Benjamin Jensen

Today I want to put the spotlight on Arelys Sosa, Thomas Tingelöf and Kent Moore who are the amazing founders of DREV.🔦 The problem they are tackling is that battery gigafactories, semi-conductor factories, and battery recycling plants face big challenges collecting hazardous metal micro-particles, slowing production, and they are squandering precious materials, and endangering staff. These are all individually big problems and combined this is huge.☣️ Drev has the solution to all to this with The Vault, an innovative technology powered by patent-pending dry brush technology and a revolutionary canister design, eliminates water and chemicals from the cleaning process, improves safety, and enables the adaptive reuse of valuable materials that would otherwise be thrown away with save manufactures millons. 🧹 The Drev team has the unique domain experience for solving a particular problem that we're always looking for when we are backing founders at the Norrsken Accelerator. Arelys is an industrial engineer who was part of the original team at Panasonic Energy at Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 so she has seen this problem first hand for years. Thomas has a PhD and he has been the CTO of PowerCell and VP at Volvo Cars and has massively scaled technologies before.🤩 The interest from the industry is huge and they are currently running projects with some of the leading battery manufacturers. You can read more and contact them here: https://lnkd.in/d7V-mKrx

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Adam Keating discussing how AI is going to change manufacturing and how CoLab Software is helping them make that transition with ReviewAI

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🚨 Breaking! 8090 Industries portfolio company Exowatt led by industrialist Hannan P. launches P3, fundamentally unleashing a new dawn for the energy industry! ☀️ Catch the story from Michelle Ma at Bloomberg below: https://lnkd.in/gkfHENST ⚡ Setting the stage: The power requirements to scale AI are astronomical. Within a decade AI will require 650TWh of new power generation – more than the electricity demand of South Korea. In the U.S. alone, data centers will require the equivalent amount of electricity to power 40 million households by 2030. Exowatt P3s can generate electricity at scale at just a $0.04 LCOE and with entirely baseload renewable tech. That’s lower than the cost of most fossil fuels and doesn’t account for subsidies. We have already amassed a 1.2 GW backlog, worth $Billions from the mega tech hyperscalers, energy and data center companies. 💡 How does it work? The system works by capturing the sun’s energy in the form of heat, storing it in a heat battery and converting it to electricity via a heat engine even when the sun is no longer out. This changes the economics of solar by solving a problem called the “Duck Curve” where all conventional solar producers are forced to sell their power at the same time while at maximum output, driving the electricity cost sometimes to zero or negative intraday and leaving no supply at night. Data centers need to operate 24/7 and typically have 60% of their OPEX from energy costs, so an inexpensive and ever available alternative is very important to them. Data centers are straining to bring capacity online and without solutions like Exowatt, are being forced to turn to fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. Keep a close eye on this one, we have no doubt Hannan P. Jack Abraham and the Exowatt team will be pushing forward an exciting, abundant and carbon-free powered future!⚡️ cc Kerem Ozmen Wes Mendenhall Filip Vurdelja Haluk Sabanci Dincer Grant Brown Charles Oppenheimer Ishan Meswani Garuth A. Andrew Irwin

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WAYMO: THE BIGGEST SUPPLY CHAIN TECH INVESTMENT OF THE YEAR The supply chain technology markets are heating up. In the biggest transportation tech investment of the year, Waymo just announced a $5.6 billion financing. The investment, led by Alphabet Inc. (which owns the majority already), also included Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity Investments, Perry Creek Capital, Silver Lake, Tiger Global Management and T. Rowe Price. Waymo will use the capital to pursue leadership in the autonomous vehicle arena, with a focus on its Waymo One robotaxi offering. Would you get in a self-driving taxi? Most people don't realize this, but there are already 100,000 weekly trips in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta and Austin. I predict robotaxis will be in most major markets within 3 years. What other winners are you seeing in the autonomous transportation arena? #supplychain #transportation #tech #autonomous https://lnkd.in/e8HAhReY

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In 2020, Karan Talati predicted what many of us take for granted today: we are in a revolution in hardware innovation that is revitalizing American manufacturing. Karan was part of this movement at SpaceX, where both hardware and software played key roles in making it the generational company it has become today. Having seen what software can do at SpaceX and noticing a glaring need to bring better hardware engineering and manufacturing software to the broader hardware innovation ecosystem, Karan set out to build a solution. The aerospace, defense, and other hardware manufacturing industries are rapidly shifting to a more dynamic and efficient production methodology. First Resonance exists to help them achieve their goals with better software.

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Another great episode of Zero where Akshat Rathi interviews Dara Khosrowshahi (CEO Uber) about Electric Cars, Robotaxis and Climate Goals. The thing that caught my attention was the problem Uber has calculating embedded emissions for deliveries, there is a solution! Imagine a time when you purchase a good or service and the receipt will have the price, any taxes as well as the embedded emissions. These embedded emissions include emissions from the original source as well as all emissions in the value chain. Also, these will be properly accounted for and audited emissions, not an arbitrary Scope 3 number that we have now. This is the E-liability Institute methodology, in short it counts direct emissions (Scope 1) once and only once and then allocates it to individual products and services using causal logic and also adds other embedded emissions from suppliers. This Environmental Liability works its way through the entire value chain like a VAT. They have also just released their Proto standard for this rigorous accounting methodology. https://lnkd.in/gcGiRHmu

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Want to know what the California Air Resources Board had to say about #ACFR implementation last night? Cloverleaf AI monitors these hearings distills insights, so your team can stay focused on doing their job. Reach out for a free customized summary! #cleanfleet #Advancedcleanfleet #Fleetelectrification #EVfleet #Hydrogenfleet

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If you've been to San Francisco recently, you’ve probably noticed Waymo everywhere. Self-driving cars are just one example of how autonomy is becoming more mainstream. But there's even more happening in industries like defense, industrial processes, and manufacturing. The current shift from tightly coupled hardware-software systems to more modular, software-driven autonomy is opening up new possibilities across sectors - from drones on military missions, to machines optimizing chemical processes or vehicles transporting hazardous waste. A common autonomy stack is emerging to serve these use cases, with layers for perception, mapping, planning, and controls. Traditional software assumptions (cloud-first, always connected, etc.) don't always apply here. New solutions are needed. As the field matures, reusable components and standardized protocols are becoming more critical—think sensor integration, edge processing, and real-time state sharing across devices. These innovations will reshape industries that have existed for centuries. The most exciting part? We’re only scratching the surface. As foundational AI models evolve and integrate across different domains, we're seeing powerful potential for autonomy in dynamic, real-world applications. The future is bright! We’re in the early stages of building the infrastructure needed for broad autonomy. If you’re innovating in this space—creating software, hardware, or both—we’d love to connect and explore the future together! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gFTsSvMF

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🏦 OpenAI showed us what is possible when you apply AI to enterprise workflows on the office floor. 🏭📦 We think AI has the ability to fundamentally transform not just the office floor, but also the factory floor and the warehouse floor. Industrial applications of AI will supercharge productivity and drive efficiency gains while enhancing safety. It is with this thesis that Woven Capital is leading the Series C round for Third Wave Automation which is delivering impressive ROI for warehouses across the U.S. with their autonomous forklifts offering. Nicole LeBlanc, CPA Prashant Kumar Bothra Jarek Khoilian Read the full press release below -

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NEW: Ex-TuSimple CEO and cofounder launches a new robot truck startup Xiaodi Hou, the cofounder and CTO behind the failed startup TuSimple, is making another attempt to master robotic trucking. His new company just raised $20 million from venture investors and aims to launch commercial operations next year. Houston-based Bot Auto plans to operate autonomous semis on highway routes in Texas, hauling freight between warehouses and logistics facilities in Houston and San Antonio. Unlike San Diego-based TuSimple, which delisted shares early this year after a major implosion, the new company will own and operate its trucks directly rather than provide autonomous cargo-hauling technology as a service, Hou said. #selfdriving #trucking

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RethinkX's recent publication on The Rise of Human Robots and The Future of Work is quite interesting. Tony Seba and his team including Adam Dorr and Bradd Libby, do an excellent job dissecting the emerging humanoid robot technology market. Here's a brief summary, with a more in-depth summary from Cern Basher, CFA, an expert on the future financial impacts of humanoid robots, linked in the comments below: The rise of humanoid robots is poised to disrupt human labor across industries, much like how automobiles disrupted horses. This convergence of technologies creating a "labor engine" will enable robots to eventually perform virtually any task better and cheaper than humans. Initially, robots will complement human workers by taking on simpler tasks. However, their capabilities will rapidly improve until they can do almost anything humans can by the 2040s. This disruption represents both a massive opportunity and challenge for society. As the marginal cost of robotic labor approaches zero, we can expect sweeping deflationary pressures and quality improvements across the economy. Labor supply will explode, uncoupled from population growth, giving nations with robust robotics industries a strategic advantage. While creating prosperity, this transition will destabilize conventional economics and the social contract around work. Thoughtful policymaking will be critical to avoid catastrophic unemployment or stifling innovation through misguided protectionism. Ultimately, humanoid robotics could lead to superabundance and liberation from labor. But achieving this will require rethinking economics, embracing the disruption responsibly, and prioritizing policies that protect people over obsolete jobs and industries. https://lnkd.in/gjNDVQe4 #humanoids #robotics #futurefrontier

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Innovation AND execution exemplified....but why did Tesla succeed? EV's are everywhere and there is so much demand. There is Rivian, Lucid and multiple others... At the end of the day, this is why many great ideas in VC ultimately fail...execution and lack to a path of profitability. Here is why Tesla succeeded vs Ford but many others are struggling: 1. First Mover Advantage: Tesla has been producing EVs at scale for over a decade, giving it a head start in refining manufacturing processes, supply chain management, and cost reduction. - Economies of Scale: With a significantly larger production volume than newer competitors, Tesla benefits from lower per-unit costs. 2. Control Over Supply Chain: Tesla designs and produces many of its components in-house, including batteries and software. This reduces reliance on third parties and allows better cost control and faster innovation. 3. Manufacturing Innovations: Gigafactories: Tesla’s Gigafactories are designed for scale and efficiency, incorporating automation, innovative production lines, and co-location of battery production. Gigapress: Tesla uses massive casting machines (Gigapresses) to produce large, single-piece components, reducing assembly complexity and costs. Focus on Simplicity: Tesla's designs emphasize simplicity, using fewer components and standardizing across models, which reduces manufacturing complexity. 4. Scale: Lucid and Rivian are producing at much lower volumes, leading to higher per-unit costs. At the end of day, Tesla makes $9,264 per vehicle (profit) while Rivian loses $38,784 per vehicle and Lucid loses $137,150 per vehicle. Same idea, right? Just done very differently... #venturecapital #endowments #familyoffices

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Interesting article with a clear perspective on where we stand in robotics and transformer models today. Worth a read.

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Reflections on my first-ever self-driving Uber (Waymo) experience... When I told my family and friends about my first Waymo, autonomous vehicle experience, I was surprised by the reactions. "You are so brave." "Weren't you scared?" "I have driven in SF, that is insane." "I never even knew that was a thing." "That sounds so risky." "Only in California." I reacted by saying that these cars were all over the city, and they seemed very safe, reliable, and even cool. Most importantly, they really seemed to work. In fact, I recall watching people exit the vehicles, and they all looked happy, excited, and really glad they took the risk. I began to reflect on how this experience equates to pharmaceutical companies first choosing to use Mobile Locker over the safer, more comfortable, and more visible choice(s). After all, the small, lesser-known experience is a bit riskier, right? But in the end, it turns out we, too, are "all over the city," with nearly 60 satisfied pharma/med device clients. And yes, I think most would say we are safe, reliable, and...(well, okay, maybe not necessarily cool.) Finally, most every one of our clients is happy, excited, and really glad that they took the risk. Why...because Mobile Locker really works. So if you are seeking to provide more impact and value to your field and to the HCPs you are targeting with your digital messaging... Consider riding with us here at Mobile Locker. #pharmaindustry #meddevices #hcpengagement

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Scoop with Kenrick Cai: OpenAI is formally resurrecting its robotics team after abandoning efforts to build general purpose robots in 2020. Its new team has been around for just a couple of months and is currently hiring research engineers to develop models for just partners right now. The team's narrower focus may nevertheless have some overlap with companies that OpenAI hopes to engage in business. Companies like Covariant, started by former OpenAI robotics team members, are also attempting to train their own robotics models. And, two sources said, OpenAI has already gone head to head with companies in this space for a limited pool of talent. https://lnkd.in/g8Vs4nP3

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🚀 Last week at the World Business Forum, Jon McNeill, CEO of DVx Ventures and former executive at Tesla and Lyft, shared his insights on what he terms the "Tesla innovation method." This approach emphasizes radical simplification, a principle that drives efficiency and innovation in product development and business strategy. The significance of McNeill’s perspective lies in its potential impact on the Information Technology industry. As we navigate an era where complexity often hinders progress, adopting a simplified approach can lead to faster decision-making, enhanced user experiences, and improved operational efficiency. McNeill highlighted that many EV startups struggle because they overcomplicate their offerings. This is a vital lesson for tech companies as well: complexity can obscure value and create barriers to adoption. In my view, this shift towards simplification opens up new opportunities. Companies that embrace this method can differentiate themselves in a crowded market. They can focus on creating seamless, user-friendly solutions that directly address customer needs. Additionally, this approach encourages a culture of continuous improvement, where feedback loops drive innovation cycles. However, we must be aware of the challenges this method may bring. Implementing radical simplification requires a robust understanding of core competencies and the courage to eliminate projects or features that do not align with the new direction. It can also mean a significant cultural shift within organizations, emphasizing clarity and purpose. As an industry, let’s consider how these insights can shape our strategies moving forward. How can we simplify our processes and products? What barriers are we willing to dismantle in pursuit of clarity and efficiency? I invite you all to share your thoughts on this. How will you adapt to the changes that come with radical simplification? 🤔💡 #Innovation #Simplification #InformationTechnology #Leadership https://buff.ly/4fllNvY #Innovation #TeslaMethod #BusinessForum #EVRevolution #TechInsights #Simplification #FutureOfMobility #Leadership

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Autonomous Vehicle (AV) funding is surging, according to PitchBook with Q2 2024 seeing $2.9 billion invested in AV startups - the highest since Q3 2021. While self-driving cars grab headlines, innovative startups are finding unique applications beyond passenger vehicles. Key developments: - Supply chain optimization: Outrider is revolutionizing yard operations with autonomous electric vehicles, addressing a $60 billion market. - Specialized transport: Pyka's autonomous planes for cargo and Gatik's local distribution trucks are gaining traction. - Safety & efficiency: Evitado Technologies automates airside operations, mitigating airport collision risks. Of course, more established companies such as Lyft & Uber are working on AV rideshare integration via partnerships with Waymo, BYD, Zoox, and others. The AV sector is focusing on gradual integration and specific use cases. While concerns about job displacement exist, proponents argue that automation could shift human capital to higher-value roles. What those roles are remains to be seen. As the AV landscape evolves, it's clear that the future of transportation extends far beyond just self-driving cars on city streets. Check out the full article by Nadine Manske here: https://lnkd.in/g3HJXZHc? And access the PitchBook Mobility Tech Report here: https://lnkd.in/g4_xP5pr #VentureCapital #AutonomousDriving #FrontierTech #FutureMobility

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