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A camera-and-AI startup out of Nashville is building the insight layer that the next generation of industrial automation will run on. Most of what happens on a factory floor is never measured. Where a defect actually entered the line. How long a task really takes. What caused a near-miss. Operations leaders make high-stakes staffing, quality, and safety decisions with almost none of this data - because getting it has always meant expensive fixed cameras, manual audits, or sim

Our portfolio company Extropic just shipped its full thermodynamic computing stack — Torx, Thermalizers, and its next-gen Z1 chip — alongside a $75M letter of intent with the U.S. Department of Commerce. Here's why we backed it early, and what it means for the Autonomous Economy.

A practical breakdown of AI venture capital firms pre-seed and seed founders should know, from generalist funds writing checks across the AI stack to the small group of specialists focused on agent governance and infrastructure.

89% of global VC went to AI in Q1 2026. Here's what the data actually means — and where the Autonomous Economy is heading next.

When the constraint was land, we built an agricultural economy. When it was machinery, we built an industrial economy. When it was human expertise and time, we built a services economy.

If you cannot answer that question in real time for every agent in your organization, you have a governance crisis. And based on every major survey published in the first quarter of 2026, you almost certainly cannot answer it.

We are no longer an AI native fund. We now invest in AE startups. Autonomous Economy startups.

Commercial insurance sits at the foundation of the real economy. Every business - whether a daycare, logistics company, or contractor - depends on it to operate. Yet the system that delivers it has not kept pace. Despite trillions in global market size and abundant carrier capacity, insurance distribution remains fragmented, manual, and slow. Businesses often wait days or weeks for coverage, navigating complex workflows handled by overstretched brokers. This is not a supply p

Inside Untapped Ventures' 2026 AGM: how this Autonomous Economy venture capital firm is shifting from AI-native to AE-native investing, plus founder panels on agentic systems, compute, robotics, and longevity.

Season 2, Episode 1 of The Agentic Podcast with George Bandarian (Untapped Ventures) AI isn’t just changing how we code - it’s changing what a “company” even is. In the Season 2 premiere of The Agentic Podcast , George Bandarian , General Partner at Untapped Ventures, sits down with Andrew Chen , General Partner of a16z Speedrun to unpack what’s happening inside the AI wave. From a16z’s $15B AI fundraise to the rise of agentic engineering (formerly vibe coding), this conver

The AI conversation has largely focused on consumer applications and white-collar productivity. But the industries that keep the world running, including rail, construction, manufacturing, energy, and critical infrastructure, remain one of the most underpenetrated frontiers for applied AI. Industrial engineering is one of the last major blank spots in applied AI. These are high-stakes, non-standard workflows where errors are costly, legacy software is deeply entrenched, and t

2025 was a year defined by clarity, conviction, and momentum. At Untapped Ventures, our focus this year was on what we believe matters most at the earliest stages: understanding where AI is headed, partnering early with exceptional founders tackling hard problems, and building a community of LPs aligned around long-term outcomes rather than short-term noise. That work is the result of a collective effort across our team, founders, and LP community. This Year in Review reflect

This past October, during SF and LA Tech Week, we brought together more than 150 founders and investors across a series of small, curated dinners - each one designed to create space for honest conversations about building in AI today. Rather than host another large event or panel, we focused on something more intentional: intimate rooms where Day Zero, Stealth, and early-stage founders could connect directly with one another, compare notes, and talk openly about what’s worki

The rise of service as software is transforming traditional service models by turning manual, labor-intensive processes into automated, scalable software solutions. This approach is no longer a futuristic concept; it is actively reshaping industries, driving measurable results, and giving startups a competitive edge. “We see startups using software to replace traditional services as one of the fastest ways to scale expertise and deliver predictable results,” said George Ban

AI's Strategic Role in Defense, Space, and Aerospace Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept; it is actively reshaping the defense, space, and aerospace sectors. From enhancing military capabilities to enabling autonomous space exploration and revolutionizing aviation technologies, AI is at the forefront of a new technological era. “Somebody needs to come up with something we call a mafia offer to get me to consider your new way, write your solution. And th

AI for energy is rapidly transforming the way we generate, distribute, and optimize power. Rising global energy demand, the push for decarbonization, and the need for efficient grid management have created an urgent context where AI-driven solutions can deliver transformative impact. From nuclear plants to fusion experiments and smart grids, AI is enabling what many consider energy “moonshots”: high-impact applications that could redefine the global energy landscape. “You wa

The fusion of AI and neurotechnology marks a paradigm shift in human potential. It amplifies capabilities, restores lost functions, and unlocks new dimensions, from enabling quadriplegic patients to communicate to enhancing cognitive performance for knowledge workers. In this article, we explore: • How Brain-Computer Interfaces are evolving into scalable solutions impacting healthcare, education, and daily life • The role of AI in driving adaptive cognitive augmentati

The Convergence of AI and Material Science AI material science is no longer a distant concept; it is rapidly becoming the backbone of global innovation. The next industrial revolution will not be built on data alone but on new molecules and advanced materials engineered with unprecedented speed and precision. Think of it this way: the steam engine powered the 18th century and semiconductors powered the 20th; today, AI-designed materials may define the 21st. The ability to des

AI life sciences is reshaping the way we understand biology, design drugs, and engineer living systems. AI + life sciences is no longer a futuristic concept; it is actively generating breakthroughs in drug discovery, multi-omics research, and synthetic biology. Startups leveraging these technologies are accelerating research timelines, reducing costs, and opening the door to potentially $100 billion opportunities across healthcare, agriculture, and industrial biology. “What

Reskilling in the age of AI is no longer a nice-to-have; it is an urgent strategic advantage. As artificial intelligence reshapes industries, millions of roles are evolving or disappearing entirely, creating both a challenge and an unprecedented opportunity. George Bandarian emphasizes, “What we’re really looking for are founders who are leveraging these tools and have a bunch of agents on their team” Businesses that embrace reskilling and upskilling programs can unlock ma