America's core industries must secure their future through bold, business-driven solutions that boost efficiency and unlock competitive advantage.

Many of America’s physical industries—such as manufacturing, energy, and buildings—are at a crossroads. For too long, they have relied on fragile global supply chains, aging infrastructure, and outdated technologies and workflows. These challenges are compounded by a variety of external forces, including shifting trade dynamics, climate change, and an evolving workforce that are pressuring enterprises.

These complex industries don’t change overnight, and in many cases, rely on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of existing infrastructure. Given the socio-technical nature of these systems tasked with producing energy, constructing and operating buildings, and manufacturing and moving products, simply proposing “plug and play” technologies won’t solve their challenges. However, with global uncertainties intensifying, these industries must transform or risk becoming obsolete.

The Business Case for Industrial Transformation

There is a clear business imperative driving industrial transformation: enhancing operational efficiency, lowering costs, and gaining competitive advantages. Companies and policymakers are taking decisive action to strengthen domestic production and improve market resilience. Initiatives such as reshoring manufacturing and domesticating supply chains are not only risk-mitigation strategies, but also pivotal business moves that drive efficiency and cost savings.

For instance, 74 percent of companies report significant supply chain disruptions as a growing global concern. In response, the Department of Energy is investing $25 million to support scalable, highly-controllable next-generation battery domestic manufacturing projects. Similarly, the Department of Energy's Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains released a framework to mitigate disruptions and enhance supply chain security.

Yet, a shortage in skilled labor and an aging workforce undermine the potential success of supply chain reshoring initiatives. To bridge the gap, software and agentic AI workflows are emerging as cost-effective solutions, helping U.S. manufacturers optimize production, manage volatile supply chains, and maintain quality standards.

Simply put, America's industrial future depends on bold, business-driven innovations that boost efficiency and ensure resilience.

Igniting a New Era of Industrial Revitalization

Today's industrial challenges demand a shift in approach. This means developing solutions that enhance efficiency, strengthen resilience, and modernize infrastructure without negatively impacting health and environment.

This revitalization requires advancements in automation, physical AI, and breakthrough process technologies and chemistries that are more efficient and sustainable. Key strategies include but are not limited to:

• Reshoring manufacturing and domesticating production and supply chains to mitigate risks and stabilize operations.
• Recognizing that domestic manufacturing demands deeptech breakthroughs. We can’t simply replicate overseas infrastructure domestically — at least not without poisoning our air, water, and soil while contending with higher labor costs.
• Implementing AI solutions that address workforce challenges by optimizing production, automating processes, and increasing productivity.
• Pursuing energy transition solutions to sustainably future-proof industries while maintaining cost-effectiveness and reliability.

Myriad Venture Partners: Future-Proofing Industries

Future-proofing industries is core to Myriad Venture Partners’ investment philosophy—what we have coined as the Myriad Model—connecting startups and corporations to drive financial returns and strategic value. By tapping into our broad network, it fosters innovation and collaboration to help companies identify emerging trends and make informed investment decisions.

The most successful startups today are cutting waste, optimizing performance, and strengthening supply chains in ways that make strong business sense. Check out the companies we’re investing in that are driving resiliency and operational efficiencies to critical physical industries.

• XL Batteries is commercializing organic flow batteries for scalable long-duration energy storage, enabling the integration of renewable energy across commercial and industrial sectors. The highly-efficient, cost-effective flow battery system scales from short-duration peak shaving to long-term seasonal storage, supporting the transition to a clean energy grid. With flexible scalability, a longer lifespan, and a safe and stable chemistry, XL Batteries offers the lowest-cost, grid-scale energy storage solution that delivers energy resiliency and availability to all industries. XL Batteries also enables the petrochemical industry to evolve alongside the energy transition. Because XL’s molecules are synthesized from petrochemical feedstocks, the oil and gas industry can now supply high-value critical battery materials used to store and deliver reliable clean energy—rather than commodity fuels to be burned.

• Seurat is reinventing the metal formation industry to make domestic production cost-competitive and reduce reliance on overseas manufacturing hubs. By electrifying a traditionally thermally driven process—significantly cutting energy requirements and carbon emissions—their technology enables localized production to minimize costs and supply chain vulnerabilities. Seurat’s partnerships with major automotive OEMs, consumer product brands, and industrial manufacturers highlight the growing demand for domestic manufacturing that enhances adaptability and builds resiliency in global supply chains.

• Climatize introduces fintech into renewable energy investments, unlocking private capital for infrastructure modernization to make renewable investments more accessible. The net result: Climatize helps lower energy costs and decarbonize businesses, particularly in rural and suburban areas that produce essential goods. Since its founding in 2023, Climatize has successfully funded 17 projects across nine states, raising over $7.5 million from more than 1,800 investors. These investments have supported the installation of 1,186kW of new solar capacity and 1,879kWh of energy storage, 16 EV charging stations, and two portfolios of energy efficiency projects, benefiting businesses such as farms, community centers, and supermarkets. Climatize also helps small and medium-sized businesses achieve energy resiliency in the face of increasingly frequent extreme weather events. In the wake of damage caused by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene, energy grids across the Southeast U.S. were knocked out for several days. Yet MB Reps, a local business in Georgia, maintained operations during a seven-day grid outage thanks to a solar plus storage system funded by Climatize. By democratizing clean energy adoption and diversifying energy resiliency, Climatize is solving energy emergencies while delivering long-term cost savings and adaptation strategies for businesses navigating an unpredictable climate landscape.

• Li Industries’ patented direct recycling and advanced battery sorting technology efficiently recycles all lithium-ion battery (LIB) types, producing high-purity commercial-grade battery materials faster, more affordably, and with minimal environmental impact. Their innovation reduces dependence on raw material extraction, mitigates international supply chain risks, and fosters circularity in the U.S. battery supply chain. Their direct recycling technology stands out as the only viable solution today for recycling lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries at scale, which make up 40 percent of global EV battery production. Incumbent technologies cannot recycle these batteries economically—but Li Industries can. Recently, the team secured a $55 million Department of Energy grant to scale up battery recycling capacity, furthering U.S. leadership in sustainable energy and battery infrastructure.

• Mojave is delivering cost-effective HVAC innovation to transform built environments and drive operational efficiency. Nearly half of a business’ energy spend is on conditioning the air in their buildings, but the $100 billion HVAC industry has seen little modernization in decades. Mojave’s products—uilt and delivered directly from their South Carolina manufacturing facility—provide financial and operational benefits for industries reliant on built environments, including schools, hospitals, and data centers. Mojave is led by CEO Phil Farese and a team of industry veterans who understand the challenges, opportunities, and customer pain points firsthand. This industry expertise has enabled Mojave to build a solution that seamlessly integrates into existing HVAC value chains—avoiding the need for businesses to change how they buy and maintain HVAC solutions while realizing an immediate reduction in building energy costs. By addressing industry pain points with real-world solutions, Mojave is setting a new standard for efficiency and cost-effectiveness in climate control technology.

The Next Era of Industrial Innovation

As global uncertainties intensify, the industries that fuel our economy must adapt. The good news is that those solutions are already being built today by founders who are introducing breakthrough innovations and efficient solutions to the market. Businesses can remain flexible and competitive in the face of disruption as a result.

Myriad is helping enterprises shockproof core sectors, creating resilient and sustainable industrial processes and supply chains that simultaneously lower costs. We’re investing in the often-overlooked industries in the midst of transformation and the startups that will redefine them for the next century.

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