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Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Stoke Space Rebrands Hardware Engineering Platform as Boltline, Reports 2x Revenue in First Half of Fiscal Year
KENT, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stoke Space, the company building the world's first fully and rapidly reusable rockets, today announced that its cloud-based hardware engineering platform, previously known as Fusion, is now Boltline. The rebrand reflects Boltline's position as the only purpose-built, end-to-end, cloud-based engineering toolset designed to streamline hardware development from design to end-of-life. Alongside the rebrand, Stoke Space reported strong growth, with Boltline achieving 2x revenue in the first six months of the current fiscal year, driven by adoption across industries. If your part fails, the hardware fails. If your part can't be made, the part is late. If the factory doesn't have throughput, you are late. If your vendor is late, you are late. If you are late, the company is late. The company also disclosed a previously closed investment from Woven Capital, Toyota's growth-stage corporate venture fund, finalized in December 2024. This funding is accelerating Boltline's product development and commercial expansion, empowering hardware teams to build faster and with greater confidence. 'Boltline solves a fundamental challenge for hardware teams: moving fast without sacrificing quality,' said Michiko Kato, Partner at Woven Capital. 'We're excited by its potential to reimagine the hardware development process, accelerating workflows while preserving traceability. With full visibility from cradle to grave, Boltline brings tremendous value to teams navigating complex hardware development cycles. We're proud to back Stoke Space and support Boltline as it scales a solution that empowers faster, smarter, and more transparent hardware development.' Born from Friction, Built for Builders Born from the need to revolutionize hardware development, Boltline unifies complex processes into a single, powerful platform, slashing costs and accelerating innovation across industries. 'Stoke didn't set out to build software. We set out to build hardware, and the tools got in our way,' said Brent Bradbury, Head of Business at Boltline. 'While we were still in early prototyping, it became clear we needed a unified system to manage engineering and production, one that offered traceability, repeatability, and audit readiness. Boltline's 2x revenue growth this fiscal year shows it's meeting a critical need for teams beyond aerospace.' Boltline is now adopted across industries where hardware complexity meets execution urgency, including aerospace, defense, climate tech, biotech, and advanced manufacturing. 'We saw in Boltline a kindred spirit of high-cadence engineering that is challenging the boundaries of what's possible in space,' said Jack '2fish' Fischer, SVP of Production and Operations at Intuitive Machines. 'Boltline answered our needs with its collaborative capabilities and clear digital thread.' 'Boltline is essential for our work,' added Alisha Fredriksson, cofounder and CEO at Seabound. 'It brings clarity to the complexity of hardware development, helping us move faster and with confidence.' One Platform, All the Way from Design to Deployment Hardware teams often juggle up to eight disconnected tools, from spreadsheets to legacy MES systems, leading to inefficiencies and costly errors. Boltline replaces these with a single, cloud-based platform spanning the entire hardware lifecycle, from design through build, test, production, and beyond. Key capabilities include: Parts Library: Manage part references, relationships, and assemblies with engineering BOMs (eBOMs) and integrations with existing PLM systems. Inventory & Locations: Full traceability of every part and its location using QR codes and augmented BOMs (aBOMs). Work Plans: App-like procedures with checklists, sketches, instructions, and automated actions. Orders: A modern order management system linking inventory, purchase orders, retail orders, and approvals, integrated with ERP systems. Workflows: No-code automations that scale processes across engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain. Scaling for the Future of Hardware With Woven Capital's backing and Boltline's impressive 2x revenue growth, Boltline is expanding its product, engineering, and go-to-market teams to meet the growing demand for unified hardware development solutions. 'What started inside a rocket company is now transforming industries,' said Bradbury. 'Boltline's revenue growth this fiscal year proves it's addressing an urgent need for smarter, faster hardware development, and we're scaling to meet that demand.' About Boltline Boltline is the only end-to-end engineering toolset that helps teams build world-class hardware, fast. Born from the need to streamline complex hardware development, Boltline empowers teams across industries to design, build, and scale with unprecedented efficiency and clarity. Visit for more. About Stoke Space Stoke Space is building Nova, a fully and rapidly reusable rocket designed to fly daily, delivering critical payloads to any orbit, at any time. With vertically integrated design, manufacturing, and testing, Stoke is developing breakthrough technologies to deliver fast, flexible, and reliable space access.
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Global Arbitrage: Why Green Investing Needs An Ecosystem Approach
Nicole LeBlanc is a partner at Toyota's growth fund, Woven Capital, focusing on mobility, sustainability and smart city investments. When it comes to the climate tech investment landscape, we're no longer in the era of point solutions; we're in the ecosystem era. Across the globe, companies have deployed isolated technologies, such as EV charging stations, but the reality is that these end-point solutions often fall short because they lack coherent integration. So, what we're seeing now is the emergence of software companies, like WeaveGrid (one of our portfolio companies) and Monta, that are trying to smooth over these transitions and integrate disparate technologies. We're at an inflection point in clean energy, with multiple standards and technologies competing for dominance. I believe the most successful climate tech investors will be those who understand the unique contributions of different regions to the global ecosystem and how true success depends on geographic diversification. In short: There's an investment arbitrage opportunity in looking across markets and understanding which are artificially accelerating adoption through regulation, which are driven by economics and where gaps in funding create undervalued assets. In this arbitrage game, corporate venture capital (CVC) players may hold an advantage over traditional venture capital (VC) investors. The U.S. Market: Policy Uncertainty And Capital Reallocation In the United States, the climate tech investment landscape has been profoundly shaped by policy shifts. The Inflation Reduction Act created a surge of early-stage investment in sustainability-focused startups. New entrants, particularly circularity and recycling startups, used this capital influx to validate technologies through proof of concepts with various partners, while covering expenditures that traditional VC-backed startups couldn't. However, many now face a critical gap as U.S. policies shift while startups attempt to transition to the execution phase. This gap has widened as venture capital has dramatically shifted toward AI, leaving many promising climate tech companies struggling to secure growth-stage funding. Despite this reallocation of capital, though, certain climate tech segments remain fundamentally relevant regardless of policy changes. As one clean energy startup founder explained to me, the utilities sector continues to invest in innovative solutions because they face ongoing operational challenges that require technology solutions, regardless of whether government incentives are available. For these utilities, climate tech isn't about subsidies but solving real business problems. One of the most promising opportunities in the U.S. market lies in engaging traditional energy players, like oil and gas companies, in the clean energy transition. They have the capital, scale and infrastructure to make meaningful investments, particularly in technologies like blue hydrogen, which is derived from fossil fuels, allowing them to participate in the transition while leveraging their existing capabilities. While purists might prefer an immediate jump to green hydrogen, the reality is that transitional technologies may be necessary for the next five to 10 years to build the ecosystem for full decarbonization. The European Market: Regulation-Driven Innovation Europe presents a dramatically different investment landscape, driven primarily by stringent regulations that create real costs for noncompliance. Companies operating in Europe face substantial fines—potentially $100 million or more annually for some companies that can't meet emissions standards. These regulations effectively create an artificial market for clean energy. Many corporations will pay premiums for clean solutions because the alternative is expensive regulatory penalties. For CVCs, the European market offers a unique value proposition traditional VC's can't capitalize on: Investments in sustainability startups can directly help parent companies reduce regulatory fines and compliance costs. This isn't just about generating returns; it's about mitigating real business risks. Corporate investors can be kingmakers by not only providing capital but also connecting startups with business units that need their solutions to avoid costly penalties. Last year, approximately 50% of all funding for physical climate tech solutions came in the form of debt financing. I see VC becoming more concentrated in larger mega-rounds at the growth stage, with many boom or bust outcomes. In Europe, numerous Series A companies that raised funding in the last 12 months are now facing a softening VC landscape. Our analysis identified many companies like this in that region. With valuations remarkably low, this can allow CVCs to step in with favorable terms. The Japanese Market: Limited Early-Stage Ecosystem Japan presents yet another distinct market in the clean tech investment landscape. The country has relatively few early-stage investors focused on sustainability and clean energy, resulting in a limited pipeline of growth-stage companies. However, again, I think this scarcity creates an opportunity for corporate leadership in spaces where traditional VCs aren't active. Japanese corporations tend to take a longer-term view of sustainability initiatives, in my experience. Some timelines extend decades into the future, which requires laying groundwork far in advance, given the three- to four-year product design cycles in industries like automotive. This long-term orientation enables Japanese corporate investors to make patient capital investments that may not align with the typical five- to seven-year return horizons of traditional venture capitalists. As a prime example, within the automotive industry, development cycles can take years—by design rather than inefficiency—and as a result extending the time required to integrate into the system and become part of the production process. The challenge in Japan is not necessarily a lack of technology innovation, but what I see as insufficient support for startups to scale these innovations globally, which also creates an uphill battle for talent acquisition. CVC can play a crucial role in bridging this gap by providing funding as well as access to global markets and manufacturing expertise. A Global Investment Strategy The most successful investors in climate tech recognize that different regions complement each other in the ecosystem. Europe's regulatory environment creates demand for solutions that can then be refined and scaled in markets like the U.S., while Japanese manufacturing expertise can help reduce costs once technologies are proven. The traditional venture capital model is being tested by climate tech investments, which often require patient capital. This, as well as the current volatility in markets and technology preferences, makes flexibility crucial. This should extend to investment strategies as well. Geographic diversification can help create resilience in an uncertain technology landscape and provide multiple paths to exits and returns. The information provided here is not investment, tax, or financial advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Associated Press
27-02-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Shippeo Named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms for Second Consecutive Year
Shippeo, has been named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms. This recognition follows a $30 million strategic funding round led by Woven Capital, Toyota's growth fund, further highlighting industry excitement for Shippeo's high customer satisfaction, category-leading data quality, and unique vision to enable sustainable and antifragile supply chains. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: 'We are honored to be named a Leader for the second consecutive year,' said Pierre Khoury, CEO & Co-founder of Shippeo. ' We believe this recognition reflects our strong momentum in new markets and unwavering commitment to delivering cutting-edge visibility solutions that generate tangible value for our customers and partners. As real-time transportation visibility adoption accelerates across North America, Europe, and APAC, companies increasingly recognize the critical role of high-quality visibility data in enhancing customer satisfaction, reducing operational costs, optimizing supply chain efficiency, and driving sustainability initiatives.' Shippeo's global expansion continues at pace, with its platform now tracking over 90 million shipments annually across 150 countries. Growth in North America has been particularly strong, driven by strategic partnerships with e2open, Google, and SAP. Over the past year, the region has experienced a 40% increase in customers, a 92% rise in shipments tracked, and 210% year-over-year revenue growth, with industry leaders such as Amazon, Lassonde Industries, and Yamaha Motor North America choosing Shippeo. As the U.S. market matures, more companies are switching vendors due to concerns over data quality, a key differentiator that continues to position Shippeo as the preferred visibility provider. In APAC, Shippeo has recorded a 53% increase in its customer base and a 64% rise in shipments tracked. The company has also launched new tracking capabilities in Mainland China, reinforcing its ability to deliver robust, real-time visibility solutions in highly complex logistics environments. Major brands such as Arlanxeo, Evonik, Fujifilm, and Philip Morris International have turned to Shippeo to enhance supply chain performance across the region. Beyond expansion, Shippeo continues to set the industry standard for customer satisfaction. Shippeo currently has a score of 4.9 out of 5 on Gartner® Peer Insights™ and willingness to recommend score of 98% based on 86 reviews in the past 12 months. We believe Shippeo remains the most recommended provider, reinforcing our reputation for technology excellence and customer success. About Shippeo Shippeo is a global leader in real-time multimodal transportation visibility, helping major shippers and logistics service providers operate more resilient, sustainable, and customer-centric supply chains. This is made possible with highly accurate real-time operational visibility and Transport Process Automation™ to streamline transportation processes, reduce latency and improve operational efficiency. Their Multimodal Visibility Network integrates with more than 1,100 TMS, telematics and ELD systems, enabling Shippeo's platform to provide instant access to real-time shipment tracking across all transport modes, in a single portal, through an intuitive user experience. A proprietary and industry-leading machine learning algorithm offers unmatched ETA accuracy, allowing supply chain companies to quickly anticipate problems, proactively alert customers, efficiently manage exceptions with collaborative workflows, and GHG emissions from supply chain transport. Hundreds of customers, including global brands like Ahold Delhaize, AkzoNobel, Amazon, Arlanxeo, Barilla, Birra Peroni, Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte, Carrefour, Coca-Cola HBC, DP World, Evonik, Fujifilm, Hartmann Group, Heineken, Kuehne+Nagel, L'Oréal, LVMH, Renault Group, Sabic, Saint-Gobain, XPO Logistics and Yamaha Motor, trust Shippeo to track more than 90 million shipments per year across 150 countries. Learn more at . Disclaimer: GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark and MAGIC QUADRANT is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner 'Magic Quadrant for Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms 2025' by Carly West, Oscar Sanchez Duran, and Nathan Lease, 24 February 2025 Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular Purpose. SOURCE: Shippeo Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 02/27/2025 11:10 AM/DISC: 02/27/2025 11:09 AM
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
AI-driven vehicle inspection startup UVeye raises $191 million in equity, debt
By Nick Carey (Reuters) - UVeye, a startup that uses AI-driven technology to inspect vehicles to avoid defects and target repairs, said on Wednesday it has raised $191 million in debt and equity to scale up production in North America and Europe. The company's $41 million funding round was led by Woven Capital, the investment arm of Toyota and its $150 million debt facility was structured by asset management firm Trinity Capital. The latest funding brings UVeye's total capital raised to $380.5 million. UVeye, based in Teaneck, New Jersey, runs what it calls an "MRI for vehicles," using external scanners that inspect underneath and all around vehicles, records the engine sound, plus runs on-board diagnostics in seconds for automakers, new and used dealers, including CarMax, car auction houses and insurance companies. The same manual inspections for defects or repairs take on average 20 to 30 minutes and do not deliver the same consistent results as the artificial intelligence-backed technology used by UVeye, CEO Amir Hever told Reuters. "When someone works a shift of eight to ten hours, they can't inspect every vehicle the same way, I mean you just get tired," Hever said. "Our system simply doesn't get tired." Hever said UVeye's solution detects 96% of vehicle issues compared with 24% in manual service checks. Uveye's AI technology learns to look for problems or defects that are specific to different car models and brands, Hever said. The company has been installing its scanners at Amazon distribution centres in the United States that check every vehicle when it returns from its delivery route. "If there are any safety issues, we ground the vehicle until they fix it," Hever said. Most of UVeye's business so far has been in the U.S. market, but the company plans significant expansion in Europe and should also expand into Japan in 2026, Hever added. (Reporting By Nick Carey. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Reuters
29-01-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
AI-driven vehicle inspection startup UVeye raises $191 mln in equity, debt
Jan 29 (Reuters) - UVeye, a startup that uses AI-driven technology to inspect vehicles to avoid defects and target repairs, said on Wednesday it has raised $191 million in debt and equity to scale up production in North America and Europe. The company's $41 million funding round was led by Woven Capital, the investment arm of Toyota (7203.T), opens new tab and its $150 million debt facility was structured by asset management firm Trinity Capital. The latest funding brings UVeye's total capital raised to $380.5 million. UVeye, based in Teaneck, New Jersey, runs what it calls an "MRI for vehicles," using external scanners that inspect underneath and all around vehicles, records the engine sound, plus runs on-board diagnostics in seconds for automakers, new and used dealers, including CarMax (KMX.N), opens new tab, car auction houses and insurance companies. The same manual inspections for defects or repairs take on average 20 to 30 minutes and do not deliver the same consistent results as the artificial intelligence-backed technology used by UVeye, CEO Amir Hever told Reuters. "When someone works a shift of eight to ten hours, they can't inspect every vehicle the same way, I mean you just get tired," Hever said. "Our system simply doesn't get tired." Hever said UVeye's solution detects 96% of vehicle issues compared with 24% in manual service checks. Uveye's AI technology learns to look for problems or defects that are specific to different car models and brands, Hever said. The company has been installing its scanners at Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab distribution centres in the United States that check every vehicle when it returns from its delivery route. "If there are any safety issues, we ground the vehicle until they fix it," Hever said. Most of UVeye's business so far has been in the U.S. market, but the company plans significant expansion in Europe and should also expand into Japan in 2026, Hever added.
