TDK Ventures

Automation and robotics are finally creating solutions for the complexities of doorstep deliveries.

Last-mile Delivery Automation

Starship Technologies operates an electric last-mile delivery droid called “Starship,” designed to traverse pedestrian sidewalks bearing small loads. Starship’s droids can carry a payload of around 22 lbs and can travel at a maximum speed of 3.7 mph covering a radius of roughly 4 miles (10 miles in a single charge). The droids are equipped with cameras, GPS, ultrasonic sensors, radar, and other mapping techniques for autonomous navigation.The company is headquartered in the US, with engineering offices located in Estonia and Helsinki, Finland. As of February 2024, the company has operations across 60 locations in the US and Europe (including the UK, Estonia, and Finland) and is one of the most prominent startups in the industry and one of the first companies to commercially test a working droid. As of February 2024, its robots had completed 6+ million autonomous deliveries to commercial customers. The company also reported having around 2,000 active droid units in operation as of December 2023.Key customers and partnershipsIn the US, Starship operates its delivery droids at around 50 university locations, as of February 2024, mostly conducted in partnership with US foodservice providers at universities including Sodexo, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/7">Aramark,</a> and <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13638">Grubhub.</a> Its operations in the UK are conducted in partnership with companies such as <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/43">Tesco,</a> <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17089">Co-op,</a> Plenish, and Costa Coffee. Other deployment partners in Europe included Estonian supermarket chain Selver, Finnish grocery chain <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9730">Alepa,</a> Finnish retailer <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18237">S Group,</a> and Estonia-based ride-hailing and food delivery startup <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19575">Bolt.</a>Starship also has product collaborations with companies including <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15436">TEAL</a> to obtain connectivity solutions for its droids (December 2022), The Goodyear Tire &amp; Rubber Company to test airless tires (January 2022), and <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/7944">Veriff</a> to incorporate identity verification services to deliver age-restricted items (January 2022).&nbsp;Funding and financials<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26279">In February 2024,</a> Starship Technologies raised USD 90 million in a funding round co-led by Plural and Iconical, to expand geographically, introduce a robot manufacturing scheme with an undisclosed partner, and further invest in its software and logistics services.

Agility Robotics develops a human-sized, bi-pedal robot called “Digit” designed for logistics applications primarily for warehouse automation, with plans to introduce the unit for last-mile delivery applications. It is the only company in the market with a product designed to look and move like a human, using two upper limbs to carry an item while moving around on two legs. The robot uses a head-mounted LiDAR system for its primary navigation and is able to navigate semi-autonomously, carrying weight up to 35 lbs. The robots can charge autonomously by connecting themselves to docking stations when needed and can be deployed without additional retrofitting.The company unveiled the second generation of Digit <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17182">in March 2023,</a> with plans to begin shipping to early customers in 2024 and a wider rollout in 2025 (price not disclosed). The company has a <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21927">manufacturing facility in Oregon</a> with the capacity to produce more than 10,000 robots per year.&nbsp;The company also offers <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27444">“Agility Arc,"</a> which is a cloud automation platform for deploying and managing Digit fleets. This is offered on a SaaS basis.Funding and financials<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9899">In April 2022,</a> Agility Robotics raised USD 150 million in a Series B funding round led by DCVC and Playground Global to fast-track R&amp;D, ramp up production and delivery of its next-generation robot, and expand the team. In April 2022, Agility Robotics also received an undisclosed amount of funds from the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund.&nbsp;Key competitors: None comparable (Agility Robotics is the only startup developing a humanoid robot for parcel delivery)

Faction Technology develops autonomous three-wheeled light electric vehicles for both cargo and passenger transportation. The company pitches its ADVs for applications including grocery and food delivery and transporting goods in controlled environments like airfields. The ADVs are equipped with its 1) self-driving driving technology “DriveLink,” which comes with advanced modular sensors, thermal cameras, radars, and drive-by-wire technologies, and 2) remote human teleoperation system “TeleAssist” for navigation.Its second-gen ADV, called <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/8684">“Faction D1,”</a> is a three-wheeled light electric vehicle that can carry a payload of up to 500 lbs and travel at a maximum speed of 75 mph, covering a range of up to 100 miles. The company also develops <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/8545">another platform</a> retrofitted with its tech in partnership with an EV maker, which has a range of 100 miles and can travel at a maximum speed of 80 mph.The company started customer trials in the San Francisco Bay Area (California) <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15457">in December 2022.</a> Faction’s business model involves charging users on a per-mile basis for delivery applications. The company also offers DriveLink and TeleAssist technologies-enabled vehicle platforms and the technologies <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16666">separately to OEMs</a> and other customers <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16666">in February 2023.</a>Key customers and partnershipsFaction Technology trialed its ADVs in partnership with Cocola Bakery <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15457">in December 2022.</a>The company has product partnerships with EV companies <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/8545">ElectraMeccanica</a> (February 2022) and <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/8684">Arcimoto</a> (February 2022) to retrofit its self-driving technology into partners’ vehicle platforms.Funding and financialsFaction raised an <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23151">undisclosed amount</a> of funds in October 2023, led by TDK Ventures, to focus on customer expansion in Q4 2023 and throughout 2024.

Moving industry forward with next-generation advancements in energy storage and transmission.

Alternative Energy

INERATEC is a German company specializing in alternative fuels and e-chemicals. The company provides modular chemical plants for power-to-liquid, power-to-gas, and gas-to-liquid applications. It also converts hydrogen from renewable energy and CO2 into sustainable fuels (such as e-kerosene, CO2-neutral gasoline, clean diesel, or SNG) and chemical feedstock like waxes and methanol.INERATEC has already established industrial-scale power-to-liquid plants in Germany to increase the availability of sustainable fuel and chemicals for various industries, such as transportation and aviation. The groundbreaking for its pioneering plant was held in April 2023 in the industrial park Frankfurt Höchst, with the plant expected to produce up to 2,500 tons of sustainable e-fuels annually from 2024.Key customers and partnershipsINERATEC has followed a collaboration strategy for the research, development, and production of its solutions. In March 2022, the company partnered with Synhelion to leverage its technology to develop a solar solution to replace fossil fuels. In May 2022, Ineratec launched the “Care-O-Sene” project in collaboration with the South African Government, focussing on decarbonization projects aimed at the aviation industry. Further, it also entered into a partnership with Clariant to accelerate developments in sustainable fuel production and signed an MoU with Japanese company Chiyoda to establish power-to-liquid projects in Japan and Asia-Pacific. In April 2023, INERATEC announced a collaboration agreement with Ferrostaal Chile to jointly develop e-fuel projects in Chile.Funding and financialsINERATEC raised a total of EUR 20 million (~USD 22 million) in funding, as of April 2023, with its latest funding coming in January 2023 from an undisclosed investment led by Honda Motor Co. with participation from Engie New Ventures, MPC, Safran Corporate Ventures, FO Holding, Planet A Ventures, and HTGF. The new investment was to be used to support further growth and development of its technologies.

Type One Energy is a fusion power systems developer that uses advanced additive manufacturing tech and high-field superconducting magnets. The company is developing the stellarator machine STARBLAZER, which uses deuterium and lithium as fuel for its fusion process. The lithium is used to breed tritium and is fused with deuterium creating helium and a neutron by using shaped magnetics to confine hot charged gas along a twisted circular path. According to the company, the stellarator has the potential to reach an infinite fusion energy gain factor (Q), making it more economically viable than other fusion generators.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26959">February 2024</a>, Type One reported plans to begin construction of Infinity One, its stellarator fusion prototype machine at the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Bull Run Fossil Plant in Clinton, Tennessee. Construction is set to begin in 2025. In parallel, it also plans to develop a stellarator risk reduction platform (RRP) over the coming years which will be used as a testbed to validate the viability of several FPP designs.Key customers and partnershipsBacked by a grant from the US Department of Energy ARPA-E BETHE fusion program, Type One collaborated with MIT Plasma Fusion Science Center, Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Germany, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison to develop a demonstration-scale high-temperature superconducting (HTS) stellarator magnet with 3D-printed metal assemblies to support the RRP magnet development. The company also partnered with Oak Ridge Ridge National Laboratory, with the support of a DOE INFUSE grant, to qualify materials developed for fusion applications to be used in additive manufacturing.Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17389">May 2023</a>, Type One raised USD 29 million in a funding round co-led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, TDK Ventures, and Doral Energy Tech Ventures. The company intended to use the funds to launch its FusionDirect program to commercialize its stellarator fusion technology without needing a large proof-of-concept prototype.Prior to this, in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17389">March 2023</a>, the company raised USD 29 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round co-led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, TDK Ventures, and Doral Energy Tech Ventures with participation from Darco, the Grantham Foundation, MILFAM, Orbia Ventures, Shorewind Capital, TRIREC, VAHOCA, and others. The funding was to be funneled toward its FusionDirect program.&nbsp;&nbsp;In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19658">May 2023</a>, Focused Energy was one of eight companies to receive a total of USD 46 million from the US Department of Energy’s Milestone-based Fusion Development Program to advance designs and research and development for fusion power plants.

Pushing the envelope in MedTech with emerging technologies

Next-gen Medical Devices

<div>
 
 Exo is a medical device startup handheld ultrasound platform and AI for imaging and therapeutic applications. The company is committed to delivering affordable and easy-to-use medical imaging to healthcare professionals around the world. By delivering easy-to-use, high-quality medical imaging. Exo empowers healthcare professionals to make critical, real-time decisions that improve patient outcomes.
 
 The Exo ultrasound platform combines advances in nano-materials, novel sensor technologies, advanced signal processing, and computation with the economies of scale of semiconductor manufacturing to dramatically reduce the cost of imaging. It also represents a giant leap in imaging and therapeutics technology one that will drive the development of high-performance products that are accessible, easy-to-use, and available at a price point never before possible.
 
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<div>
 
 Genetesis is a rapidly growing medical technology company redefining the way patients with a risk of myocardial ischemia and coronary artery disease are clinically diagnosed, monitored and screened.
 
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Using data and automation to achieve 24/7 production.

Smart Factory

<div>
 
 Based in India, Infinite Uptime is a developer of predictive maintenance solutions for industrial assets. This includes remote condition monitoring, data-driven machine diagnostics, and digital reliability services using intelligent data analytics. The company targets industries like cement, steel, metals, FMCG, chemicals, tires, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, and automotive.
 
 
 Infinite Uptime&rsquo;s main product is the Industrial Data Enabler (IDE), which utilizes proprietary hardware and software solutions. It enables businesses to actively monitor their machinery in real time, leading to decreased downtime and enhanced operational efficiency. Some features offered by the IDE platform are real-time condition monitoring with cloud data backup, smart dashboard for live monitoring and predictive data analytics, fault diagnosis and prescriptive maintenance, digital twin scenario reports, remaining useful life and downtime prediction, and providing post-maintenance procedure and health score improvement reports.
 
 
 The company has offices in the US, India, and Dubai.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 As of May 2023, the company served over 300 global customers with 19,200 monitoring locations, and 4,500 active users. Some of its customers include Vedanta, JSW Steel, Hyundai, Borosil, Ceat, and Adani.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In May 2023, Infinite Uptime raised USD 18.8 million in a Series B3 funding round led by Tiger Global to invest in research and product development, expand capabilities, and further strengthen its global market share.
 
 
 
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Reinforcing recycling, rerouting refuse, and reducing wasteflows

Waste Recovery & Management Tech

Ascend Elements (previously known as Battery Resourcers) takes old cathode material and processes them to create new cathode materials, to meet the needs of cell manufacturing. Ascend Elements also recycles spent lithium-ion batteries into value-added battery-ready cathode active materials.&nbsp;The company reports that its technology which involves the hydro process recycling and direct recycling technologies allow in 97% metal recovery and production of Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC)-based cathode active materials at a 35% reduction in cost, 32% reduction in emissions, and&nbsp;13% reduction in energy consumption, compared to the production of virgin cathodes. The company also claims that it can recycle and produce cathode materials at 50% of the cost of newly mined metals. As of March 2024, the company manufactures its products in North America and Europe, and it targets battery producers and vehicle equipment manufacturers, having partnered with players such as <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16689">Honda</a>, Jaguar Land Rover, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9004">SK Battery America (SKBA)</a>, and <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13777">EcoPro Group</a>.&nbsp;In March 2023, Ascend Elements <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17477">commenced</a> operations at its <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/7596?industryIds=54">154,000 square-foot lithium-ion battery recycling facility</a> in Covington, Georgia. The facility can process 30,000 metric tons of end-of-life batteries and battery scrap per year(~70,000 vehicle batteries per year), and has reportedly become North America’s largest lithium-ion battery recycling facility. As of March 2024, the company was building a USD 1 billion lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Kentucky, expected to come online by 2025 and produce battery materials for up to 750,000 EVs per year. It also set a long-term target to build new facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia to process up to 150,000 metric tons of lithium-ion batteries annually.Key customers and partnershipsThe company partnered with Koura, a global leader in the development, manufacture, and supply of fluoroproducts, in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17070">March 2023</a>, to supply Koura with up to 5,000 metric tonnes of recycled and recovered lithium carbonate per year. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22816">October 2023</a>, they advanced the partnership to jointly commercialize the patented graphite recycling technology in the US. In August 2023, the company partnered with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21139">Call2Recycle</a> to safely manage end-of-life EV batteries using Call2Recycle's GreenTraxEV platform. In September 2023, the company partnered with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21794">Freudenberg e-Power Systems</a> to develop a sustainable cathode-active material (CAM). During the same period, the company formed a joint venture with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22168">SK Ecoplant</a> to build a battery recycling pretreatment plant in Kentucky which will be able to produce 12,000 tons of black mass from January 2025.&nbsp;Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26811">February 2024</a>, Ascend Elements raised USD 162 million in a Series D round to support the construction of Apex 1. Previously, in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21610">September 2023</a>, when the company raised USD 542 million in a Series D funding round led by Decarbonization Partners, Temasek, and Qatar Investment Authority. The funds were to be used for construction of Apex 1.

Hydrogen Economy

Verdagy, a spin-out of Chemetry, manufactures innovative hydrogen electrolyzers. The company’s electrolyzers use its unique water electrolysis technology, “eDynamic,” which leverages the world’s largest membrane-based electrochemical cell. The company’s flagship product is its 20 MW eDynamic hydrogen electrolyzer.&nbsp;In November 2022,&nbsp; Verdagy launched its three-cell 500 kW commercial electrolyzer module at its 25,000 sq. ft. pilot facility in Moss Landing, California, followed by the 1,000-hour run demonstration of its 20kW Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) cell. In September 2023, the company announced the opening of its new facility in Newark, California, with more than 100,000 sq. ft. of advanced manufacturing space. The Silicon Valley facility is due to commence operations in Q1 2024 and will reportedly be the first to manufacture advanced water electrolyzers in high volume in the US.Key customers and partnershipsIn September 2021, Verdagy partnered with Permascand Top Holding AB, a manufacturer of electrochemical solutions, to develop a novel electrochemical cell for the production of green hydrogen which will form the basis of the Verdagy Water Electrolysis (VWE) process.Funding and financials&nbsp;Verdagy’s most recent funding was in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/20853">August 2023</a>, when it raised USD 73 million in a Series B funding round led by Temasek and Shell Ventures. The company intended to use the funding to manufacture its industrial-scale electrolyzers. Prior to that, in February 2022, the company raised USD 25 million in a venture round led by TDK Ventures. The funds were used to expand its operations and to further develop its electrolyzer technology.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Technologies bringing about a new reality

Extended Reality

Mojo Vision is the developer of AR contact lens Mojo Lens, which was developed in partnership with Japanese contact lens maker Menicon. Mojo Lens includes a built-in microLED display that allows the user to view AR-based monochrome images, symbols, and text without obstructing their view or restricting mobility. The company intends to work with fitness brands and the visually impaired initially.In January 2023, the company announced a halt in the production of their smart contact lenses and laid off 75% of its staff due to difficulties in raising funds. The company has since then pivoted its focus on the production of micro-LED’s. Milestones achieved in micro-LED development include lighting up the first 300 mm GaN-on-silicon, blue micro-LED array wafer (May 2023) and powering the world's highest-density (14K ppi) red micro-LED micro display (June 2023).Key customers and partnerships&nbsp;In May 2023, the company partnered with DigiLens to use its micro-LED technology for improved AR glasses. Previous partnerships include to deliver performance and real-time stats data to runners, cyclists, and golfers for performance measurements include Adidas Running (running/training), Trailforks (cycling, hiking/outdoors), Wearable X (yoga), Slopes (snow sports), and 18Birdies (golf) as of January 2022.Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22660">October 2023</a>, Mojo Vision raised 21.1 million in an extended Series A funding round. Funds were earmarked for the development and commercialization of its micro-LED displays. Previously, in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17541">April 2023</a>, the company raised USD 22.4 million in a Series A funding round.

Additive manufacturing makes objects by systematically adding material via a CAD program

Additive Manufacturing

<div>
 
 Fabric8Labs develops 3D printer systems based on its proprietary electrochemical additive manufacturing (ECAM) technology, which uses water-based feedstock containing dissolved metal ions to build at the atomic level. These materials can be directly printed onto temperature-sensitive substrates like printed circuit boards (PCBs) and silicon. This enables micron-scale feature resolution, complex internal features, printing from high-purity materials like pure copper, and enabling scalability for mass manufacturing. This also makes Fabric8Labs&rsquo; solutions suitable for electronics, medical devices, communications systems, and semiconductor manufacturing.
 
 
 The company claims that its ECAM technology helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 90% compared with alternative additive technologies and traditional manufacturing.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In February 2023, Fabric8Labs 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16205?industryIds=71">
 raised USD 50 million
 </a>
 in Series B funding to scale the ECAM technology and to establish a pilot production facility in San Diego, which was reported to potentially increase the company&rsquo;s headcount by 3x over the following 12 to 18 months.
 
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Smart Homes: Energy & Water Solutions

<div>
 
 Span.IO is a clean energy technology provider for homes, enabling people to adopt renewable energy solutions such as solar, batteries, and electric vehicles. The platform&rsquo;s SPAN panel replaces a traditional electric panel; it can be installed inside or outside the house and integrates with standard residential circuit breakers and utility meters. It works with Alexa, allowing users to control and monitor home energy via the SPAN Home App, which provides real-time data on how the home is sourcing and using energy. SPAN Drive, leveraging the SPAN Panel and solar energy, enables EV charging even during power outages.
 
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AI, robotics, and IoT to streamline the flow of goods and information

Logistics Tech

Agility Robotics develops a human-sized bi-pedal robot called “Digit” designed for logistics applications including warehouse automation. Its product is designed to look and move like a human, using two upper limbs to carry an item while moving around on two legs. The robot uses a head-mounted LiDAR system for its primary navigation and is able to navigate semi-autonomously, carrying weight up to 35 lbs. The robots can charge autonomously by connecting themselves to docking stations when needed and can be deployed without additional retrofitting. The company’s business model involves the outright sale of units to customers.The company unveiled the second-generation of Digit <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17182">in March 2023, </a>with plans to begin shipping to early customers in 2024 and a wider rollout in 2025 (price not disclosed). The company has a <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21927">manufacturing facility in Oregon </a>with the capacity to produce more than 10,000 robots per year.The company also offers <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27444">“Agility Arc," </a>which is a cloud automation platform for deploying and managing Digit fleets. This is offered on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) basis.Key customers and partnershipsAs of January 2020, Agility Robotics has sold its first-generation robot to Ford and several other unnamed Fortune 100 companies for warehouse automation. The company also partnered with Amazon to test Digit units at the latter’s warehousing facilities <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22840">(October 2023), </a>and GXO Logistics to test robots at a facility in Georgia <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24716">(December 2023).</a>In April 2024, Agility Robotics <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/28205">partnered with Manhattan Associates</a>, a supply chain solutions provider, to offer a joint solution that integrates Digit and Agility Arc with Manhattan's warehouse management solution.Funding and financials<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9899">In April 2022, </a>Agility Robotics raised USD 150 million in a Series B funding round led by DCVC and Playground Global to fast-track R&amp;D; ramp up production and delivery of its next-gen robot; double its team by 2024; open a new facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and expand its existing Oregon facilities and Palo Alto, California operations. In April 2022, Agility Robotics also received an undisclosed amount of funds from the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund.Key competitors: None comparable (Agility Robotics is the only startup developing humanoid robots for warehouse operations)

Clean, congestion-free air travel gets liftoff

Passenger eVTOL Aircraft

<div>
 
 Headquartered in China, AutoFlight is a global high-tech startup specializing in the development and manufacturing of autonomous eVTOLs. The company leverages cutting-edge technologies in aviation, new materials, artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, and 5G to create solutions in the field of aerial mobility. The company possesses a diverse eVTOL product portfolio, with a particular emphasis on large-scale logistic aircraft and autonomous passenger aerial vehicles.&nbsp;
 
 
 Auto Flight has a passenger flight control system research center in Europe as well as an operation and test center in the US. The company established its first location in Europe in 
 <a href="https://www.autoflight.com/en/news/autoflight-starts-in-europe-airtaxi-prosperity-i-targets-certification/">
 January 2022
 </a>
 as part of the global expansion plan and is working toward achieving European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for AutoFlight's eVTOL airtaxi &ldquo;Prosperity I.&rdquo;
 
 
 Prosperity I is a five-seater (four passengers + pilot) eVTOL that can travel a range of ~150 miles (~250 km) at a cruise speed of 130 mph, with a maximum payload of ~900lbs. The certification program for this airtaxi was slated to be completed by 2025.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In its latest funding round in November 2021, Team Global, a technology holding lead by high-profile German/Polish tech entrepreneur Lukasz Gadowski, invested USD 100 million in Series A funding in the company. The funds were to be used to expand its current business and initiate the development and certification of a manned eVTOL as per European (EASA) safety standards.
 
 
 
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A new generation for mobile connectivity with 5G and beyond

Next-gen Mobile Networks

<div>
 
 Verana Networks develops an innovative 5G Radio Access Network solution for service providers that have licensed millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum.
 
 The company focuses on enabling 5G in mmWave spectrum because that is where the largest amount of new spectrum is. For 5G to succeed, it must deliver a 10X-50X increase in speed and capacity. Blazing fast speed and an increase in capacity enable new applications, these new applications create incremental revenue, and incremental revenue is essential to support the business case for 5G.
 
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Using real-time data to create dynamic virtual representations of the real world

Digital Twin

<div>
 
 Infinite Uptime is a startup specializing in the provision of digital twin maintenance and monitoring solutions, with a focus on mitigating unplanned downtime and enhancing overall efficiency in manufacturing facilities. The company, founded in December 2015, uses a blend of artificial intelligence, precision analytics, and industrial IoT to collect and interpret machine data, allowing it to identify potential issues before they lead to downtime. Moreover, Infinite Uptime's platform aids in identifying areas where efficiency can be improved, granting maintenance teams the ability to take preemptive corrective action and providing valuable insights into overall plant performance.
 
 
 What sets Infinite Uptime apart is its comprehensive suite of features designed to tackle the common issues in manufacturing facilities, such as wear and tear, deterioration, and heightened vibrations. The platform offers real-time condition monitoring, data-driven machine diagnostics, digital reliability services, and cloud data backup support. Furthermore, its smart dashboard provides live monitoring capabilities and the ability to forecast Remaining Useful Life (RUL) and downtime, enabling businesses to strategize and execute timely maintenance actions.
 
 
 As of May 2023, the company had 305 plants globally, 19,200 monitoring locations, and 4,500+ active users.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 The company has a strong customer base with 300+ customers, including key names such as Tata Group, Schlumberger, Ceat Tyres, Aditya Birla Group, and Coca-Cola.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In May 2023, the company raised USD 18.9 million in Series B3 funding led by Tiger Global, along with participation from other existing investors. The proceeds were used to support market share growth and expansion of its capabilities, along with investment in R&amp;D.
 
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A new generation of building blocks for emerging tech

Next-gen Semiconductors

<div>
 
 Uhnder develops and manufactures digital imaging radar technology for applications such as automotive, drones, and security systems. Their products include custom-designed radar chips and software that enable high-resolution, real-time imaging of the surrounding environment for object detection and tracking.
 
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Empowering Tomorrow's Innovations with Generative AI Infrastructure

Generative AI Infrastructure

<div>
 
 Groq is a manufacturer of advanced chips engineered for inference processing, enhancing systems for real-time AI and high-performance computing (HPC).&nbsp;Groq provides hardware and software solutions, including GroqChip processors, GroqCard accelerators, GroqNode servers, GroqRack compute clusters, and GroqWare suites.&nbsp;
 
 
 Notably, Groq&rsquo;s chips feature its proprietary tensor streaming processor (TSP) architecture, which delivers consistent, low-latency, and high-throughput performance built for machine-learning applications and other computationally intensive tasks.
 
 
 Groq also developed the Language Processing Unit (LPU) Inference Engine, which is a novel processing system designed to efficiently handle computationally intensive applications with a sequential component, like LLMs. These LPU Inference Engines address the primary bottlenecks for LLMs, offering substantial compute power and memory bandwidth, significantly improving the speed of text sequence generation compared to Graphics Processors (GPUs). Groq was the first to achieve 100 tokens per second (T/s) per user for Llama-2 70B, and by August 2023, its LPU system was generating more than 240 T/s per user.
 
 
 In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27223">
 March 2024
 </a>
 , Groq acquired Definitive Intelligence to scale its cloud platform and provide on-demand access to its AI chips.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 Groq's products cater to various sectors, such as finance, industrial automation, cybersecurity, and scientific research. Notable customers include Argonne National Laboratory and In-Q-Tel, a non-profit investor dedicated to expediting the advancement and implementation of state-of-the-art technologies for US government agencies.
 
 
 Key partnerships include its collaboration with OneNano to create a next-generation CEX (cryptocurrency exchange) with scalable, ultra-low latency AI acceleration solutions (December 2022) and a partnership with Samsung's Foundry business, where it would be Groq&rsquo;s next-gen silicon partner (August 2023).
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In April 2021, the company raised USD 300 million in a Series C funding round co-led by Tiger Global Management and D1 Capital. This funding round brought Groq's total raised capital to USD 367 million and the company planned to use the funding to expand its business across industries, expand its workforce, and fund product development.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
 
 
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Revolutionizing efficiency by redefining human interactions

Humanoid Robots

Developed the humanoid robot Digit, in partnership with Ford Motor, for last-mile parcel delivery and warehouse automation. In October 2020, the company raised USD 20 million in Series B funding.

Amperesand operates as a grid infrastructure solution provider.

INERATEC offers a wide range of solutions, from pilot applications to chemical plants. They make sustainable, CO2-neutral, and cost-effective e-fuels and e-products available to all. They provide reactors suitable for fluctuating renewable energy applications.

Fasal, an agri-tech platform, developed by Wolkus Technology Solutions, is an AI-powered platform for the Agriculture ecosystem that records a variety of growing conditions on the farm. It then uses artificial intelligence and data science to make on-farm predictions, before delivering the insights anywhere on any device including (iOS, Android, Tablet, and web). Its data-driven precision agriculture solution recommends real-time agronomic solutions to growers using on-farm and micro-climate data collected through agnostic sensors that helps farmers with cost savings in terms of water, energy, fertilizers, and pesticides.

Nubis Communications is a cloud startup company providing services to the electrical and electronic manufacturing industries. The company was founded in 2020 and is based in New York City Metropolitan Area.

Peak Energy is on a mission to speed grid decarbonization by substantially cutting the cost of energy storage and establishing the United States as a global leader in the sodium-ion sector.

Infinite Uptime provides an IoT platform that automates predictive maintenance for industrial machines, with an initial focus on the manufacturing industry. Infinite Uptime provides an all-in-one industrial solution with hardware, cloud analytics, and control software to monitor equipment, diagnose problems, and drive smart decision making.

Novalith Technologies is a climate technology company that uses carbon dioxide to simplify lithium chemicals production. Novalith's LiCALTM lithium extraction technology uses significantly less equipment, chemical reagents, water and energy than conventional processing, which reduces capital and production costs. The direct use and sequestration of CO2 in producing lithium chemicals also produces a much smaller emissions footprint than existing and alternative processes.

Type One Energy is a fusion power system developer whose goal is to provide clean fusion power to cities. Through innovations in high-temp superconducting magnets and additive manufacturing, the company's system connects the compact, cost-effective stellarator fusion power plant to the grid, allowing people to access power when it is needed.

pH7 is a cleantech firm that develops and implements methods for the sustainable extraction and refining of strategic metals, which are required for the transition to renewable energy. This pilot project will offer the industry a solution for the sustainable extraction of Platinum Group Metals from secondary and primary resources using green, biodegradable, and recyclable solvents rather than smelting methodologies.

Fabric8Labs developed a unique process that is an intuitive combination of two mature technologies: Stereo-Lithography and Electro-Deposition.

AM Batteries manufactures Li-ion batteries using solvent-free electrode manufacturing technology. The company was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

Metalenz develops optical elements that exploit structured Huygens' surfaces (metamaterial structures) for controlling wavefronts, polarization, and other properties of light. It provides ultra-thin planar optics for high-resolution full-color imaging and makes the lenses used by mobile phones, computers, and other electronic devices smaller that enable businesses using the optical lenses to get miniaturized, lighter alternatives to established lenses.

Verana Networks develops an innovative 5G Radio Access Network solution for service providers that have licensed millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum. The company focuses on enabling 5G in mmWave spectrum because that is where the largest amount of new spectrum is. For 5G to succeed, it must deliver a 10X-50X increase in speed and capacity. Blazing fast speed and an increase in capacity enable new applications, these new applications create incremental revenue, and incremental revenue is essential to support the business case for 5G.

Divirod develops a water data analytics platform to manage and predict water risks. It is digitizing the measurement and monitoring of water risks with an end-to-end cost-effective and easy-to-reach deployment solution.

Starship Technologies is a robotics company building fleets of self-driving delivery robots designed to deliver goods locally within 30 minutes. The robots drive autonomously 99% of the time to make safe and environmentally friendly curb-side deliveries from a local hub. They also offering people convenient new services that improve everyday life. Starships Technologies robots are equipped with a sensor suite that includes cameras, GPS, and inertial measurement units. The company's aim is to fundamentally reshape how goods are shipped and delivered, and make local delivery, ultimately, free. It also enables a new era of instant delivery that works around your schedule at much lower costs. Starships Technologies was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Verdagy is revolutionizing water electrolysis technology to facilitate large-scale green hydrogen production. Their solution achieves the lowest upfront capital costs and offers a competitive unit economics for production. Located in Moss Landing, California, Verdagy operates laboratory and pilot plant facilities to advance and rapidly scale its technology platform.

Faction develops software and services for driverless electric vehicles.  Faction's supervised autonomous vehicle solutions include remote human TeleAssist® supervision, so we’re not gated by waiting for 100% autonomous technology. Initially, Faction is focusing on micro delivery for last mile logistics and vehicle-on-demand, where you can summon a vehicle and drive it yourself.  The company has active customer programs in operation on public roads.

Actnano is a nanotechnology company that specializes in automotive, consumer electronics, and smart coating solutions that make products water-resistant. The company enables the protection of a variety of materials from water damage and harsh environmental conditions. Its technology provides a broad spectrum of transparent nano guard coatings that can be applied to electronic devices in a way that makes them water-resistant to IPx7 levels, enabling clients to keep their electronics and gadgets protected and last long in an economical way. actnano was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mekonos creates a proprietary cell-engineering platform designed for cell therapies on a chip.  Mekonos is a Silicon Valley Venture-backed technology company — creating a proprietary cell-engineering platform based on scalable silicon technology for our partners engaged in drug discovery and development.

Ascend Elements manufactures advanced battery materials using valuable elements reclaimed from spent lithium-ion batteries. It uses hydroprocess recycling and direct recycling, which take old cathode material down to the atomic level to create new cathode materials. It also helps clients have the maximum return on assets to economically drive recycling and low-cost battery materials.

Yamagata Design creates businesses that revitalize the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture. It runs the Suiden Terrasse hotel, which floats above rice fields, the Kids Dome SORAI all-weather educational facility for children, and the Shonai Zukan digital portal, which curates and publishes information about regional jobs, culture, and lifestyle. YD also trains the next generation of farmers, develops machinery to make organic rice cultivation more accessible, and grows its organic produce all year.

GenCell is a provider of innovative fuel cell power backup solutions. The company has created a unique, green and cost-effective platform, based on proven nanotechnology and suitable for a variety of sectors in both extreme environments and urban surroundings. Understanding today’s ever-increasing need for business preparedness and response, we at GenCell have dedicated ourselves to finding alternative energy solutions that will offer better quality of service and will also prove as price competitive.

Groq radically simplifies compute to accelerate workloads in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and high-performance computing.

Span.IO develops products to enable the rapid adoption of renewable energy and deliver an intuitive interface for the home. They are a group of engineers with a passion for building products that can deliver a positive impact on the environment while enhancing the consumer experience. They believe that developing intelligent hardware and software that provides visibility and control at the edge-of-grid will be transformational to the energy sector. The company is backed by domain experts in energy, software, hardware, and consumer finance. They leverage their teams' collective experience in power generation, energy conversion, controls, and system integration to develop core products focused on enabling the rapid adoption of renewable energy. SpanIO is based in San Francisco in 2018.

Mojo Vision is focused on developing and commercializing high-performance micro-LED display technology for consumer, enterprise, and government applications. The company combines breakthrough technology, leading display and semiconductor expertise, and an advanced 300mm manufacturing process to deliver on the promise of micro-LED displays. Mojo’s proprietary quantum-dot technology brings full-color capability to its display platform and meets the superior performance demands for all form factors. Mojo Vision developed the world’s smallest, densest dynamic display for the first AR smart contact lens and is now applying this innovation and expertise to lead the disruption of the $160 billion display industry. Mojo Vision was founded in 2015 and headquartered in Saratoga, California.

AutoFlight is a global high-tech startup, born in China, specializing in developing and manufacturing autonomous aerial vehicles. AutoFlight's mission is to provide safe and reliable aerial logistic systems and urban air mobility solutions for society. By leveraging new technologies in aviation, new material, artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, and 5G, AutoFlight actively drives development in the eVTOL industry.

Uhnder is a start-up developing products for sensing, cognition, and communication for the Internet of Things (IoT) market. It is headquartered in California with engineering and operations based in Austin and St. Louis. Uhnder develops a digital automotive radar-on-chip designed to automate systems for safety and better feedback response. Uhnder disrupts the autonomous vehicle business with what it says is a more accurate and reliable alternative to light detection and ranging, known as lidar, which is one of the most common technologies used to make vehicles more aware of their surroundings. Uhnder's chip helps to avoid collisions, alerts to potential problems, helps with quick localization, as electronic fences for navigation and localization and for communication.

Agility Robotic's legged locomotion expertise is built on a history of academic research, including the bipedal walking and running robot ATRIAS. Agility Robotics is leveraging this work to create products that address the real world needs of rugged, efficient, and highly capable mobility platforms.

Exo is a medical device startup handheld ultrasound platform and AI for imaging and therapeutic applications. The company is committed to delivering affordable and easy-to-use medical imaging to healthcare professionals around the world. By delivering easy-to-use, high-quality medical imaging. Exo empowers healthcare professionals to make critical, real-time decisions that improve patient outcomes. The Exo ultrasound platform combines advances in nano-materials, novel sensor technologies, advanced signal processing, and computation with the economies of scale of semiconductor manufacturing to dramatically reduce the cost of imaging. It also represents a giant leap in imaging and therapeutics technology one that will drive the development of high-performance products that are accessible, easy-to-use, and available at a price point never before possible.

Origin is an additive manufacturing (3D printing) platform designed for mass production featuring an open materials network, extensible software, and modular hardware. Origin's additive 3D manufacturing platform makes commercial-quality products, allowing companies and manufacturers to avail to a prototype, test market, and scalable optimum quality consumer-grade products with higher printing speed and flexibility.

Genetesis is a rapidly growing medical technology company redefining the way patients with a risk of myocardial ischemia and coronary artery disease are clinically diagnosed, monitored and screened.

Founded in 2018, AutoFlightX has created a new eVTOL concept which combines the benefits of multicopters with those of conventional fixed-wing aircraft. The vehicles can be used as regularly piloted sports aircraft, unmanned highly automated cargo drones, and as unpiloted highly automated air taxis.

SLD Laser is commercializing a new generation of visible laser light sources for automotive, mobility, specialty lighting, and consumer applications. The company is ISO 9001 certified and automotive compliant to IATF 16949, and operates facilities in Santa Barbara, CA and in Fremont, CA. SLD Laser’s high luminance LaserLight sources are UL and IEC safety certified, and are utilized in a myriad of applications including automotive & mobility, specialty & portable lighting, entertainment & outdoor, projection & AR/VR displays, biomedical instrumentation & therapeutics, and industrial imaging & material processing.

Wheels operates a shared electric mobility platform designed to revolutionize dockless mobility. The company's platform offers hybrid electric vehicles that are sleek in design with swappable parts, batteries and real-time dynamic maintenance upkeep with the built-in bluetooth speakers as well as charging point for phone, enabling users to get low-cost, fun and comfortable ebikes to get around cities through the connection of a smartphone.

TDK Ventures is a technology-focused venture fund based in San Jose, California. We invest globally in Seed to B-round startups that leverage fundamental material science to unlock an attractive and sustainable future for the world. We believe in a sustainable world where digital and energy transformation will improve billions of lives for the better. Our mission is to help accelerate learnings and contributions to society, investing in start-ups with similar idealism. We aim to find meaningful opportunities in early-stage technology, especially in Health & Wellness, next Generation Transportation, Robotics & Industrial, Mixed Reality, and the wider IoT market segments. Dielectrics, magnetics, MEMS, neuro-electricals, organic materials, piezoelectrics, semiconductors, and many other types of materials, TDK Ventures is looking for the hardest problems where we have a proven track record of solving since 1935 and are passionate to continue solving these challenges together with our global innovation partners.

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