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Good Morning! Welcome to our 82+ new readers.
Three time saving resources for you this week:
1) A new community where Energy and Natural Capital professionals save hours each week learning AI and sharing their best tips and tricks
2) 130+ startups driving a leaner, meaner and cleaner Industrials sector
3) 50+ new deals, events and links
Enjoy,
Ollie
Join the AI Community for Energy and Natural Capital professionals (Waitlist now open)
A private community where energy and natural capital professionals win back an hour each week using AI. No technical background, no building from scratch. Members share the exact prompts, templates and workflows already running inside their teams, so you copy what works and skip the eighteen months of trial and error. 24/100 slots already gone!
📡 WEEKLY RESOURCE
The 100 Claude Skills for Energy & Industrial
10 mins
Time to implement
Hours
Time saved p/w
Medium
Difficulty
Most founders use Claude like a chatbot. The ones pulling ahead use it like a team. This free collection gives you 100 repeatable, packaged skills - organised by fundraising, GTM, finance, product, and marketing - so you stop re-explaining yourself and start getting real work done. Pick five, set them up once, and Claude becomes an operator, not a toy.
🧭 DEEP DIVE
We spent 10+ hours compiling a map of 130+ start-ups making a cleaner and leaner Industrial sector
TL;DR
For decades, factories ran on spreadsheets, shift handovers and the gut feel of experienced engineers. Now AI is rewriting the rules: generative models draft CAD files in seconds, physics simulators run a thousand times faster than legacy solvers, and computer vision catches defects no human eye would spot. The question is no longer whether AI belongs on the factory floor, but which of the hundreds of funded start-ups will still be standing when the hype clears.
We mapped 134+ companies to separate signal from noise.
Why map now?
Capital is flooding physical AI and industrial applications. Travis Kalanick's Atoms raised $1.7 billion in July, the largest round of the week, while Mind Robotics landed $500 million in March for factory-floor robotics. Investors are betting billions that AI's next frontier is not software alone, but machines that act in the real world.
Incumbents are buying the stack rather than building it. Schneider Electric paid $3.1 billion for Cognite in the largest Norwegian software exit on record, signalling that the race to own the industrial AI stack is on.
Factories cannot hire the people they need. Some 3.9 million US industrial workers are eligible to retire, 26% of the total, are now eligible to retire, leaving an estimated 1.5 to 2 million jobs unfilled by the early 2030s. Automation stops being a cost-saving exercise and becomes the only way to keep lines running.
US Tariffs are pulling production back onshore globally. US manufacturing construction spending has climbed across most sectors since the tariffs landed. Plants built from scratch specify their software on day one, so every new factory is a fresh buyer.
Competition is fierce, and customers are looking for pilots to deliver sizeable returns. Frenzied investment that flooded the sector since late 2022 produced hundreds of start-ups offering overlapping capabilities. Companies that cannot demonstrate significant gains in yield, uptime or cost will struggle to renew pilots or to move to production. Customers need to see 3 to 5x ROI according to research from Planet A.
The Grouping
We grouped companies into eight categories:
Product Design - generative CAD, AI drafting and PLM turning text prompts and 3D models into production-ready designs.
Process Simulation - AI physics and surrogate models running CFD, FEA and multiphysics up to 1,000× faster than legacy solvers.
Materials Formulation - self-driving labs and generative AI discovering new chemistries, batteries and materials.
Process Optimisation & OEE - AI copilots and agents lifting yield, throughput and equipment effectiveness on the factory floor.
Predictive Maintenance - sensors and models predicting machine failures before they happen.
Quality, Safety & Compliance - computer vision catching the defects and hazards the human eye misses.
Supply Chain & Logistics - AI planning, procurement and warehouse orchestration across the industrial supply chain.
Execution & Orchestration - the 21 robotics and embodied-AI teams teaching factory robots new skills.
🛗 FOR YOUR LIFT CONVERSATIONS
🛗 Links
Land
🌾 Moa Technology raises $30M for novel weed-killing modes of action: The startup secured Series B funding to advance herbicide alternatives targeting new biological pathways, addressing the $100B+ annual cost of herbicide-resistant weeds. The round signals renewed investor appetite for crop protection innovation as resistance spreads. Link
🚜 Cargill Ventures eyes renewed dealmaking as agrifoodtech resets: The corporate VC arm of the $177B agribusiness giant signalled it's ready to deploy capital again after a two-year funding drought. The move comes as agtech valuations have corrected 60-80% from 2021 peaks, creating entry points for strategic buyers. Link
🏡 Martha Stewart's AI startup Hint uses soil data for homeowner advice: The new app builds property profiles from public records including soil information and weather data, then offers AI-generated recommendations on lawn drainage, foundation risks, and maintenance. The consumer play signals soil and environmental data moving beyond agriculture into residential real estate. Link
Energy & Minerals
🔌 Rio Tinto CEO sees grid storage driving next lithium wave: CEO Jakob Stausholm flagged a shift in lithium demand drivers, with grid-scale battery storage emerging as a major growth vector alongside EVs. The comment signals mining majors are recalibrating investment theses as stationary storage economics improve. Link
⚡ Ireland expands energy roadmap to full-system decarbonisation by decade: The work evolved from 2100 projections to decade-by-decade roadmaps covering electricity, transport, buildings, industrial heat, agriculture, maritime, and aviation as one integrated system. The port decarbonisation roadmap began before a client existed, showing how infrastructure planning is moving ahead of policy. Link
Water
⚡ Philippines advances 422 MW floating solar portfolio across three projects:SunAsia Energy and VinEnergo are deploying pile-supported solar arrays above water in Macabebe (181 MW), Sagay (126 MW), and Silay (115 MW), allowing aquaculture to continue beneath the panels — a dual-use model that addresses both energy security and land scarcity. Link
🌊 Chile storms disrupt copper mining, tighten global supply: Severe winter storms brought heavy snowfall to Chile's copper belt, disrupting operations at mines in the world's top producing nation. The weather adds upward pressure to copper prices already trading above $5.60/lb on tight supply and surging demand from the energy transition. Link
Atmosphere
🔥 Meta drops out of major clean energy pact as gas buildout accelerates: The tech giant quietly exited a clean energy commitment as it ramps up natural gas infrastructure to power AI data centres. The move follows Meta's shift toward 24/7 firm power over intermittent renewables, prioritising AI compute capacity over climate pledges. Link
🚗 Hybrid sales rise while BEV sales slump after tax credit expiration: Battery electric vehicle sales declined in 2025 for the first time, falling from a 12% market share in September 2025 (pre-expiration) as federal tax credits lapsed. Hybrid sales surged in the same period, suggesting buyers are opting for lower-risk electrification without subsidy support. Link
💰 Deals & Fundraises
🇺🇸 Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a Boston, MA-based Nuclear fusion energy reactor development and commercialization, raised $1b in Series D+ funding.
🇺🇸 Antares Nuclear, a United States-based Small modular reactors for US military bases, raised $470m in Series C funding from Paradigm, Caffeinated Capital, Industrious Ventures, Point72 Ventures, Shine Capital.
🇺🇸 Sila, a Moses Lake, WA-based Silicon anode materials for high-energy-density EV batteries, raised $300m in Series D+ funding.
🇺🇸 Quaise Energy, a Boston, MA-based Superhot geothermal energy using rock-melting drilling technology, raised $134m in Series B funding.
🇳🇱 Renewable Iron Fuel Technology, a Netherlands-based Carbon-free heat from burning iron powder in boilers, raised$131m in Series B funding.
🇯🇵 Asuene, a Japan-based Sustainability solutions and decarbonization platform provider, raised $87m in Series B funding from BlackRock, Temasek's decarbonization partners.
🇺🇸 Claros Technologies, a Minneapolis, MN-based Photochemical PFAS destruction platform and mobile analytical testing, raised $55m in Series B funding from Treehouse Family Capital, Daikin America, Veralto.
🇦🇺 HAMR Energy, a Australia-based Sustainable aviation fuel from forestry byproducts, raised $32m in Seed funding from ARENA.
🇫🇷 Syntetica, a France-based Mixed-nylon recycling technology, raised $30m in Series A funding from Lululemon.
🇬🇧 Moa Technology, a Oxford, United Kingdom-based Agricultural biotech fighting herbicide resistance with novel compounds, raised $29.7m in Series C funding from Oxford Science Enterprises, Supernova Invest, Agri Investment Fund, Grainlnnovate.
🌍 Greyparrot, AI waste intelligence for recycling and waste sorting, raised $27m in Series A funding.
🇺🇸 Shinkei Systems, a El Segundo, CA-based Robotic humane fish harvesting and seafood quality technology, raised $22m in Series A funding from Yamato Transport.
🇫🇷 Eurodia Industrie, a France-based Liquid extraction and purification technology for industrial applications, raised€18m in Series A funding from Starquest Capital, Yotta Capital Partners.
🇺🇸 Resolute Grid, a Rockwall, TX-based Grid equipment and infrastructure technology startup, raised $18.2m in Series A funding.
🇨🇦 Phytokana, a Alberta, Canada-based Building fava bean protein facility for sustainable plant-based ingredients, raised$18m in Series A funding.
🇺🇸 Andrenam, a California, USA-based Underwater acoustic sensors and AI-powered data processing network, raised$18m in Series A funding.
🇬🇧 Modo Energy, a United Kingdom-based Finance modeling software for renewables and storage sectors, raised $17m in Debt funding from CIBC Innovation Banking.
🇮🇹 Circular Materials, a Italy-based Critical raw material recovery technology for circular economy, raised €11.8m in Seed funding.
🇩🇪 Deutsche Sanierungsberatung, a Germany-based Climate-neutral home renovation and energy efficiency services, raised €10m in Seed funding.
🇮🇱 Plantopia, a Israel-based Molecular farming startup growing dairy proteins in plants, raised $9m in Seed funding.
🇳🇴 EQON, a Stavanger, Norway-based Industrial heating cable energy management platform reducing electricity consumption by 80%, raised $6m in Seed funding from Azolla Ventures, Wilstar Innovate, Climentum Capital, Gain Venture Capital.
🇺🇸 Quercus Biosolutions, a United States-based AI-powered designer mini proteins for resistant weed control, raised $5m in Seed funding.
🇺🇸 Alder Point Capital, a United States-based Regenerative agriculture and natural capital investment platform, raised$4m in Debt funding from Rockefeller Foundation.
🇺🇸 SCO2, a Minnesota, USA-based Supercritical CO2 extraction tech for food waste valorization, raised $2.65m in Seed funding.
🇸🇪 GenomeVault, a Stockholm, Sweden-based Whole-genome sequencing platform for biodiversity monitoring and environmental impact reporting, raised €450k in Seed funding from Trio Impact Invest.
Funds
Frontier, a Carbon removal coalition with Anthropic joining as member, closed $915m with support from Anthropic.
Pictet Alternative Advisors, a Geneva, Switzerland-based Environment Co-Investment Fund I for greenhouse gas reduction, closed $253m.
Exits
🌍 Aypa Power, a Battery storage developer for grid-scale energy projects, acquired by Brookfield from Blackstone at an implied valuation of $7b.
🇺🇸 Flipturn, a New York, NY-based EV charging operations software, acquired by Einride at an implied valuation of $38m.
🇬🇧 Secaro, a Oxford, United Kingdom-based Decarbonisation platform for suppliers, acquired by Asuene at an implied valuation of $37m.
🇨🇦 Royal Uranium, a Vancouver, Canada-based Portfolio of uranium and gas royalties, acquired by Fusion Fuel at an implied valuation of $15m.
🇬🇧 Wild Bio, a United Kingdom-based Precision-breeding wheat business, acquired F1 Seed, acquired by Wild Bio.
📅 Events
🇳🇬 ICWEEM 2026 – International Conference on Water, Energy and Environmental Management: Addresses integrated management of water and energy resources, environmental protection, and sustainable development. (August 3-4)
🌍 AgroFood 2026 (7th International Conference on Agriculture, Food Security & Food Safety): Discussions and research collaborations on agriculture, food security, and food safety with global experts in Kuala Lumpur. (August 4-5)
Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways we can help you:
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📩 Written by Ollie. Feel free to send us deals, announcements, or anything else using the link below or via LinkedIn.
