But the post-Covid comedown has been hard on connected fitness equipment players — which gained a lot of attention during the height of the pandemic from locked-down consumers — leading to disappointing hardware sales for MIRROR, as mentioned on Lululemon’s most recent earnings call:

“The overall at-home fitness space remains challenged. MIRROR hardware sales during the holiday season came in below our expectations” 

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After decades of expanding into new verticals like security and healthcare, the company has recently divested of those spaces and is returning its focus to its core businesses of handheld tools and power equipment. Stanley Black & Decker is aggressively acquiring companies and investing billions of dollars in these areas with an industrial focus, helping reduce its exposure to the consumer market.

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However, as the shift toward autonomous and electric vehicles accelerates, automotive suppliers like Bosch are ramping up their investment in next-generation automotive technologies — such as advanced electronics and semiconductors — as well as establishing more collaborative relationships with other manufacturers.

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However, this industry is rapidly changing as new technologies enter the mainstream, from 3D printing to augmented & virtual reality (AR/VR), forcing incumbents like Autodesk to adapt.

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The post Analyzing Autodesk’s Growth Strategy: How the design software titan is redefining the way the world is built appeared first on CB Insights Research.

But as governments implement stricter environmental regulations and consumer demand for “green” products continues to rise, manufacturers around the world are also placing more emphasis on sustainability.

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The majority of sales and profits still come from stores. But keeping brick-and-mortar locations as their profit centers is becoming increasingly difficult as retailers face ongoing inventory volatility, shrink-related losses, and labor shortages. 

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But demand rebounded faster than expected. As automakers resumed orders, they were moved to the end of the line in favor of more profitable semiconductor customers. Automakers were not receiving enough semiconductors to meet production capabilities and consumer demand. This resulted in vehicle shortages, costing the auto industry $210B in 2021.

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For instance, Walmart spent $3.3B on store remodels last year, 52% more than what it spent in 2018. This year, the retailer is on pace to spend nearly 20% more than it did in 2021. 

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• • Brain-computer interfaces that improve tech accessibility and communication options, particularly for non-verbal patients.
  • Gesture recognition technology that lets people use intuitive motions to interact with machines.
  • Haptics that enable users to feel virtual environments, creating more natural, immersive experiences.
  • Virtual humans that use avatar technology, facial expressions, and natural language to make human-machine interactions feel more like human-to-human interactions. 

Below, we dive into these technologies: how they work, who has an edge, and how they’re shaping the future of human-machine interactions.

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In this report, we evaluate 15 tech markets that fashion and general merchandise brands and retailers should monitor, vet, and prioritize toward this effort, including:

• AI-powered search & recommendation engines
• Assortment planning
• Demand forecasting & inventory optimization 
• Digital sampling
• Digital signage & displays
• Electronic shelf labels
• Indoor mapping analytics
• Multi-purpose platforms
• Product information management
• Resale-as-a-Service (RaaS)
• Trade promotion optimization
• Trend identification
• User-generated content management
• Virtual try-on
• Wholesale platforms

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Some of this year’s winners aim to provide robotic systems to help manufacturers increase productivity and reduce labor costs. Others are developing advanced analytics that will allow manufacturers to maximize the efficiency and quality of their processes, systems, equipment, and more.

Using the CB Insights platform, our research team picked these 50 private market vendors from a pool of over 6K companies, including applicants and nominees. They were chosen based on factors including R&D activity, proprietary Mosaic scores, market potential, business relationships, investor profile, news sentiment analysis, competitive landscape, team strength, and tech novelty. The research team also reviewed hundreds of Analyst Briefings submitted by applicants.

Clients can access the entire Advanced Manufacturing 50 list and interactive Expert Collection here. (If you don’t have a CB Insights login, create one here.)

Companies are categorized by their primary focus area and client base. Categories in the market map are not mutually exclusive. Please click to enlarge.

Want to be considered for future rankings? Fill out this initial application form (it’ll take no more than a few minutes). If selected, you’ll be asked to complete our Analyst Briefing Survey so that our analysts can better understand your products, customers, and market traction.

TOP ADVANCED MANUFACTURING COMPANIES 2022: ADVANCED MANUFACTURING 50 COHORT HIGHLIGHTS

Below are a few highlights from the Advanced Manufacturing 50 Class of 2022.

Overall funding & valuation trends: The Advanced Manufacturing 50 includes a wide range of companies at different stages of maturity, product development, and funding.

Overall, the cohort has raised $6.9B+ from 369 disclosed investors, across 177 equity deals since 2017 (as of 7/20/22). In 2021 alone, companies in this cohort raised over $3.7B across 46 deals. This year’s list includes 12 unicorns with a $1B+ valuation.

Global reach: This year’s winners represent 13 different countries across the globe. Twenty-seven of the selected companies (54%) are headquartered in the US. Germany and Canada tied for second, with 4 winners (8%) each.

Other countries home to at least one winner on this year’s list include India, China, France, South Korea, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. (Note: This geographical breakdown does not account for companies with multiple global headquarters.)

Top investors: The top investor in this year’s cohort is Accel, as it has backed 5 winners since 2017. Insight Partners and next47 tied for second — each has backed 4 winners over the same time period. 

Innovation at earlier stages: Nineteen (38%) of our winners are Series A or Series B companies with promising product ideas.

To highlight a couple, Landing AI provides a platform designed to help industrial organizations create and deploy computer vision applications for visual inspection. South Africa-based DataProphet utilizes AI to collect data from across factory floor sources, like production equipment and internet of things (IoT) sensors, in order to find process efficiencies.

Most represented categories: Among the categories highlighted on this map, factory analytics & AI holds the largest share (16%) of our winning cohort. The 8 companies featured in this category are focused on developing analytics solutions that increase production efficiency, output, and quality for manufacturers. Companies like Seeq and MakinaRocks provide data-driven insights to guide process optimization, by leveraging AI and real-time production monitoring to analyze past and present data streams.

Robots & collaborative robots (cobots) came in second with 12% of our winning cohort. The 6 companies featured in this category offer robotic hardware and software solutions that support process automation and maximize worker productivity. Some companies in this space, like Rokae, are developing a cross-industry range of robotic systems, including software, control arms, and cobots. Others maintain a more specific focus — for example, Exotec offers industrial robots for manufacturing logistics and warehousing.

The post Advanced Manufacturing 50: The most promising advanced manufacturing startups of 2022 appeared first on CB Insights Research.

As the world’s most valuable company, with a $2T+ market cap and over $100B in annual profit, Apple has long been known for its cell phones, laptops, tablets, and watches. Today, the company is investing aggressively in high-tech areas like AR/VR, AI, and semiconductors to lay the groundwork for products and features that affect health & wellness, mobility, digital connections, and more.

Although Apple is famously secretive, its acquisitions, partnerships, and investment activity provide a window into where it’s headed next. The company has acquired more than 25 companies since 2018, from edge-based AI startup Xnor.ai to VR streaming platform NextVR. Apple has also committed $430B for new investments and 20,000 new jobs in the US over 5 years — in addition to further investments in Europe and India — across silicon engineering, AI, and 5G tech.

Using CB Insights data, we uncovered 4 of Apple’s emerging strategic priorities highlighted by its recent acquisitions, investments, and partnerships. We then categorized companies by their business relationships with Apple across these priorities.

• AR/VR
• Digital health
• Machine learning & AI
• Semiconductors & advanced materials

These designations are not exhaustive of Apple’s investment and partnership activity in the analyzed period.

AR/VR

Apple started investigating augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) applications over a decade ago, as evidenced by its patent activity. For example, its ARKit framework (launched in 2017) — which enables developers to build AR experiences into their apps — is now used in over 14,000 apps with over 13M total downloads.

In recent years, companies in the AR/VR space have become serious M&A targets for Apple, coinciding with rumors about its internal development of a mixed reality headset that is expected to release in 2023 (eventually followed by a sleeker pair of glasses).

In 2018, Apple acquired 2 companies in the space: Camerai, an Israel-based computer vision and AR tech company, and Akonia Holographics, an AR optics developer. These purchases helped grow Apple’s patent portfolio and talent, setting the foundation for its future AR products.

Then in 2020, Apple acquired two VR companies. First was NextVR for a reported $100M, which developed solutions for the capture and delivery of sports and entertainment virtual reality content. A few months later, Apple purchased Spaces, which created location-based and themed virtual environments.

While Apple has not been explicit about its metaverse ambitions like fellow big tech giant Meta, its continued investment in AR/VR sets it up for more immersive digital environments of the future — and the hardware they may need.

Digital health

Apple is continuing to cement its focus in health as part of a wider strategic priority, as we’ve previously examined here and here. Apple is also working with companies, universities, app developers, and others to move this priority forward.

Central to this strategy are Apple devices, such as the Apple Watch and iPhone, which enable users to track, aggregate, and share their health data.

The company’s research teams are actively exploring new health indicators the Apple Watch could help monitor. Last year, Apple announced a collaboration with Biogen IDEC to investigate how the device can detect declines in cognitive health. Apple has also teamed up with several university and government partners — such as the NIH, the White House, Harvard, UCLA, and the University of Michigan — to conduct studies that use Apple devices to address issues ranging from Covid-19 to noise exposure to women’s health.

Meanwhile, Apple has landed agreements with major health plans like UnitedHealthcare and Aetna to offer subsidized Apple Watches and other wellness services to members.

In 2019, the company purchased Tueo Health, which developed a system to help parents monitor asthma symptoms in sleeping children. This acquisition is further indication of Apple’s intention to engage consumers on health & wellness.

Machine learning & AI

Apple has aggressively acquired companies across the machine learning (a type of AI that leverages past data to understand future scenarios) and AI space — outpacing fellow tech giants like Google and Microsoft — to shore up its AI efforts.

Apple’s AI acquisition spree has been essential to the development of new iPhone features. Many of its purchases are positioned to enhance its virtual assistant, Siri, but they also have applications across many other parts of its software.

For example, Apple acquired in 2019 and 2020:

• Laserlike, an ML platform that could better personalize Siri, news feeds, and video apps for individual users.
• Voysis, to improve Siri’s language understanding.
• Inductiv, which developed an AI platform to automatically identify and correct errors in datasets, helping software to improve with less human intervention.
• Spectral Edge, a company with infrared tech that could enhance iPhone photos.

In January 2020, Apple also acquired Xnor.ai for a reported $200M, which specialized in developing highly efficient ML models deployed at the edge. The edge computing startup could enhance a number of Apple’s device ML models, including those related to capturing and processing images, natural language processing, and object recognition.

Other AI acquisitions include Lighthouse AI, a developer of AI-powered home security cameras, and Silk Labs, which developed on-device ML software. These possibly point to Apple strengthening its smart speaker, the HomePod, with a focus on privacy by keeping data on the device.

Semiconductors & advanced materials

Apple is considered by some as the most advanced semiconductor design firm in the world. It’s also partnered with TSMC — the most advanced semiconductor production firm in the world — to produce chips. Semiconductor production is an extremely complex manufacturing process, making this partnership critical.

Apple’s design history started in 2008, when the company made the prescient purchase of PA Semi, a semiconductor design firm. Apple understood that if it wanted the best consumer experience possible, it needed to design its own chips, tailored to its own devices.

In the years since, Apple has remained aggressive in semiconductor design. The company purchased Intel‘s smartphone modem business in 2019 for $1B, giving it a significant patent portfolio and 2,200 former Intel employees. This followed the acquisition of Dialog Semiconductor‘s power management division in 2018 for $600M. 

Apple has built out its semiconductor capabilities further with investments in critical suppliers, including Corning and II-VI. Corning is the manufacturer of Gorilla Glass, a durable glass used for iPhone screens. On top of the $450M it’s already given to Corning, Apple invested $45M in the company in 2021 — coinciding with the rise of bendable iPhone rumors, though no official purpose for the funding was given.

Meanwhile, Apple invested $410M in II-VI in 2021, building on its $390M investment in II-VI-owned Finisar in 2017. II-VI makes the optical technologies that power features like Face ID and Portrait mode, as well as the lasers used in Apple’s LiDAR Scanner, which is used to create AR experiences.

In addition to these investments, Apple has developed partnerships with leading firms such as Foxconn, one of its main partners in iPhone production, and LG Display, a producer of its OLED displays.

Other categories

Beyond these 4 strategic areas, Apple has made noteworthy acquisitions, investments, and partnerships across a number of other categories.

Autos

Rumors of an Apple car have existed since 2014, further materializing in 2018 when the company partnered with Volkswagen to turn some of the carmaker’s vans into autonomous employee shuttles.

Over the past few years, Apple has also filed a number of car patents. Using CB Insights patents search tool, we can see that the company is focusing on traditional car technologies, such as thermal management systems and vehicle seating.

Beyond patents, Apple has made one acquisition in the space, purchasing autonomous driving startup Drive.ai in 2019. Apple has also reportedly held talks with Hyundai, Toyota, and Porsche — focusing on car and battery production in the US with Hyundai and Toyota, and car production with Porsche.  

DIGITAL MEDIA & Services

Apple has grown its services segment — which includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, cloud services, and others — to nearly $20B in quarterly revenue, with 825M paid subscriptions as of the second quarter.

Alongside this growth, Apple has made multiple acquisitions of digital media companies over the last 2 years, including Scout FM, Vilnyx, Primephonic, and AI Music. These purchases are aimed at enhancing its music and podcasting capabilities, while the Vilynx purchase — for a reported $50M — provides AI tools that help analyze and understand videos. 

Apple’s 2018 acquisition of digital magazine service Texture laid the foundation for its subscription service Apple News+, launched in 2019. 

More recently, Apple notably invested in independent music distribution platform UnitedMasters, participating in the company’s 2021 Series B alongside Alphabet and Andreessen Horowitz. The company also partnered with Verizon to offer the telecom’s Unlimited customers a free trial of Apple Music, and with Comcast on a cross-platform distribution deal for their streaming apps.

FinTech

Apple first released Apple Pay — a digital wallet and mobile payment system — in 2014. Since then, Apple has continued to invest in payments and beyond.

In July 2020, the company acquired Mobeewave, which developed a solution to turn any NFC phone into a mobile payment terminal. Most recently, Apple purchased UK-based fintech Credit Kudos, which uses consumer banking data for better informed credit checks.

Apple has also developed partnerships to grow its services, including with PayHawk and Isracard to expand Apple Pay, and with Goldman Sachs to launch the Apple credit card.

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While they have been mainstream for some time now, the pandemic in combination with increased interest from consumers in their personal health and wellness has ignited a wearable tech boom. Now, new wearable tech devices such as pet trackers, smart jewelry, and augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets are gaining momentum, and equity funding to the space is at an all-time high.   

Wearable computing startups raised nearly $1.4B in 2021, and notably, early-stage (seed/angel and Series A) deals accounted for nearly half of all deals in the space. Augmented reality glasses company Pacific Future and kids health- and wellness-focused wearable provider Kiddo raised a couple of the largest early-stage deals last year, drawing $38M and $16M, respectively.

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Payments leaders are increasingly investing in tech-enabled payment acceptance methods that have integration capabilities, more secure transactions, and enable a faster customer checkout experience.

Using CB Insights data, we examined tech markets across payment acceptance methods for vendors and ranked them across two metrics — market momentum and industry leader activity — to help companies decide whether to monitor, vet, or prioritize these technologies.

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The post Why vendors are prioritizing mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) systems appeared first on CB Insights Research.

Payments leaders are increasingly investing in tech-enabled payment acceptance methods that have integration capabilities, more secure transactions, and enable a faster customer checkout experience.

Using CB Insights data, we examined tech markets across payment acceptance methods for vendors and ranked them across two metrics — market momentum and industry leader activity — to help companies decide whether to monitor, vet, or prioritize these technologies.

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The post Warehouse robotics firm GreyOrange raises $110M in debt and equity from investors including Blackrock. GreyOrange competitors include Magazino, RightHand Robotics, Symbotic, and Locus Robotics. appeared first on CB Insights Research.

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The post Lumafield, which develops X-ray computed tomography (CT) technology for engineering and design teams, raises $32.5M from Kleiner Perkins, DCVC, and Lux Capital. Lumafield competes with Inside Matters, which was acquired by Tescan-Orsay. appeared first on CB Insights Research.

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While the company’s revenue dropped from 2018 to 2020, it rebounded to surpass $68B in 2021. This growth has largely been driven by the decreasing cost of electronics, the company’s sustainability initiatives, and the pandemic-induced rise in demand for industrial equipment, automation, and other technologies central to digital transformation.

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Semiconductor sales grew 26% in 2021 and are expected to increase nearly 9% in 2022, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association. And as the industry quickly advances due to everything from increased demand for electronics to the quest for secure supply chains, startups are emerging to make the technology more capable and efficient to meet the specific needs of the future.

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How’s the company performing?

• China-based ForwardX Robotics makes autonomous mobile robots for manufacturing and warehousing. The firm’s robots can lift up to 2,646 pounds of goods.
• The company’s clients include JD Logistics, SF Supply Chain China, TCL Electronics, and Dongfeng Motor Corp, among others. Notably, the company has completed 5M picks for JD.com’s warehouses to date.
• ForwardX Robotics has an office in Tokyo, and it plans to open a US branch and launch into Europe next year.
• The company has over 180 employees.

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How’s the company performing?

• UK-based Ultraleap, formerly known as Ultrahaptics, offers hand tracking and touchless haptic technologies that help simulate natural interactions in the virtual world.
• It offers 3 tracking products — Stereo IR 170, Leap Motion Controller, and VR Developer Mount — and 2 haptics products — STRATOS Explore and STRATOS Inspire. Gemini, its fifth-generation hand tracking platform, has made the company’s software available across a variety of platforms, third-party hardware, and camera systems.
• Ultraleap has collaborated with DS Automobiles and Hosiden to develop a new aerial haptic experience, and it has also partnered with CEN Media Group to install screens in cinemas that display touchless interactive content.
• The company maintains a global network of more than 350,000 developers.
• Ultraleap is supported by a team of 150 employees across North America, Europe, and Asia.

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The post Ultraleap, A Developer Of Ultrasound-Based Hand Tracking Tech And Touchless Interfaces For Virtual Reality, Raises $80.9M In Series D Funding appeared first on CB Insights Research.

HOW’S THE COMPANY PERFORMING?

• California-based Kandji offers Apple mobile device management and security services.
• The company’s revenue has grown 700%+ over the past year, and its valuation has increased 10x since its Series A round in October 2020.
• Kandji caters to around 1,000 customers across 40 industries — some of its clients include Noom, Allbirds, Belkin, Attentive, Lacework, GitHub, Segment, Rackspace, 1Password, Zoom, and Remitly.
• Its employee count has increased from 40 at the beginning of 2021 to 250 at present.
• The company maintains offices in San Diego and London.

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HOW’S THE COMPANY PERFORMING?

• Finland-based Dispelix manufactures single-layer, full-color waveguide displays for augmented reality glasses and other AR devices.
• The company reportedly has 43 pending or granted patents.
• Dispelix has partnerships and collaborations with Applied Materials, Life Augmented, and Megaone.
• The company has offices across Finland, the US, China, and Taiwan.

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