational backbone. Supply-chain platforms and drone-delivery ventures expanded, and recyclers continued tackling PFAS and other environmental challenges. Meanwhile, capital formation remained robust with Touring Capital’s $330M debut, Sanofi’s $625M recommitment to corporate VC, and new insights on startup red-flags. Add in headlines from Climate Week NYC, Trump’s call to end quarterly reporting, and ongoing visa debates, and it’s clear that capital, policy, and innovation remain tightly intertwined as the industrial transition accelerates.

Materials

• Nox Metals raised $4.6M Pre-seed to advance critical-metal recovery technologies. X/Twitter

• U.S. lithium spotlight: reports say Trump seeks an equity stake in the operator of America’s largest lithium mine, highlighting the politics of domestic mineral supply. Reuters

• Alchemy secured $6M to develop new specialty-materials solutions. FinSMEs

Energy

• Grid resilience: GridStrong closed a $10M Seed to modernize grid infrastructure. FinSMEs

• Battery storage: XL Batteries raised $7.5M to expand its energy-storage offerings. FinSMEs

• Renewables M&A: a major power company signaled plans to acquire renewable-energy assets, underscoring consolidation trends. Axios

Design & Development

• Building-automation AI: PassiveLogic raised $74M Series C to scale autonomous building-control systems. FinSMEs

• Chip cooling: Switzerland-based Corintis closed a $24M Series A to improve thermal management for advanced chips. Axios

• AI economics: WSJ asks whether soaring AI spend is sustainable amid concerns of a bubble. WSJ

• Power-efficient semiconductors: Empower Semiconductor secured $140M Series D to expand ultra-low-power chip production. Yahoo Finance

• IoT connectivity: Morse Micro raised AUD $88M Series C to lead the next era of Wi-Fi HaLow-based IoT solutions. Morse Micro

Manufacturing

• Automation milestone: the IFR reports industrial-robot deployments have doubled in the past decade, reflecting rapid adoption across factories. The Robot Report

• AI-driven production:

  • Atomic Industries raised $25M to advance AI-based manufacturing platforms. Pulse2.0

  • Amplio closed $11.1M Series A to scale AI-powered surplus-management for manufacturers. BusinessWire

  • Feelit raised $8.3M to expand smart-sensor solutions for industrial monitoring. Calcalistech

  • Sonair highlighted its 3D ultrasonic sensor designed to improve robotic safety. TechCrunch

Supply Chain & Logistics

• Procurement advantage: Omnea raised $50M Series B to help CFOs unlock savings in procurement workflows. Omnea

• Drone logistics: DEXA secured $15M to expand at-home drone delivery in major U.S. metros. DroneLife

• Fleet visibility: Catena raised $5M to integrate fragmented fleet-management data. Axios

• Fuel management: E.J. Ward received a strategic investment from TPA Investment Partners to expand its fueling and telematics solutions. FinSMEs

Recycling

• PFAS detection: Canada’s FREDsense raised $7M to commercialize field-based PFAS-contamination detectors. Innovation News Network

• Forever-chemical mitigation: Germany’s enaDyne raised €7M for plasma-reactor technology to break down PFAS compounds. EU-Startups

Venture Capital & Private Equity

• Market intel: The Secret VC highlighted startup red-flags investors often keep private. Start Midwest

• New funds & expansion:

  • Touring Capital, founded by ex-M12 and SoftBank veterans, closed a $330M first fund targeting growth-stage tech. Fortune

  • Sanofi Ventures received an additional $625M multi-year commitment from parent company Sanofi to deepen healthcare/biotech bets. VCWire

  • Stifel expanded its venture-banking team, signaling stronger service offerings to startups and investors. VCWire

Markets, Policy & News

• Reporting rules: Former President Trump renewed calls to end quarterly corporate reporting, reopening debate over disclosure frequency. Reuters

• Climate Week NYC: industry leaders shared a cautiously optimistic “vibe check” on climate financing progress and policy gaps. Axios

• Talent & immigration: fresh discussions around H-1B visa pathways continued to influence hiring strategies for U.S. tech and industrial firms. Axios