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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cybernetix Ventures Raising $100M Fund as Robotics and Physical AI Enters Accelerated Growth Phase
New fund will continue to focus on scaling breakthroughs in Robotics and Physical AI BOSTON, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston-based Cybernetix Ventures, a leading US early-stage venture capital firm investing in robotics, automation and physical AI technology companies, today announces its second fund. Leveraging its longstanding leadership in robotics, and unparalleled deep and wide network in robotics the firm is launching this fund to fuel the next generation of breakthrough solutions for industries where innovation matters most. This fund will build on the success of the firm's current fund 23 investments in companies across the US and Europe developing solutions for critical vertical markets, including manufacturing, logistics, construction, agriculture, climate and healthcare. Cybernetix is led by robotics experts Fady Saad and Mark Martin, who have 50 years of combined robotics technologies, operations and investing experience. "We've been evangelizing the inevitable potential of intelligent machines for over a decade, and the emergence of physical AI has finally made once-theoretical use cases commercially viable. Robotics is no longer a fringe interest; it's a distinct, nuanced asset class with unique dynamics. In today's venture environment, investors are increasingly paying higher prices for early-stage exposure, often without the operational insight to manage the associated risk," said General Partner Fady Saad. "At Cybernetix, we're purpose-built for this moment. Our deep sector expertise, active corporate partnerships, and intimate understanding of the ecosystem allow us to underwrite risk more intelligently and unlock real value where others simply speculate." With approximately 1,200 deal flow opportunities per year, Cybernetix Ventures has already built an investment portfolio of leading early-stage robotics and physical AI companies covering their target technology and market sectors. Among them are Raise Robotics, which helps workers with challenging tasks on construction sites, making jobs safer and improving productivity, Rugged Robotics, which uses automation and robotics to automate facilities, such as warehouses, data centers, and construction sites, and Airworks, which leverages geospatial surveying for large scale infrastructure. Cybernetix has seen significant markups in valuations as many of these companies have moved through their funding rounds. According to Grandview Research, the global AI in robotics market was valued at approximately $12.77 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38.5%, reaching around $124.77 billion by 2030. "Cybernetix was designed from the ground up to serve one purpose: backing the world's most promising robotics startups with the insight, capital, and network they need to scale. We've built one of the most targeted and efficient investment models in the robotics sector today," said General Partner Mark Martin. "If you believe in the long-term power of the robotics megatrend, and you understand that the highest returns come from getting in early, Cybernetix is the firm to watch. Our conviction is deep, our lens is precise, and our track record speaks to the strength of this category when approached with discipline and domain focus." The Cybernetix expertise is also bolstered by key advisors from iRobot, Kiva/Amazon Robotics, Flagship Ventures, Locus Robotics, Tufts University, and Cummings Foundation. This new fund will expand into agriculture and climate, which is why the firm is adding Mark DeSantis, an expert in agriculture robotics, to its impressive advisory roster. The team prides itself in being leaders in the ecosystem and also launched Robotics Invest, entering its third year as an annual high-quality, exclusive masterclass attended by 300 robotics leaders each June in Boston. Scheduled speakers hail from companies such as: Clearpath Robotics/Rockwell Automation, Dexterity, Wall Street Journal, Re:Build Manufacturing, and investment banking leaders including JP Morgan and Evercore, and more. Panel discussions include "The 5 W's of Investing in Robotics (including Humanoids)" and "Why Investing in Robotics is Different from SaaS and Deep Tech." About Cybernetix Ventures Cybernetix Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in early-stage robotics, automation, and physical AI startups. Headquartered in Boston, a growing epicenter for robotics innovation, Cybernetix connects its portfolio to the national and global robotics ecosystems, bringing unparalleled expertise to companies poised to make major impacts in sectors including advanced manufacturing, logistics/warehousing, agriculture, engineering and construction and healthcare/medical devices. For more information, please visit Cybernetix recently debuted their Robotics Startup Playbook, showing founders and investors how to successfully navigate this very unique investment class. See the Playbook here. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Cybernetix Sign in to access your portfolio
The National
27-04-2025
- Business
- The National
Indian airlines may take $15m hit from one-month Pakistan airspace closure
Indian airlines face longer international flights and higher fuel costs as they are forced to reroute their aircraft after Pakistan closed its airspace to them amid tension over a deadly attack in Kashmir. Pakistan put the ban on Indian-owned and operated aircraft in place until May 23. "If Pakistan's airspace closure persists for one month, the cumulative financial impact on Indian airlines could be in the range of $10 million to $15 million," said Linus Bauer, founder and managing director of UAE-based consultancy BAA & Partners. This includes direct operational costs such as fuel and crew overtime plus indirect revenue losses from flight cancellations, reduced cargo and schedule unreliability, he said. Flying time for westbound flights may increase between 45 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on the route and aircraft type. This could lead to "significant" fuel cost increases, higher crew duty hours, inefficiencies and operational complexity, he said. As planes fly longer distances, the additional cost per flight could be $1,350 to $3,000 from increased fuel consumption alone, he added. Jet fuel makes up about 25 per cent of an airline's total cost, by far the single biggest component. Relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated rapidly over a deadly shooting in Kashmir. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of supporting 'cross-border terrorism' after gunmen on Tuesday killed 26 people in the worst attack on civilians in India-administered Kashmir for a quarter of a century. Islamabad denies involvement and calls attempts to link Pakistan to the attack at Pahalgam 'frivolous'. Airlines will pass some of the additional costs on to consumers, leading to an increase of 30 per cent to 45 per cent in fares, analysts say. Ticket prices could rise by 30 per cent to destinations in the Middle East and by 45 per cent to Europe due to higher fuel burn, said Mark Martin, chief executive of Martin Consulting, an aviation advisory and risk firm. The renewed India-Pakistan tension comes ahead of the peak summer travel season that typically translates into bumper profits for airlines. "It's extremely bad timing that we see such an escalation between India and Pakistan, with Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian-registered aircraft, right at the cusp of peak summer holiday season. Air India and Indigo will be the most affected by this," Mr Martin said. "It's always the airline business that gets impacted when India and Pakistan spar and sabre-rattle ... this will have an earning impact on airlines' financials." In 2019, the closure of Pakistan airspace for about five months caused a loss of at least $64 million to Air India, IndiGo and other airlines, Reuters reported, citing data from the Indian government. Foreign airlines, particularly Middle Eastern and European operators, could gain a competitive edge as their Indian peers grapple with flight detours, analysts say. Gulf airlines such as Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways could see a relative advantage to their Indian rivals since they can continue to fly over Pakistani airspace without restrictions, they said. "Air India will be the most impacted as it has the most long-haul flights and especially non-stop services to the US, Europe and Canada," said Ameya Joshi, aviation analyst and founder of website NetworkThoughts. "In 2019, the closure was for all flights to and from India. This time around it is restricted to Indian carriers, which will give an edge to foreign carriers." Mr Bauer also said repeated disruption can erode confidence in direct India-Europe and India-Gulf services, potentially shifting market share towards Gulf hub airlines. Routes between India–UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), India–Saudi Arabia (Riyadh and Jeddah) and India–Qatar (Doha) will be most affected, he said. Flights from Delhi, Mumbai and northern Indian cities in particular will require significant rerouting. Mr Bauer estimates flight times from India to the Middle East could increase by 20 minutes to 40 minutes depending on the detour. To offset fuel burn penalties, airlines may be forced to restrict cargo – particularly on narrow-body planes such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s, therefore reducing cargo revenue, he added. IndiGo said about 50 international routes will be subject to "slight schedule adjustments" due to the Pakistani airspace closure. Its flights to Almaty are cancelled from April 27 until May 7 at the earliest and to Tashkent from April 28 until May 7. "With the same restrictions and limited rerouting options, unfortunately Almaty and Tashkent are outside the operational range of IndiGo's current fleet," it said. "We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers and assure them that we're looking at all options to minimise disruptions," it said.
Saudi Gazette
11-03-2025
- Saudi Gazette
Air India confirms plane returned after plastic bags and rags clog toilets
NEW DELHI — Air India has confirmed that one of its flights was forced to turn around last week after plastic bags, rags and clothes clogged up most of its toilets. The plane, which was heading from Chicago to the Indian capital of Delhi, spent several hours in the air before it returned to the US city. Video clips from inside the aircraft showed scenes of confusion as passengers huddled around crew members who seemed to be explaining the situation. The incident has stirred a lively debate on social media, with many Indians weighing in on airplane bathroom etiquette. The incident had taken place on 5 March on Air India Flight 126, according to a statement by the airline released on Monday. About two hours into the flight, crew members reported that some of the toilets were "unserviceable".Subsequently, they found eight of the 12 toilets in business and economy class could not be used, "causing discomfort to all on board". The plane can carry up to 342 that point of time the plane was already flying over the Atlantic Ocean, according to Air India's statement. Due to restrictions on night operations at most European airports at the time, the pilots decided to return to Chicago for "passenger comfort and safety".A BBC check on flight tracking website Flightradar24 found the plane was near Greenland when it turned around, and had spent a total of 10 hours in the India said an investigation later found "polythene bags, rags and clothes that had been flushed down and stuck in the plumbing" of the plane's released several pictures showing bags containing waste cleared from the toilets. One photo showed a crew member holding a drainage pipe completely stuffed with what appeared to be statement said that all passengers and crew disembarked normally in Chicago and were provided with accommodation and alternative flight toilets store human waste in special tanks and use a vacuum system for flushing. These are normally disposed of once the plane has clogged toilets are not uncommon, it is "next to impossible" for all toilets to break down "due to only passengers' fault, and in a way that it causes an emergency diversion", Mark Martin, an aviation expert, told the Hindustan Times Air India said it had previously found objects such as blankets, innerwear and diapers flushed down its planes' toilets."We take this opportunity to urge passengers to use lavatories only for the purposes that they are meant for," it X, many criticised the airline for poor upkeep and the lack of sanitation facilities on its aeroplanes."Only Air India has such frequent mishaps. Honestly what has happened is indefensible," one user others pointed out that the airline could not be held responsible for the situation."Can we honestly dump all the blame on Air India and the crew, when people can't follow basic travel etiquette?" another user said. — BBC
BBC News
11-03-2025
- BBC News
Air India plane diverted after plastic bags and clothes block toilets
Air India has confirmed that one of its flights was forced to turn around after plastic bags, rags and clothes clogged up most of its toilets, leaving many of its 300 passengers in discomfort. The plane, which was heading from Chicago to the Indian capital, Delhi - a 14-hour-journey - spent nearly two hours in the air before it returned to the US city. Video clips from inside the aircraft showed scenes of confusion as passengers huddled around crew members who seemed to be explaining the situation. The incident has stirred a lively debate on social media, with many Indians weighing in on aeroplane bathroom etiquette. Plane toilets store human waste in special tanks and use a vacuum system for flushing. These are normally disposed of once the plane has landed. While clogged toilets are not uncommon, it is "next to impossible" for all toilets to break down "due to only passengers' fault, and in a way that it causes an emergency diversion", Mark Martin, an aviation expert told the Hindustan Times incident took place on Air India Flight 126 on 5 March, but the airline put out a statement on Monday explaining what had said it had also previously found objects such as blankets, innerwear and diapers flushed down its toilets. "We take this opportunity to urge passengers to use lavatories only for the purposes that they are meant for," it said. In the statement, the airline said eight of its 12 toilets in business and economy class broke down after crew members "found polythene bags, rags and clothes that had been flushed down and stuck in the plumbing".It released several pictures showing bags containing waste cleared from the toilets. One photo showed a crew member holding a drainage pipe completely stuffed with what appeared to be to night-time restrictions at most European airports at the time, the airline said it could not divert the flight elsewhere - making a return to Chicago the only option."Upon landing at Chicago, all passengers and crew disembarked normally and have been provided with accommodation to minimise inconvenience," a company spokesperson said, adding that the decision to divert was taken "entirely in the interest of passenger comfort and safety".The airline added that it offered passengers full refunds and rescheduled X, many criticised the airline for poor upkeep and the lack of sanitation facilities on its aircrafts. "Only Air India has such frequent mishaps. Honestly what has happened is indefensible," one user others pointed out that the airline could not be held responsible for the situation. "Can we honestly dump all the blame on Air India and the crew, when people can't follow basic travel etiquette?" another user said.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
When is the Daytona 500? Mark Martin drives by to tell us when the NASCAR season begins
The countdown continues to gain steam as it moves to within a week of the Daytona 500. With the 2025 Daytona 500 looming on Feb. 16, the Daytona Beach News-Journal is checking off the boxes on the calendar until the 67th running of the Great American Race. Buy our Daytona 500 book Today's driver and car: NASCAR Hall of Famer was sponsored by Pfizer and its Viagra brand from 2001-05, producing just three overall wins but plenty of snide comments. Wednesday, Feb. 12: Pole qualifying to set the front row for the Daytona 500, 8:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13: The Duels at Daytona, two 150-mile races to set the lineup for the Daytona 500, 7 p.m. (Fox Sports 1). Friday, Feb. 14: Truck Series, Fresh From Florida 250, 7:30 p.m. (FS1). Saturday, Feb. 15: ARCA 200, noon (Fox); Xfinity Series, United Rentals 300, 5 p.m. (CW).Sunday, Feb. 16: Daytona 500, 2:30 p.m. (Fox). This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona 500 is how far away? Mark Martin, Viagra help with countdown
