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The Fragility of Democracies and the Challenges of Hardware Development

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Journalists and readers love scoops. But sometimes it’s important to state the obvious

This week, I’m reminded that democracies are fragile but that technology can help. And also that crowdfunding isn’t always the best way to launch an innovative product.

On a side note, this newsletter will be taking a break until January 6 next year, so wishing you all happy holidays. —Anna

Why agentic tech?

When I read that a new venture firm called ex/ante had raised $33 million to invest in agentic tech startups, I was intrigued. What is agentic tech, and why does it matter?

Agentic tech refers to technologies that enable humans to interact with the world in more autonomous, intelligent, and adaptive ways. Think robots, AI assistants, or smart home devices that learn your habits.

The term "agentic" comes from the concept of agency, which refers to an entity’s ability to act independently and make decisions on its own behalf. In this sense, agentic tech is about creating systems that can think for themselves, learn from their environment, and adapt to new situations.

So, why does it matter? Because agentic tech has the potential to revolutionize industries such as healthcare, education, transportation, and more. It can help us solve complex problems, improve efficiency, and create new business models.

But what are the implications of this technology? How will it change the way we live and work?

These are questions that ex/ante, a venture firm that focuses on agentic tech investments, is trying to answer. With $33 million in funding, they plan to support startups working on cutting-edge agentic technologies.

As I dug deeper into ex/ante’s portfolio, I noticed some exciting projects. For example, one startup is developing an AI-powered personal assistant for people with disabilities. Another is creating a robot arm that can learn from its environment and adapt to new tasks.

These are just a few examples of the innovative work happening in agentic tech. Stay tuned for more updates on this space!

Rethinking go-to-market strategies

Revolve, a Startup Battlefield 2023 alum, recently canceled their Kickstarter campaign due to insufficient funding. While €39,293 had been pledged, it wasn’t enough to support the development of their innovative travel wheelchair.

Go-to-market expert Andrea Baldereschia advised Revolve on its crowdfunding strategy and remains bullish about this approach, which proved successful for most projects he worked with. However, in retrospect, he sees why it wasn’t the right fit for Revolve; a niche hardware product at a high price is simply a tough (pre-)sell.

After coming to this same conclusion, Revolve’s founder Andrea Mocellin is pursuing a more collaborative approach. In a statement he shared with me, he explained that Revolve is now looking for "licensing partners and forward-thinking companies" to acquire its technology, and is keen to partner up with "institutions and visionary universities eager to challenge traditional business models."

This approach positions Revolve not as a niche product but as a global innovation, poised to serve a large number of users and businesses. Let’s hope it becomes a reality sooner rather than later.

Traveling with a disability is still much harder than it should be, so if a travel wheelchair can help, the faster, the better!

Topics

  • Agentic tech: What is it, and why does it matter?
  • ex/ante: A venture firm investing in agentic tech startups
  • Revolve: Rethinking go-to-market strategies for innovative products

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