🦾 HardTech Reads: The AI & Robotics Revolution vol.29
Welcome to the exploration of the world where founders embark on bold quests and solve non-obvious problems🤘
🏭 Reindustrializing America with innovative financing / 🛠️ DIU scales underwater drone tech for future battles / 🤖 Nvidia starts building AI supercomputers in the USA / 👽 Possible biosignatures detected by James Webb Telescope / ⚛️ China’s thorium reactor hits full-power milestone / 🧠 FDA approves Precision Neuroscience’s wireless brain implant / 🚚 Kodiak Robotics goes public! / 🏃♂️🤖 Humanoids running marathons — the future is here! Axibo AI, Blue Water Autonomy, Hexium, Xaba, Collide, Atomic, Scout AI, Potato and more.
🚀 HARDTECH NEWS: Robotics & AI Innovations
A New Industrial Revolution Needs New Financing Models
Gregory Bernstein from The New Industrial Corporation argues that to sustain America’s competitive edge, we must creatively blend equity, private debt, and public investment — the same mix that once fueled the Industrial Revolution. Infrastructure scale demands innovation not just in technology, but in capital formation. Learn more.
U.S. Manufacturing Output Moderates, Tariffs Loom
Factory production rose 0.3% in March, but clouds are gathering as new tariffs threaten to stall recovery. Durable goods like aerospace and automotive showed modest gains, yet sentiment remains cautious amid ongoing trade tensions. Learn more.
Defense Innovation Unit Accelerates Long-Range Autonomous Submarines
DIU issued a new solicitation for massive uncrewed underwater vehicles (CAMP), aiming for 1,000+ nautical mile range and heavy payloads. Building on the success of previous UUVs like Orca, this next-gen fleet will reshape military operations beneath the Pacific. Learn more.
Nvidia to Manufacture AI Supercomputers in the U.S.
In a major strategic shift, Nvidia will now manufacture its Blackwell chips and AI supercomputers domestically, securing 1M+ sq. ft. of production space in Arizona and Texas. Jensen Huang sees this as critical to building “the engines of the world’s AI infrastructure” on American soil. Learn more.
Possible Signs of Life Detected by James Webb Telescope
NASA’s JWST found potential biosignatures — dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) — on an oceanic exoplanet. Although abiotic explanations exist, it’s a tantalizing hint that we might not be alone. Learn more.
China Achieves Full-Power Operation of World’s First Thorium Reactor
China’s Gobi Desert reactor, using molten salt and thorium fuel, reached operational milestones and demonstrated safe reload under full power. This represents a significant breakthrough in alternative nuclear technologies. Learn more.
Precision Neuroscience Gains FDA Approval for Wireless Brain Implant
Precision Neuroscience’s wireless brain implant, approved for mapping brain activity, marks a pivotal advance in brain-computer interfaces. Future applications include restoring communication for paralyzed patients. Learn more.
Intel Sells Majority Stake in Altera Amid Strategic Shift
Intel offloads 51% of its Altera division to Silver Lake for $4.46B, continuing CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s effort to streamline operations and reassert competitiveness against Nvidia and AMD in the AI era. Learn more.
Kodiak Robotics Goes Public via SPAC
Autonomous trucking company Kodiak Robotics has successfully gone public through a merger with Ares Acquisition Corporation II (AACT), reaching a ~$2.5B valuation. Share Price: The current share price of Kodiak Gas Services (KGS) is $34.82 per share as of April 24. Learn more.
China Showcases Humanoid Robots Running a Half-Marathon
Twenty-one humanoid robots competed alongside humans in Beijing’s half-marathon, with the Tiangong Ultra robot finishing the full 21km. Not the most practical use yet — but an amazing showcase of real-world robotics capabilities! Learn more.
🚀 Startups to Know: Game-Changers in HardTech & AI
Axibo AI (Waterloo): Raised $12M to launch a ‘Made in Canada’ humanoid robotics division, targeting healthcare, logistics, and personal use.
Blue Water Autonomy (Boston): Raised $14M to develop autonomous ships for the U.S. Navy. Investors include Eclipse, Riot, and Impatient Ventures.
Hexium (Austin): Raised $9.5M to develop isotope enrichment technologies, backed by MaC Venture Capital and Refactor.
Xaba (Toronto): Raised $6M to create synthetic brains for industrial robots, led by Hitachi Ventures.
Collide (Houston): Raised $5M to build a GenAI platform tailored for the energy sector, led by Mercury Fund.
Atomic (NYC): Raised $3M to power AI-driven supply chain planning, with support from DVx Ventures and Madrona Ventures.
Scout AI (Sunnyvale): Emerged from stealth with $15M for embodied AI defense systems; launched its vision-language-action model Fury.
Potato (Seattle): Raised $4.5M to build autonomous AI scientists automating discovery in biotech and materials research, partnering with Caltech and Harvard.
📚FAVORITE RESOURCES
Naval Ravikant on Human Nature — Chris Williamson’s 3hr+ conversation with Naval covering 44 truths about life and decision-making. Life-changing experience…
METAL Program — Hands-on apprenticeships and educational programs revitalizing the U.S. metal manufacturing workforce. Explore more
MassRobotics — World’s largest independent robotics hub accelerating innovation. Follow them on LinkedIn
New Human Color Discovery — Scientists create ‘olo,’ a brand new color unseen by humans before.
One hour presentation — Humanoid Robots: From The Warehouse to Your House by Agility Robotics at Stanford.
Robust AI — Envisioning a future where humans and embodied AI work together seamlessly.
🎤EVENTS
Who’s coming to Hill and Valley next week 🤓(Washington, DC), HardTech Awards (Vancouver), and Reindustrialize (Detroit, Mi)?
➖ April 23–26 RoboSoft (Lausanne, Switzerland)
➖ April 30 — Hill and Valley Forum 2025 (Washington, DC) — ping me if you are there!
➖ April 30-May 1 Robotics Summit (Boston, Massachussets)
➖ May 12–15 Automate (Detroit, Michigan)
➖ May 17–23 ICRA 2025 (Atlanta, Georgia)
➖ May 18–21 International Electric Machines and Drives Conference (Houston, TX)
➖ May 19–23 International Conference on Robotics & Automation (Atlanta, Georgia)
➖ May 20–21 Robotics & Automation Conference (Tel Aviv, Israel)
➖HARDTECH AWARDS — if you are coming to WebSummit, join us on May 30 for HardTech Awards!
➖ June. 18–19 IEEE Hard Tech Summit — San Francisco, CA
➖ June 30-July 2 International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots (College Station, Texas)
➖ July 16–17 — Reindustrialize, Detroit, MI — ping me if you are there!
➖ Aug. 18–22 Intl. Conference on Automation Science & Engineering (Anaheim, California)
🤝 Passionate about HardTech?
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You can also find me on LinkedIn 🛠️
If you are interested in AI, Robotics & HardTech, check my previous posts:
➡️ The Coming Scarcity of Humanity
➡️ Clone Alpha: The Next Leap in Humanoid Robotics
➡️ Will we have a chatGPT moment for Robots?
➡️ ‘Made in China’-Robotics Market Overview