Participated · Equity · Nov 2023

Retrocausal is a Seattle, WA–based platform provider for manufacturing process management led by CEO Zeeshan Zia. Its Kaizen Copilot software for Manufacturing Assembly Optimization simplifies manual assembly operations and the underlying processes to empower low-skilled workers to take on higher-skill manufacturing jobs. The company builds AI-powered augmentation systems to help manufacturing workers avoid assembly mistakes while assisting industrial engineers to continuously improve shop floor processes. Retrocausal has been developing multi-modal foundation models focused on manufacturing trained on proprietary datasets and has been granted three patents by the USPTO, with four patents pending. In April 2023 it opened a Dallas office to be closer to manufacturing customers in the Midwest and Mexico and has launched joint projects with Honda Innovations and Siemens Digital Industries. The company raised $5.3M and intends to use the funds to meet market demand for its proprietary generative AI technology. Retrocausal builds the Pathfinder platform, an AI-driven quality-assurance system that helps discrete manufacturers reduce manual assembly errors and improve first-time yield, quality, and efficiency. Its automation engine can produce a production-ready deep learning model in one day or less with minimal training data. Pathfinder can be deployed in days by manufacturing operations teams and runs on any GPU-enabled Windows computer paired with an off-the-shelf webcam. The platform provides real-time floor analysis, historical data, and build-process analytics while offering operator-privacy options such as narrow camera field of view, image blurring, and encryption. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Dr. Zeeshan Ziam and is based in Seattle, WA. Retrocausal says it will use the new funding to build out its team and extend global growth.

Participated · Series A · Feb 2022

RIOS develops AI- and vision-driven robotics focused on automating manufacturing processes, quality assurance, process improvement and digital twinning. The company emphasizes partnering with customers to provide reliable, flexible automation and real-time insights and control that exceed traditional automation systems. RIOS plans to expand its deployments across wood products, beverage distribution and packaged food products. It is beginning a product rollout in the lumber and plywood handling sector. The company recently completed a $13 million Series B financing. Existing investor participation and strategic partnerships underpin its near-term growth plans. Rios Intelligent Machines builds AI-powered, end-to-end robotic workcells that integrate within existing factory, warehouse, and supply chain workflows. The company offers its robotic workforce through a factory automation-as-a-service model with no upfront capital commitments. Its workcells are deployed in the United States across manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, and food & beverage sectors. Rios has signed agreements with over a dozen customers in the U.S. and Japan, ranging from mid-size businesses to large enterprises. The company is led by CEO Dr. Bernard Casse, is headquartered in Menlo Park, CA, has a distributed U.S. workforce and a subsidiary in Australia. In February 2022 it raised $28M in Series A equity and debt financing and intends to use the funds to deploy its robotic fleet at scale to new and existing customers. RIOS is a Bay Area robotics startup founded in 2018 as a Stanford spin-out with contributions from Xerox PARC engineers. Its first product, the DX-1, is a robot designed for a variety of industrial tasks including static bin picking and conveyor belt operations. The system is powered by the company’s AI stack, which includes a perception system and tactile sensors mounted on the robotic hand. RIOS operated in stealth for roughly a year and a half while testing its technologies with a select group of partners. The company plans to charge a monthly fee for the robotic system that bundles programming, maintenance, monitoring, and regular updates. RIOS announced $5 million in funding as it came out of stealth to support development and commercialization amid increased interest in factory automation.

Participated · Equity · Feb 2021

Mantle builds the TrueShape metal 3D printing platform optimized for producing injection mold tools and other precision tooling, focusing on printing tools for mass production rather than end-use parts. The company says tools made with its technology have produced millions of end-use parts while delivering the accuracy, surface finish, and tool-steel properties required for demanding tooling applications. Mantle reports customer results including cost reductions exceeding 65% and accelerated development cycles by up to 90%. The company has experienced double-digit growth in shipments and positions its technology as a response to toolmaker labor shortages and reshoring trends. Mantle plans to scale manufacturing, expand market adoption, and develop new capabilities and materials to meet rising demand. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Mantle builds metal 3D-printing systems focused on augmenting traditional manufacturing by producing production-ready molds and dies rather than rapid prototypes. Its machine is roughly the size of two standing desks and integrates part finishing into the print workflow. The company uses a sintering-based hybrid technology and a proprietary material designed to be deposited densely and cut with high-speed cutting tools to achieve greater surface detail. Mantle aims to remove process steps and enable true production-oriented use cases in additive manufacturing. The startup announced L’Oréal as its first partner to use the printers for precision molds for products and packaging. Mantle launched out of stealth with $13M in funding from a syndicate of venture investors.