📮 Tensor Ventures — Decoded Newsletter November 2024 Edition
It’s been a pretty exciting month behind the scenes. We’ve made our next investment in the semiconductor world, seen some epic collaborations happen, and our portfolio companies are up to some seriously cool stuff. From pushing the envelope in high-speed networks to revolutionising automation.
Take a look at what’s new, what’s buzzing, and what’s got us excited in the world of deep tech. Let’s dive in! 👇🏼
💚 New investments
DYNANIC (BrnoLogic)
We’ve just made our first investment from the Tensor Ventures fund 2 in the semiconductor space. Closing this impressive pre-seed round with over €550k alongside angel investors from industry leaders, including former executives from Dell Technologies, AMD, Intel Corporation, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
DYNANIC made history as the first in the world to create an Ethernet-accelerated SmartNIC 400Gb/s card. And now, they're taking it to a whole new level, breaking barriers again with 800Gb/s! 🏎️💨 Thanks to their one-of-a-kind IP Core technology, developed with Brno University of Technology - top-tier FPGA research. This is solving massive pain points in high-speed network traffic for hyperscalers and datacenters. And they're slashing power usage too. Efficiency and speed like never before!
🚀 Portfolio in action
Pointee x Intel software & Microsoft partnerships
Pointee partnered with Intel Corporation to bring even more power to the future of enterprise automation. Pointee's solution, powered by Intel® Xeon® processors, is an all-in-one tool for robotic process automation (RPA) systems that helps enterprises prevent bot failure, increase operational efficiency, and reduce.
By combining Pointee’s cutting-edge approach with Intel’s Xeon processors, they’re tackling challenges in RPA and intelligent automation, making systems more reliable, efficient, and built to last.
Pointee is also joined the Microsoft GenAI Accelerator, further driving innovation in enterprise automation.
Quantagonia’s DecisionAI
With DecisionAI, businesses now have an end-to-end solution that enables easy setup, model adjustments, and achievement of optimal results - all in real time. Quantagonia’s AI-driven platform empowers organisations of all sizes - from SMEs to large enterprises - to tackle challenges that once needed expert intervention. More about the DecisionAI:
Our portfolio startups raising & hiring
Our portfolio companies are making big moves - raising funds and scaling their teams! dstack, Quantagonia, Bioo, Stacktape, and Superface are gearing up for their next funding rounds, while Blockmate, HeartBeat.bio AG, Scalpel AI, and BEIT are expanding their teams. Check out the job openings and share them with your network or email us! 🌍
✨ Tensor writes & speaks
Podcast at Forbes.cz
🎙 Tensor Ventures got invited into the Forbes newsroom! What makes deep tech a "special animal", and why are we so passionate about it? GPs Roman Smola & Martin Drdul share their insights and stories in the latest Forbes podcast (in Czech).
Deep tech market overview
At Tensor Ventures, we believe it’s no longer enough to invest reactively. One of the most impactful strategies is through CVC partnerships with VCs. This collaboration combines corporate scale with venture agility, unlocking new markets and driving innovation at an unprecedented pace. Let’s partner and build the future together. Read the full article by Petr Ulvr below👇🏼
Deep Tech: The $15 trillion opportunity you don’t want to miss
Could deep tech add $10-$15 trillion to the global economy by 2030? According to PwC’s Sizing the Prize report, once again we’re on the brink of something enormous once again.
👩🏽💻 Deep tech scene
Nvidia surpassed Apple to become the world's most valuable publicly traded company, highlighting the growing importance of AI hardware and software in the global market.
OpenAI made significant strides by acquiring the domain "chat dot com" for over $10 million, aiming to enhance its AI services. Additionally, co-founder Greg Brockman returned to the company, signalling a strengthening of its leadership team.
AWS CEO Matt Garman announced substantial AI updates at the annual re:Invent conference, emphasising the company's commitment to advancing its AI capabilities amid increasing competition.
A study revealed that AI-generated poetry is now indistinguishable from human-written poetry, with some AI compositions receiving higher favourable ratings, showcasing the rapid progress in AI's creative abilities.
Discussions intensified around AI regulation, particularly concerning the creation and distribution of explicit AI-generated deepfakes, underscoring the need for robust legal frameworks to address emerging ethical challenges.
💡 What we read
Niantic is exploring how large geospatial models (LGMs) are transforming the way we interact with the physical world through augmented reality. Their latest advancements focus on creating highly detailed, real-time maps that power immersive AR experiences, bridging the gap between the virtual and physical realms. This innovation has the potential to redefine applications in gaming, navigation, and urban planning.
LangChain dives into the latest developments in AI agents, highlighting breakthroughs in their capabilities and how they're being deployed across industries. From automating complex workflows to enhancing decision-making processes, AI agents are moving beyond narrow tasks toward more versatile applications. This report shares insights into current trends, challenges, and the exciting future of agent-based AI systems.
📣 Events we loved
Last month, we had the honour of being the only CEE-based VC invited to participate in the CERN Venture Connect Summit, hosted by CERN Innovation Partnerships. 🎉
This milestone highlights our shared belief in the transformative power of deep tech to reshape industries and shape the future. Building a strong deep tech ecosystem has always been central to our strategy, perfectly aligning with the vision of our partners. Read more on our blog by Martin Drdul 👇🏼
We made it through the annual snowstorm at Slush, and every single flake was totally worth it! ❄️ Key hacks from Jan & Knarik for investors only:
Throw your own side event: Hosting one is the perfect way to connect with key players on your terms.
Crash other side events: Some of the best connections happen at events you didn’t plan.
Plan like a pro: Prep 3-4 weeks ahead to lock in meetings and snag spots at must-attend events.
Ondrej was part of the jury for Vykop, the new incubation program by the Liberec Business Incubator. 🚀 Meanwhile, Jan was on the jury at JihoCzech, where innovation and collaboration take center stage in the South Bohemian Region 🏆 Who wore their jury hat better? 😏
Kate took the stage at the Future of Export Summit, shedding light on the challenges holding CEE startups back from global success - all while a frog made an unexpected cameo in the background💡
Cheers,
The Tensor VC team