Money & Molecules: VCs Bet Big on Hard Tech

Looks like VCs are betting big on batteries, brains, and bytes this week! From Swiss energy storage to AI inference engines, the money's flowing where the future's glowing.

Oct 20, 2024
leeron

Looks like VCs are betting big on batteries, brains, and bytes this week! From Swiss energy storage to AI inference engines, the money's flowing where the future's glowing.

Top Rounds 🏆

  • terralayr (Switzerland) - €77M. Because storing energy is the new storing wealth! This Swiss company is building battery storage assets faster than banks build vaults.
  • Ookuma Diamond Device (Japan) - $27M. They're making diamond semiconductors for nuclear applications. Talk about pressure-testing your business model!
  • SynthBee (USA) - $20M. A seed round that's bigger than some Series As? When your computing intelligence platform promises to scale human innovation, VCs apparently forget what "seed" typically means.

    • Industry Trends 🔍

  • The AI Gold Rush Continues: This week's data shows VCs can't resist anything with "AI" in the pitch deck. From Simplismart's $7M for AI inference to Tako's $5.75M for AI search, the artificial intelligence sector is looking naturally intelligent for investors.
  • Clean Tech Gets Dirty (With Money): RIFT (€11M) is turning iron into fuel; TheStorage (€1M) is literally playing in the sandbox with sand-based thermal storage; Solubag ($4.5M) is making plastic disappear like a magic trick
  • Special Focus: Energy & Climate Tech 🌱

    • The sector dominated this week with combined investments exceeding €90M. Between terralayr's massive round and multiple innovative energy storage solutions, it's clear VCs are plugging into the energy transition. The trend suggests a mature outlook on climate tech investments, moving beyond simple carbon reduction to complex energy infrastructure plays.

    Emerging Sectors 👀

    Space Tech Takes Off

  • XDLINX Space Labs ($7M) - India joining the space race
  • Wyvern (CAD 8.2M) - Because regular satellite images are so 2023

    • Biotech's Brain Trust

    Three significant neuroscience/biotech deals this week suggest VCs are betting big on brain science:

  • Monument Therapeutics (£1M)
  • Antiverse (£3.5M)
  • Allyx Therapeutics ($3.3M)

    • Active Investors 🔦

  • Accel
  • Index Ventures
  • Octopus Ventures

    • This week's funding landscape shows a clear pivot toward hard tech solutions in energy, computing, and biotech. The days of pure software plays seem to be giving way to companies tackling complex physical world problems - with a healthy dose of AI sprinkled on top, of course.

    Remember: In VC as in life, it's not just about following the money - it's about following the smart money. And this week, the smart money is wearing a lab coat.