🦾 HardTech Reads: The AI & Robotics Revolution vol.47

Welcome to the exploration of the world where founders embark on bold quests and solve non-obvious problems🤘

🚀 HARDTECH NEWS: Robotics & AI Innovations

🤖 Front-flippin’ humanoid from China, 🤖 4 new Humanoid Robots 🧠 Smarter Atlas from Boston Dynamics, 🤖 $10k personal humanoid from K-Scale Labs, 🤖 Tesla’s new Optimus with Grok AI, 🏛️ $100M+ AI policy super-PAC, 🤖 Elon’s Macrohard AI company, ⚛️ ITER fusion reactor assembly, 🇮🇳 $1B+ US-India deep tech alliance, 💃 China’s ballet-dancing robots, 🚜 John Deere acquires GUSS, ✈️ US Air Force automates cargo planes, 🚢 Saronic’s 150-foot autonomous ship, 🚢 Blue Water Autonomy’s unmanned ships, 🇨🇳 China to triple AI chip output, 🇻🇳 Vietnam’s first humanoid robot, 🇨🇦 Ranovus expands Ottawa facility

𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 4 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 🤖🤖

1) Jack Ma’s Ant Group has join the race and thrown its hat in the ring (FOMO?), unveiling its 𝐑𝟏 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐝. Powered by their BaiLing AI model, the R1 is already being tested in real-world settings like care centers and restaurants. When a giant like Ant Group makes a move, you know the market is about to win 😉

2) Shenzhen-based 𝐗 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭 just unveiled the 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚 𝐗𝟐 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭 ( yes — wheeled 🤷🏻‍♀️, but dual-arm) along with a 20-degree-of-freedom dexterous hand and got a massive $140 million Series A+ from top-tier investors like CAS, Meituan, and Legend Star. They’re not just building robots; they’re known for the AI brains 🧠. They’ve developed a foundation model “WALL-A”, which integrates vision, language, and action (VLA) capabilities.

🇻🇳 Vietnam’s First Humanoid Robot/VinMotion

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3) Vietnamese startup VinMotion has unveiled its first humanoid robots, developed in just seven months. The robots made their public debut at Vingroup’s 32nd anniversary, performing synchronized dance moves in front of more than 1,000 employees.

👉 Learn more.

🤖 Korean Startup Releases a New Humanoid Robot/Allex

4) Korean robotics startup WIRobotics has introduced its first general-purpose humanoid, ALLEX (ALL-EXperience), designed to react to external stimuli with a level of responsiveness closer to that of humans. The robot features a high-degree-of-freedom robotic hand and a gravity-compensated upper body for safe, fluid motion.

👉 Learn more.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿: the era of humanoid robots is far from slowing down and is growing faster than anyone predicted. We’re witnessing the birth of a new industry, moving from niche tech, lots of doubts and failures, to mainstream reality and real use cases 🤔
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐬 🦿🦿

🤖 World’s First Front-Flippin’ Humanoid Robot-Kinisi/EngineAI

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Chinese robotics company Zhongqing Robotics (aka EngineAI) has unveiled a new humanoid robot that can perform a front flip, a significant achievement in robotics. The robot’s agility and dynamic movement capabilities showcase the rapid advancements in humanoid robotics.

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🧠 Boston Dynamics’s Atlas is Getting Smarter

Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot, now powered by a single AI model that handles both walking and grasping, is showing early signs of developing new and unexpected skills such as recovering dropped items, hinting at how robots could soon become much more capable in real-world settings.

👉 Learn more.

🤖 Your First Personal Humanoid Robot from K-Scale Labs for $10k

K-Scale Labs is developing what it calls the world’s most accessible platform for embodied intelligence. The company aims to bring personal humanoid robots to the market with a price tag of around $10,000.

👉 Learn more.

🤖 Korean AI Robots: The $10,000 Innovation Shaking the Tech World!

South Korea is not left behind! Their AI-powered humanoid robots are revolutionizing daily life, from assisting in hospitals to enhancing retail efficiency. With a price point of $10,000 and advanced learning capabilities, these robots are positioning South Korea as a global robotics leader with funding fromgovernment initiatives like the K-Humanoid Alliance.

👉 Learn more.

💃 China’s humanoid robots perform ballet moves in first-ever dance crew act

I obviously couldn’t miss news from China! Guess what?! Their humanoid robots are now capable of performing ballet moves, as showcased in a recent video. This development highlights the country’s progress in creating more agile and coordinated robots.

👉 Learn more.

🤖 Tesla reveals new Optimus prototype with Grok AI

https://x.com/Tesla_Optimus/status/1964425666834931730

The new prototype has a fresh gold color and features hands that are much more detailed than previous versions, although they appear non-functional and similar to mannequin hands in the footage. Tesla previously said its next-generation hands would have actuators in the forearm operating the fingers through cables, a crucial improvement for performing both delicate and more imposing tasks.

👉 Learn more.

🤖 Macrohard — Elon’s new company

Elon Musk is busy as always and his xAI is building a “purely AI software company called Macrohard.” He wrote on X, “It’s a tongue-in-cheek name, but the project is very real!” Since software companies don’t build physical hardware, he wrote — name-checking Microsoft as an example — he wants to fully automate such a company using AI. The Verge found a filing suggesting a Macrohard Ventures, LLC, was incorporated in Delaware last Friday, but it’s unclear whether it’s linked to Musk.

👉 Learn more.

🏛️ “Leading the Future” Super-PAC Launches with $100M+ to Shape AI Policy

Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, and other Silicon Valley leaders have launched a new super-PAC network called “Leading the Future”, focused on advancing pro-AI policy in U.S. elections. The super-PAC has already raised $100M+ to support candidates who favor innovation-friendly regulation and oppose overly restrictive oversight. Its mission is to keep the U.S. competitive in the global AI race, particularly against China, by promoting AI-driven economic growth and national security.

👉 Learn more.

⚛️ The largest project in the history of humanity is about to enter a key phase: the final assembly of the reactor core, led by an American giant

Westinghouse Electric Company has secured a €168 million contract to lead the assembly of the core of ITER’s fusion reactor. The critical operation will involve the precise installation and welding of nine massive steel sectors to form the tokamak’s vacuum vessel, the heart of the fusion reactor. Each 400-ton sector must be positioned and welded with millimeter precision to create a perfectly circular, hermetically sealed chamber. ITER’s primary technical goal is to demonstrate fusion power at a commercial scale.

👉 Learn more.

🇮🇳 U.S. and Indian VCs just formed a $1B+ alliance to fund India’s deep tech startups

India Deep Tech Investment Alliance, a coalition of eight U.S. and Indian venture and private equity firms, has pledged over $1 billion to fund India’s deep tech startups over the next decade. The alliance includes Accel, Blume Ventures, Celesta Capital, Premji Invest, Gaja Capital, Ideaspring Capital, Tenacity Ventures, and Venture Catalysts, and will focus on early-stage startups across AI, semiconductors, biotech, space, climate, and more.

👉 Learn more.

🚜 John Deere joins the robot revolution with GUSS acquisition

John Deere has acquired GUSS Automation, a pioneer in semi-autonomous orchard and vineyard sprayers. The acquisition is part of John Deere’s strategy to meet the growing demand for autonomous and semi-autonomous solutions for high-value crops.

👉 Learn more.

✈️ U.S. Air Force Partners with Reliable Robotics to Bring Autonomous Flight to its Cargo Planes

The U.S. Air Force has partnered with Reliable Robotics to explore the automation of large, multi-engine jets. The collaboration aims to bring autonomous flight capabilities to the Air Force’s cargo planes, enhancing operational efficiency and safety.

👉 Learn more.

🚢 Saronic lays keel for its first 150-foot Autonomous ship at its new Louisiana shipyard

Saronic has laid the keel for its first 150-foot autonomous ship at its new shipyard in Louisiana. The vessel is designed for naval and commercial applications, marking a significant step in the development of large autonomous ships.

👉 Learn more.

🇨🇳 China wants to triple its output of AI chips

Determined to compete with the US, China wants to triple its output of AI chips. It’ll finance new plants, designed specifically to support chipmakers, including Huawei. That could bolster the tech industry as a whole, which has been held back by bans covering Nvidia’s top processors. And the more self-sufficient China becomes, the less bargaining power America has.

👉 Learn more.

🇨🇦 Ranovus expands $100M Ottawa facility to onshore semiconductor supply chain

Ottawa-based Ranovus is spending $100 million to expand its optical semiconductor manufacturing facility in the nation’s capital. The project will create 125 new high-value jobs and bring previously outsourced production capacity back to Canada.

👉 Learn more.

🔬 STARTUPS TO KNOW: Game-Changers in HardTech & AI

• Galaxea AI Secures $100M Funding, Valuation at $700M, Plans Humanoid Robots in Homes Within a Decade with their R1 Robot.

• Stark raised $62M in funding led by Sequoia, with participation from 8VC, Thiel Capital, the NATO Innovation Fund, In-Q-Tel, Project A and Döpfner Capital. The German defense company develops AI-powered armed drones for battlefield use.

• Blue Water Autonomy raised $50M in Series A funding led by GV with participation from Eclipse, Riot, and Impatient Ventures. The Boston company builds unmanned ships for naval defense and logistics.

• Hyphen raised $25M in Series B funding, with participation from CAVA Group. The San Jose, California company makes automated kitchen lines for restaurant meal preparation.

• Eyebot raised a $20M Series A round led by General Catalyst, with participation from AlleyCorp, Baukunst, Village Global, and Ubiquity Ventures. The Boston company builds self-service eye exam kiosks.

• Method AI raised $20M in Series A funding led by a private family office with participation from Cleveland Clinic and JobsOhio Growth Capital Fund. The Boston company leverages continuous, 3D ultrasound, and AI-generated surgical plans to guide robotic-assisted medical procedures.

• OpenMind raised $20M in a funding round led by Pantera Capital. The Silicon Valley-based company researches and develops “intelligence infrastructure” to help integrate intelligent machines into everyday life.

• Reframe Systems raised a $20M Series A round co-led by Eclipse and VoLo Earth Ventures, with participation from MassMutual Catalyst Funds, Cubit Capital, Planetary Health at RA Capital Management, Saga Ventures, and Nor’easter Ventures. The Boston company is building robotic microfactories to cut home construction costs.

• Softwear Automation raised $20M in Series B1 funding led by Bestseller, with participation from CTW Venture Partners, SRI Capital, and MacDonald Ventures. The Atlanta-based company makes automated sewing systems for apparel production.

• FORT Robotics raised an additional $18.9M for its Series B first announced in July, bringing the round total to $43.9M. Tiger Global led the round. The Philadelphia company provides wireless control and safety software for machines and robots.

• Saga Robotics raised $11.2M in funding from Praesidium Agri-FoodTech, plus a consortium of existing investors. The Oslo company’s “Thorvald” robots autonomously treat crops with high-intensity UV-C light to combat diseases like powdery mildew.

• Helm.ai raised $10M in funding from KPIT Technologies via a SAFE Instrument in preferred stock. The Silicon Valley company develops self-driving car software.

• Mecka AI raised $8M in Seed funding led by Neo, with participation from SV Angel, A-Star Capital, Cade, Timeless, and Offline VC. The Toronto-based company generates data infrastructure for robotics development.

• Grid Aero raised $6M in Seed funding from Calibrate Ventures and Ubiquity Ventures. The Bay Area company builds autonomous aerial cargo drones for defense and commercial customers.

• Xpand raised $6M in a funding round led by Ibex Investors and Emerge. The Tel Aviv company develops unmanned retail stores capable of running 24/7, without staff.

• OpenLight raised $34m in Series A funding. Xora Innovation and Capricorn Investment Group led, joined by Mayfield, Juniper Networks, Lam Capital, New Legacy Ventures, and K2 Access.

• InstaLILY raised $25m. Insight Partners led, joined by Perceptive Ventures and Marvin Ventures.

• Splight raised $12.4 million in funding. Blue Bear Capital led the round and was joined by ZOMA Capital.

• Nauta raised $7 million in seed funding. Construct Capital and Predictive led the round.

• Heave raised $7 million in Series A funding. Outsiders Fund led the round.

• Axelera AI eyes €150M+ raise as Europe bets big on chip sovereignty.

• AiGent Raises $6M in Funding to Couple AI with Distributed Generation to Deliver Grid Reliability at Scale.

• Paragraf secures $55M to scale world’s first mass-produced graphene electronics.

• Copper raised $28M in Series A funding to scale its battery-equipped induction stoves.

• Hades Mining raised $6M in pre-seed funding to develop proprietary drilling technology for ultra-deep geothermal energy.

• Astrus secured $8M in seed funding to advance its AI platform for automating analog chip layout.

• Yottar raised $1M in pre-seed funding for software that analyzes grid-connection data.

• Hyperdrives raised $3.3M in seed funding to develop high-performance electric motors.

📚FAVORITE RESOURCES

🎤EVENTS

Join me in Tokyo in November. Ill be speaking all thinks VC, startups at Innovate Her conference.

🎤EVENTS

🇺🇸 Oct 1 — Renaissance UnDemo Day (Detroit, MI)
🌱 Oct 13–15 — RECESS25 Clean Energy Summit (Detroit, MI)
🏗 Oct 6–10 — Intl. Conference on Advanced Manufacturing (Las Vegas, NV)
🤝 Oct 15–16 — RoboBusiness (Santa Clara, CA)
🇸🇬 Oct 27–29 — ROSCon (Singapore)
🌍 Oct 19–25 — IEEE IROS(Hangzhou, China)
🔧 Oct 29 — Hard Tech Summit (Ontario, Canada)
🤠 Nov 3–5 — Intl. Robot Safety Conference (Houston, TX)
🇯🇵 Dec 1–4 — Intl. Conference on Space Robotics (Sendai, Japan)
🇦🇪 Dec 8–12 — Deep Tech Week Dubai 2025
🦿 Dec 11–12 — Humanoid Summit (Silicon Valley, TBA)
🇬🇧 Mar 16–19, 2026 — Intl. Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (Edinburgh, Scotland)

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You can also find me on LinkedIn 🛠️

If you are interested in AI, Robotics & HardTech, check my previous posts:

❗️The VC Industry Loves Data. But Doesn’t Use It…
 — Is it why it’s ‘dying’?

➡️19 Robotic Hands Startups to Watch
➡️ The world doesn’t fix itself. These startups are trying /Top 100 HardTech Startups
➡️ Will we have a chatGPT moment for Robots?
➡️ The Coming Scarcity of Humanity
➡️ The Art and Science of Venture Capital Investing
➡️ Deep Thinkers & Builders in Tech, Science and Bio
➡️ Humanoids Don’t Exist in Isolation / It Takes an Ecosystem to Bring Them to Life!
➡️ Clone Alpha: The Next Leap in Humanoid Robotics
➡️ ‘Made in China’-Robotics Market Overview
➡️ The Science of Networks: From Theory to New Realities

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