Industrial Supply Chain Bets
We made two new investments in the manufacturing and industrial supply chains space — a market that is both unusually large (~11% of US GDP, 2.9 Tr) and rapidly changing. We're seeing an influx of world-class founders and growth capital, a dynamic that continues to generate asymmetric early-stage opportunities.
Importantly, these investments deepen our presence in the El Segundo ecosystem — a fast emerging hub for frontier innovation. Headquartered here are companies such as Varda Space ($300M raised from Khosla, General Catalyst, Lux), Radiant Nuclear ($225M raised from Union Square Ventures, Founders Fund, a16z), and Hadrian ($200M+ raised from a16z, Lux). These companies, and the founders behind them, represent the early edge of a broader industrial renaissance. Our two newest portfolio companies are currently in stealth and are referred to here as X and Y.
1. Stealth Co X - Quality Assurance for Precision Manufacturing
X is developing a software-led platform for high-throughput, ultra-precise quality testing — targeting aerospace and defense, where tolerances approach ~10nm (roughly 1/7,500th the width of a human hair).
The three technical founders previously built Hadrian’s internal quality systems under extreme constraints and are now productizing those learnings for broader industrial application. Their key insights: (a) faster QA translates directly into higher shopfloor yields and revenue; (b) AI vision and coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) fall short on precision and throughput respectively.
We were introduced to the team via a former founder and close friend of the firm who incubated the company. The $5M seed round was highly competitive and ultimately led by Upfront Ventures. If successful, X is positioned to define and dominate a new category in manufacturing QA.
2. Stealth Co Y - AI-Driven Optimization for Mining Operations
Underground mining today is like flying a plane with a destination, but no real-time telemetry. Y is building a software-and-sensor platform that introduces dynamic feedback into a notoriously opaque and analog workflow: improving geology assessments, blast planning, and drill execution through real-time, iterative optimization.
The founding team — three engineers who met at U McGill — are deeply passionate about mining and bring rare technical depth to a vertical starved of innovation. During our diligence, mine operators cited several examples of operating inefficiencies eroding their precarious margins. We also discovered incumbent companies that have built multi-billion-dollar businesses in the same niche. Y’s algorithms have already matched the effectiveness of SOTA methods, which reflects the low innovation bar. We know that large startups can be built in physical industries provided the product approach is right. So, we decided to lead the ~$1M pre-seed round, earning the opportunity to work alongside bright founders on molding the product. We first heard about the company from a founder (again!) and it aligned with our pre-investigated thesis — this allowed us to be the first institution to commit, eliminating any potential competition.
If successful, Y could become a category-defining company in mining — akin to what Veeva (NYSE: VEEV, $30B+ market cap) became in pharma IT.
Catalyzing Global Founder Network
Recent events reaffirmed the catalytic value of forging curated connection between founders across borders and industries; connections that may not happen but for a purposeful initiative.
GIC (Government of Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund) invited ODDBIRD to its Annual Gala in San Francisco. It was great reconnecting with old friends and allies such as Chris Emmanuel and Gaurav Jain (GIC), Prukalpa Sankar (co-founder and CEO, Atlan valued $750M+) and Kunal Shah (co-founder and CEO, Cred valued ~$6B+).
On our podcast, we hosted Rajesh Yabaji, co-founder and CEO of Blackbuck (NSE: BLACKBUCK), a pioneering logistics platform backed by Accel, Tiger Global, Wellington, and Sequoia. Rajesh co-founded and led the company to a successful IPO, becoming a global inspiration for Indian-origin founders.
We co-hosted an invite-only dinner with Sigma Squared Society, a European exclusive community of high potential founders — many of whom are focused on the US from day one.
One Big, Beautiful Opportunity
"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip?" - Lose Yourself, Eminem
While foreign born founders have created disproportionate value (44% of US unicorns per Stanford) a shifting border policy has created new barriers. We’re prototyping a product to help the most promising foreign-born founders land in the US with speed, clarity, and support. It's early, but our conviction is growing. If you’d like to engage or contribute, reach out — we’d love to hear from you.
A question naturally comes up: Does the world need another venture fund? For us, the answer is increasingly clear: Yes — but not just any fund.
Co-Investments
We recently offered select LPs the opportunity to co-invest in Stealth Co X. If you’re interested in participating in future deals or refining your co-investment preferences, please let us know here.
And as always, we welcome any feedback, ideas, or introductions — no matter how early.
- Team ODDBIRD
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