Startup Series(2/4): Deep Tech Disruptors
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Startup Series(2/4): Deep Tech Disruptors
The Startup series on Industrial Innovation: AI/ML, Advanced Mobility, Advanced Material, Agri-tech
Advanced Materials: Innovating for the Future
Advanced materials are innovative substances engineered to have unique properties and functionalities, offering superior performance, capability, and efficiency compared to traditional materials.
Coatings: These are solutions designed to enhance the durability, performance, and functionality of surfaces, providing corrosion resistance, anti-fouling properties, and improved aesthetics. The goal is to extend the lifespan of coated objects.
Biomaterials: These are specialized materials designed for compatibility with biological systems, and can be synthesized from metallic components, polymers, and composite materials.
Carbon Nanotubes: These cylindrical nanostructures composed of carbon atoms exhibit exceptional strength, electrical conductivity, and unique thermal properties. They are used to produce nanoelectronics and high-strength materials.
Graphene: A hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms, graphene provides great electrical conductivity and mechanical strength. It is utilized in the production of electronic components, energy storage solutions, and composite materials.
Polymer Alternatives: Developed to replace traditional polymers, these materials address the limitations of conventional plastics, such as environmental concerns and limited strength.
Advanced Materials: Startup Profiles
Xampla
Xampla manufactures eco-friendly packaging from plant proteins, providing vegan-friendly and biodegradable alternatives for various packaging needs. The company serves diverse industries, offering solutions like microplastics-free packaging for home care products and edible packaging for the food and beverage sector.
Core Offerings:
Edible Flexible Film: A plant-based and vegan alternative designed to replace plastic in pre-packaged foods
Vitamin & Nutrient Microcapsules: UV-protected, recyclable clear plastic bottles that preserve essential nutrients like Vitamin D for fortified beverages.
Paper Coatings: Plant protein-based materials for tailored functional coatings in packaging, substituting petrochemical or fluorochemical materials.
Recent Developments:
August 2022: Introduction of a vitamin microcapsule product to securely package vitamins in beverages without degradation risks during transit or storage.
January 2022: Partnership with Croda in a UK government-backed trial of microplastic-free seed coatings.
Funding Trends:
2020: $2.5M
2021: $8.4M
Key Investors:
Xampla stands out as a forward-thinking company, dedicated to revolutionizing packaging solutions with its innovative, sustainable, and plant-based products.
Chasm Advanced Materials
Chasm Advanced Materials manufactures carbon nanotube-based printed electronics and energy storage material solutions. The company provides universal transparent ADAS heaters for safer driving, transparent antennas for smarter cities, conductive additives for EV batteries, and cement additives for greener concrete.
Core Products and Technologies
A geNT: Flexible and formable transparent conductive films that offer low patterning costs and improved optoelectronic performance, achieving high transparency with low sheet resistance.
NTeC: A multi-wall carbon nanotube product developed specifically for use in battery materials and cement.
Chasm H2O: A platform for reverse osmosis desalination and water purification across various applications and industries.
Recent Developments
June 2023: Launch of NTeC-E, conductive CNT additives for Li-ion batteries used in EVs.
May 2023: Introduction of transparent heaters for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensors.
February 2023: The company joined NAATBatt to promote advanced U.S. battery manufacturing.
Funding Trends
2018: $11M
2019: $7M
2021: $15.26M
Key Investors
Chasm Advanced Materials is positioned as a key player in the field of advanced materials, leveraging the unique properties of carbon nanotubes to create innovative solutions for electronics, energy storage, and sustainable construction.
FibreCoat: Revolutionizing Fiber Coatings
FibreCoat specializes in providing coating technology for fibers used in composites and shielding. The company offers polymer-coated fibers made of a core of E-glass and a sheath of polypropylene, suitable for a range of applications across industries such as transportation, government, filtration, aerospace, construction, smart textiles, and industrial sectors.
Location and Background: FibreCoat is based in Germany and was founded in 2020. The company has raised a total funding of $3 million, all of which was secured in a Series A funding round.
Core Products:
AluCoat: A metal-coated basalt fiber used for electromagnetic shielding and conducting applications.
PolyCoat: A thermoplastic-coated glass fiber used for strengthening and lightweighting applications.
Recent Developments
June 2022: Announcement of the launch of polymer-coated glass fibers.
November 2021: Securing of $3 million in Series A funding led by GOOSE Capital.
November 2020: Partnership with AMAC GmbH to launch an aluminum-coated multifilament composite yarn.
Funding Trends
2021: $3M
Key Investors
Paragraf: Leading Innovation in Graphene-Based Devices
Paragraf, a spin-out from the University of Cambridge, specializes in the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of graphene-based devices. The company produces electronic devices using standard semiconductor processes, catering to industries such as AgriTech, automotive, battery, and cryogenic applications.
Core Products and Technologies:
Hall Sensors: These are graphene-based sensors that offer enhanced sensitivity and improved noise tolerance. They are applicable for both general-purpose and specific sensor test units, utilizing a 2D graphene deposition technique for high-resolution magnetic field measurements.
Biosensors: These devices enable real-time measurement of biomolecules from samples, reducing time, cost, and enhancing accuracy without the need for enrichment or amplification.
Recent Developments:
May 2023: Acquisition of CardeaBio, a producer of graphene-based biocompatible chips.
February 2022: Secured $60 million in venture funding to accelerate device development, production, and market launch.
Funding Trends:
2018: $4M
2019: $21M
2022: $60M
Key Investors
Paragraf stands as a pioneer in the field of graphene technology, pushing the boundaries of what's possible with its innovative sensors and electronic devices.
HAPPE Spine: Advancing Spinal Fusion Technology
HAPPE Spine specializes in designing and commercializing orthopedic and spinal implants utilizing its patented HAPPE material platform. The platform combines a porous structure with bioactive surfaces, exposing hydroxyapatite to promote bone growth and enhance the healing process.
Core Products and Technologies:
Hydroxyapatite Porous Polyetheretherketone (HAPPE) Platform: This technology involves an interbody fusion cage fully integrated with porosity and hydroxyapatite, designed to create an optimal healing environment for patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery.
Integrate-C Technology: This offering includes various sizes and lordotic angles of spinal implants, tailored to meet the anatomical requirements of different patients.
Recent Developments:
May 2023: HAPPE Spine received 510(k) clearance for its Integrate-C interbody fusion system.
October 2022: The company announced additional patents for devices based on the Hydroxyapatite Porous Polyetheretherketone technology.
Funding Trends
2019: $600k
2020: $300K
2021: $5.3M
Key Investors
HAPPE Spine is at the forefront of innovation in spinal surgery, offering advanced solutions that enhance the healing process and improve patient outcomes.
Advanced Mobility: Revolutionizing Transportation
Advanced mobility encompasses a broad spectrum of innovations aiming to enhance efficiency, sustainability, safety, and accessibility in transportation. It represents a paradigm shift towards more advanced and integrated transport solutions.
Hydrogen-Powered Mobility: This refers to vehicles utilizing hydrogen fuel cells for propulsion, emitting only water vapor as a byproduct. It stands as a promising option for zero-emission transportation, aligning with global sustainability goals.
Autonomous Vehicles: These self-driving vehicles employ advanced sensors, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to navigate and make decisions independently of human intervention. They have the potential to enhance road safety and reduce traffic congestion.
Electric Vehicles (EVs): This category includes automobiles powered by electric motors, typically drawing energy from batteries. EVs contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. Innovations in this domain include Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing vehicles (eVTOLs) and solar-powered EVs.
Perception and Sensors: These technologies equip vehicles with the capability to detect and interpret their surroundings, utilizing systems such as LiDAR, radar, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors. They enable safe navigation and real-time data collection for decision-making.
Mobility Software Stack: This encompasses the software and algorithms necessary for advanced mobility features such as autonomous driving and connectivity, focusing on enhancing user experience, safety, and efficient operation of advanced mobility systems.
Advanced Mobility: Startup Profiles
Nuro: Revolutionizing Local Goods Transportation
Nuro operates in the sub-domain of autonomous vehicles, developing and deploying a fleet of electric, fully autonomous vehicles designed for local goods transportation. The company’s vehicles are built to enable retailers to deliver goods to customers quickly and safely.
Key Offerings:
Nuro: A vehicle equipped with an efficient climate control system and specialized compartments, designed to maintain optimal temperatures for different items.
Nuro R2: A self-driving delivery vehicle engineered for transporting goods.
Nuro P2: A vehicle fitted with sensors and computing capabilities, used for testing new iterations of the company’s self-driving software.
Recent Updates:
September 2022: Partnership with Uber for autonomous food deliveries in the U.S.
January 2022: Collaboration with BYD to manufacture an all-electric autonomous delivery vehicle.
January 2022: Unveiling of the third-generation autonomous delivery vehicle.
Funding Trends:
2018: $92M
2019: $940M
2020: $500M
2021: $600M
Key Partners
Nuro stands out as a leader in the autonomous vehicle industry, leveraging innovative technology to transform local goods transportation, ensuring quick and safe deliveries.
Voi Technology: Pioneering Sustainable Urban Mobility
Voi Technology focuses on providing accessible and sustainable micro-mobility solutions. The company’s fleet of electric scooters aims to reduce carbon emissions, promote sustainable transportation networks, and offer convenient commuting options in urban settings.
Key Offerings:
Voi Application: A mobile app that allows users to rent electric scooters and bikes, facilitating short-distance, eco-friendly commuting within urban areas.
Recent Updates
July 2023: Partnership with Swobbee to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of battery swapping for e-scooter sharing.
July 2021: Launch of a trial for computer vision technology designed to prevent pavement riding.
May 2021: Announcement of plans to launch parking racks to reduce street hazards for vulnerable pedestrians.
Funding Trends
2018: $50M
2019: $115M
2020: $190M
2021: $160M
Key Investors
Destinus: Pioneering Hydrogen-Powered Hypersonic Travel
Destinus is an aerospace company that specializes in the development of hydrogen-powered airplanes, integrating aeronautical and space technologies. The company aims to make long-distance travel faster while maintaining comfort, affordability, and minimizing noise.
Key Offerings:
Hypersonic Airplanes: Aircraft that utilize hydrogen as a fuel source, providing the capability to travel long distances at high speeds for both cargo and passenger transport across the globe
Recent Updates:
September 2022: Partnership with Flapper for high-speed cargo flights.
February 2022: Destinus secured $29 million in Seed funding led by Cathexis Ventures, Liquid 2 Ventures, Quiet Capital, and OneWay Ventures LLC.
September 2021: The company’s aircraft, Jungfrau, conducted its maiden flight near Munich.
Funding Trends
2022: $29M
Key Partners
Destinus stands out as an innovator in the aerospace sector, striving to redefine long-distance travel with its hydrogen-powered hypersonic airplanes, contributing to the evolution of faster and more sustainable air travel.
Wayve Technologies: Transforming Autonomous Mobility
Wayve Technologies operates in the mobility software stack domain, developing embodied intelligence for autonomous vehicles. The software uses advanced machine learning, computer vision, and learning techniques to create a flexible driving system responsive to various situations.
Key Offerings:
AI Driver: A software enabling fully driverless operation when integrated with a vehicle, sensors, and compute suite.
Fleet Learning Technology: Capabilities needed to train, evaluate, and deploy machine learning systems for safe operation.
Generative AI for Autonomy (GAIA): A generative AI model creating realistic driving videos by leveraging video, text, and action inputs.
Recent Updates:
April 2023: Launch of the largest self-driving grocery home delivery trial.
May 2022: Collaboration with Microsoft for supercomputing infrastructure to support the development of AI-based models for autonomous vehicles on a global scale.
October 2021: Partnership with DPD for a Fleet Data Collection Pilot Program in the UK.
Funding Trends
2019: $20M
2021: $13.6M
2022: $200M
Key Investors
Wayve Technologies stands out as an innovator in the autonomous vehicle industry, leveraging cutting-edge AI and machine learning to advance the capabilities and safety of autonomous mobility solutions.
AgriTech: Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture
AgriTech encompasses cutting-edge innovations such as genetic breeding and precision farming, aimed at improving crop yields and optimizing farming operations to address global food production challenges.
Key Sub-Domains in AgriTech:
Precision Farming: Utilizes data-driven technologies like GPS, sensors, and machine learning to optimize farm operations, enabling precise control of irrigation, fertilization, and pest management, leading to increased crop yields and enhanced sustainability.
Cultured Meat: A sustainable alternative to traditional animal farming, producing meat products by culturing animal cells in a lab setting. This approach has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of meat production and minimize animal welfare concerns.
Genetic Breeding: Employs advanced genetic techniques to improve crop and livestock characteristics, such as yield, disease resistance, and nutritional content, potentially accelerating the development of new crop varieties and animal breeds.
Regenerative Agriculture: Focuses on restoring and enhancing soil health and ecosystem resilience through sustainable farming practices, emphasizing soil conservation and cover cropping to promote long-term sustainability.
Smart Irrigation: Utilizes IoT devices and data analytics to efficiently manage water resources in farming, monitoring soil moisture levels, weather conditions, and crop needs to optimize irrigation schedules.
AgriTech: Startup Profiles
Upside Foods: Pioneering Cultivated Meat Production
Upside Foods, formerly known as Memphis Meats, specializes in producing meat, poultry, and seafood using cell-culturing techniques. This approach eliminates the need for traditional animal farming, reducing water, land, and energy usage.
Key Offerings:
Cultivated Meat: Sustainable cultured meat developed from animal cells without the need for traditional animal farming. It provides a cleaner, more humane, and chemical-free meat alternative.
Recent Updates:
January 2022: Acquisition of Cultured Decadence to expand its portfolio of cultivated meat, poultry, and seafood products.
April 2022: Secured $400 million in Series C funding to support product innovation, partnerships, and infrastructure development for large-scale cultivated meat production.
Funding Trends:
2022: $400M
Key Investors
Upside Foods is at the forefront of the cultured meat industry, leveraging innovative cell-culturing techniques to provide sustainable and humane meat alternatives.
Inari Agriculture: Advancing Plant Breeding Technology
Inari Agriculture is a plant breeding technology company that integrates biological and data sciences to develop seeds requiring less land, water, and inputs to produce food and feed. The company employs CRISPR gene editing techniques to create seeds adaptable to local weather, climate, soil, and resistant to local pests and diseases.
Key Offerings:
SEEDesign™ Platform: A platform that combines predictive design and advanced multiplex gene editing techniques to create seeds that utilize fewer natural resources and inputs. The technology also aims to reduce the time and costs associated with traditional breeding methods.
Recent Updates:
February 2022: Strategic collaboration with InterGrain to improve the yield potential of wheat and enhance the crop's long-term viability in the face of a variable climate.
May 2021: Partnership with Mertec and M.S. Technologies to utilize genetic resources from Stine's soybean breeding program, accelerating the creation of distinctive and competitive products.
Funding Trends:
2018: $40
2019: $89
2021: $208
2022: $124
Inari Agriculture is at the forefront of plant breeding innovation, leveraging cutting-edge genetic engineering to develop sustainable and resilient agricultural solutions.
Stenon: Revolutionizing Agriculture with Real-Time Soil Analysis
Stenon is a provider of real-time soil analysis solutions for agriculture, empowering farmers and agronomists to make informed and sustainable decisions regarding crop cultivation. This leads to improved yields, crop quality, and soil health, all while reducing input costs.
Key Offerings:
FarmLab: A solution enabling agronomists to optimize nitrogen fertilizer usage for farmers, thereby achieving higher crop yields while reducing costs. It provides instant access to soil information and insights, promoting sustainable farming practices for the long-term benefit of the farming community.
Recent Updates:
August 2023: Strategic partnership announced with Lavoro Agro to enable farmers to optimize crop nutrition and soil management decisions.
May 2023: Partnership formed with Eurasia Group to promote digitalization in agriculture in the Kazakhstan region.
Funding Trends:
2018: $20M
Key Investors:
Stenon stands out as a key player in precision farming, leveraging innovative real-time soil analysis solutions to drive sustainability and efficiency in agricultural practices.
Agreena: Promoting Regenerative Agriculture
Agreena develops a soil carbon platform intended to scale regenerative agriculture. It creates and issues third-party verified carbon certificates, promoting the shift towards regenerative agricultural practices while enhancing farmers' profits.
Key Offerings:
Social Carbon Certificates: A funding mechanism enabling farmers and landowners to transition to sustainable and climate-friendly agricultural practices.
Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) Technology: Utilizes AI and deep learning to support regenerative agriculture, allowing farmers to generate revenue from carbon credits and ecosystem services.
Recent Updates:
September 2022: Acquisition of Hummingbird Technologies to offer AI solutions in regenerative farming.
June 2022: Partnership with Fram Farmers to connect farmers to the green economy.
May 2022: Collaboration with Danish Agro to promote climate-friendly farming practices and carbon certificate issuance for farmers.
Funding Trends:
2021: $4.70 M
2022: $22.64 M
2023: $9.68 M
Key Investors:
Lumo: Revolutionizing Agriculture with Smart Irrigation
Lumo is an AgriTech company that develops smart irrigation management solutions, operating through cloud technology to allow remote control and monitoring from any location. This innovation reduces the need for on-site visits, cuts labor time, and ultimately lowers expenses for growers, while enabling more precise and efficient irrigation.
Key Offerings:
Lumo One Smart Valve: An internet-connected, solar-powered device capable of monitoring water usage, detecting leaks, and identifying clogs in the field, all without requiring human presence.
The Opscenter: An irrigation management software enabling remote control and monitoring of the Lumo One smart valve from both desktop and mobile devices.
Recent Updates:
September 2023: Collaboration with Treasury Wine Estates to manage their water resources and support their sustainability goals.
July 2022: Lumo raised $2.1 million in a Pre-Seed funding round to continue the development and commercialization of its smart irrigation system.
Funding Trends:
2021: $2.1 M
Key Investors: Fall Line Capital
Lumo stands out as an innovator in the AgriTech sector, driving efficiency and sustainability in agricultural practices through its advanced smart irrigation solutions.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Driving Innovation Across Industries
AI and ML are reshaping entire industries, from healthcare and transportation to finance and consumer goods, leveraging data-driven insights and automation to foster innovation and efficiency.
Key Sub-Domains in AI/ML:
Explainable AI: Focuses on developing AI models and algorithms that provide transparency and comprehensibility in their decision-making processes, ensuring accountability and fostering trust.
AI/ML Accelerators: Specialized software, hardware components, and chips designed to expedite the computation-intensive tasks required for AI and ML workloads.
Decision-making and Predictive Analytics: Utilizes AI and ML algorithms to analyze data, identify patterns, and make informed predictions, optimizing operations and anticipating market trends.
Generative AI (GenAI): Develops AI models capable of creating new content, such as images, text, or music, based on learned patterns and data, with applications in creative content generation, data augmentation, and drug discovery.
MLOps: A set of tools streamlining the deployment and management of machine learning models in production environments.
SambaNova Systems: Innovating in AI/ML Acceleration
SambaNova Systems provides solutions for natural language processing, computer vision, and recommendation systems. The company's AI-as-a-Service enables rapid deployment of custom AI solutions to improve revenue and boost operational efficiency.
Key Offerings:
SambaNova Suite: A collection of high-accuracy generative AI models deployable in a customer's environment, adaptable with their data for enhanced precision.
DataScale: An integrated software and hardware system harnessing Reconfigurable Dataflow Architecture (RDA), along with open standards and user interfaces.
Recent Updates:
September 2023: Launch of SN40L, a semiconductor designed to allow customers to use higher quality AI models.
February 2023: Unveiling of the SambaNova Suite, featuring highly precise generative AI models tailored for enterprise use, deployable on-premise or in the cloud.
Funding Trends:
2018: $56 M
2019: $150 M
2020: $250 M
Key Investors:
SambaNova Systems stands out as a leader in AI/ML acceleration, providing cutting-edge solutions to enhance the efficiency and precision of AI applications across various industries.
Kumo.ai
Kumo.ai is a SaaS AI platform designed to enhance predictions speed and accuracy, employing graph neural network technology for accurate predictions in production.
Key Offerings: Forecasting and anomaly detection, fraud and abuse detection, customer retention through predictive analytics.
Recent Updates:
June 2023: Unveiled capability for deep learning in DataCloud using Snowpark Container Services.
September 2022: Secured $18 million in Series B funding for R&D and platform expansion.
Funding Trends:
2022: $36.5 M
Key Investors:
causaLens
causaLens is a leader in causal AI, pioneering the shift from traditional predictive AI to a new paradigm of causal AI. The company’s platform is used for optimizing the entire decision-making process.
Key Offerings: Causal AI platform for time-series prediction, automating the whole data science process.
Recent Updates:
July 2022: Partnership with Mayo Clinic for biomarker discovery in cancer using causal AI.
Funding Trends:
2022: $45
Key Investors:
Robust Intelligence: Enhancing AI Security and Integrity
Robust Intelligence provides end-to-end AI risk management and prevention solutions, offering AI integrity solutions that enable organizations to use any type of model. The platform focuses on automated testing and validation of models and data throughout the AI lifecycle to mitigate security, ethical, and operational vulnerabilities.
Key Offerings:
Robust Intelligence Platform: Enhances security for AI models throughout their lifecycle. Features include the AI Firewall to defend production models from various threats, continuous validation to ensure integrity of AI models and data, and standardized audit record maintenance.
Recent Updates:
August 2023: Partnership announced with MITRE to assess supply chain risks of publicly available AI models online.
March 2023: Release of the AI Risk Database, a community-supported resource for evaluating AI supply chain risk in open-source models.
Funding Trends:
2020: $14 M
2021: $30 M
Key Investors:
Robust Intelligence stands out as a leader in AI risk management, providing comprehensive solutions to ensure the security and integrity of AI models across various operational contexts.
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