Dynamo Dispatch 2025/06/23
Issue 336 | Applied Intuition, Voltfang, Mach Industries
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Weekly Commentary 💭
This week’s developments underscore how deeply supply chains are being reshaped by geopolitics and automation. Tariff unpredictability is stalling investment, distorting freight flows, and pushing firms toward inventory buffers and regional hedges. At the same time, capital is flooding into robotics, AI powered logistics, and US Mexico infrastructure from Amazon’s Titan rollout to a $10B cross border corridor. EV projects are pausing, marine insurance is spiking, and LTL automation is scaling fast. Supply chains aren’t just adapting, they’ve become critical levers of resilience, speed, and competitive advantage. Keep reading for the full breakdown.
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⭐ Changing US Tariffs Force Structural Shift in Global Supply Chains: ASCM. Ongoing US tariff uncertainty is forcing supply chain leaders to shorten planning timelines, hold more inventory, and pause strategic investments, according to Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management. He emphasized that the unpredictable nature of tariff changes, especially with China, has created a volatile pricing environment that makes long-term planning nearly impossible. This instability is leading to increased carrying costs and hesitancy in financial markets, with many companies delaying infrastructure or manufacturing investments. Meanwhile, trans-Pacific freight rates are declining after a surge in demand earlier this year, and importers are once again stockpiling inventory to hedge against further disruptions.
C.H. Robinson Will Use AI Agents to Classify LTL Freight. C.H. Robinson has launched a new AI agent to automate and streamline less-than-truckload (LTL) freight classification in anticipation of upcoming changes to the National Motor Freight Classification system. By replacing traditionally complex, manual evaluations with AI-driven analysis, the tool reduces errors and speeds up processing, significantly enhancing efficiency. This innovation has already helped the company increase LTL order automation from 50% to over 75%, especially benefiting small and mid-sized businesses. Elsewhere, Airbus Claims Supply Chain Reset Is Paying Off.
Tariffs, Manufacturing Weakness Expected to Further Drag Down Truckload Demand. Truckload demand continues to decline due to rising tariffs, shifting consumer behavior, and weakening domestic manufacturing, with experts warning the trend will persist. Even small tariff increases are having a measurable impact on freight volumes, with the Port of Los Angeles reporting significant year-over-year and month-over-month cargo drops. Combined with late produce harvests, lower shipping volumes, and an oversupply of trucks, these factors have pushed spot rates below 2023 levels, extending a freight recession that began in 2022. Related, Trans-Pacific Spot Rates Falling as Tariff-Linked Demand Surge Loses Steam.
$10 B Elevated Freight Corridor Aims to Slash Border Delays Between Laredo and Monterrey. A presidential permit granted this June green-lights a $10B elevated 165‑mile guideway to carry autonomous diesel-electric shuttles between four freight terminals in Laredo, Texas, and Monterrey, Mexico. Truckers will drop trailers in one location and pick them up on the other side, bypassing congested crossings like the World Trade Bridge. Designed to complement existing trucking and rail, the system aims to cut cross-border transit times and support the growing nearshoring trend—where supply chains relocate from Asia to Mexico—while relieving pressure on traditional infrastructure. Related, White House Approves Colombia Solidarity Brridge Expansion to Boost Laredo Trade.
Masayoshi Son Pitches $1T AI, Robotics, and Manufacturing Megahub in Arizona. Masa wants to build a 13 square mile “Project Crystal Land” outside Phoenix, anchoring chip fabs, battery plants and humanoid robot assembly lines in a single campus that he says could rival Shenzhen. Early talks with TSMC and state officials outline special power tariffs, recycled water guarantees and streamlined visas to lure 100,000 high skill workers. This would concentrate vast chunks of the automation value chain inside the US just as tariff pressure reshapes Asian sourcing; land, labor and energy markets across the Southwest will feel the shock if even part of the build moves ahead. Related, Nvidia, Foxconn to Deploy Humanoid Robots at New Houston AI-server Plant, Texas Instruments Commits $60B to Seven New US Analog-Chip Fabs.
Tesla to Pause Production at Gigafactory Texas for Second Time in Two Months. Tesla will temporarily halt Cybertruck production at its Austin Gigafactory starting late June, marking the second stoppage in eight weeks. The pause is reportedly tied to manufacturing upgrades aimed at improving build quality and scaling output. With Cybertruck volumes still ramping slowly, the stop-start cadence highlights execution risk as Tesla pushes toward mass production of a radically new vehicle platform. Analysts warn any further delays could strain investor confidence and dampen momentum in Tesla’s broader EV and AI-driven manufacturing narrative. Related, Japan’s AESC Halts $1.6B EV Battery Plant Amid Tariff Uncertainty.
P&G Unveils 2 Year Supply Chain Overhaul and 7,000 White Collar Job Cuts. Starting in fiscal 2026, Procter & Gamble will prune under‑performing brands, regionalize production and pour $1.5B into smart warehouses to lift on‑shelf availability to 98%. Management says the effort—its biggest shakeup in a decade—will save $1.5B annually once complete. The move underscores how major CPG players are pushing deeper automation and digital transformation to protect margins amid cost pressures and inventory complexity. Related, ****Report: 95% of Manufacturers Investing in AI and Machine Learning, Gartner’s 2025 Supply Chain Tech Trends; CPG & Retail Roadmap & Roadblocks.
Gulf War Risk Premiums Surge After Iran–Israel Strikes, Boosting Marine Insurance Costs. Underwriters have lifted quotes for calls into the Gulf to about 0.2% of hull value—roughly a 60% jump since last week—while voyages to Israel now command up to 1%. Advisories urge vessels to hug Oman’s coast to avoid Iranian waters, and VLCC earnings have doubled in a week. The jump adds six figure costs to individual voyages and ripples through commodity prices, turning risk management strategies into front of mind board topics overnight. Related, Ships Advised to Avoid Iranian Waters Near Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions.
225 Member Coalition Presses White House to Preempt West Coast Port Gridlock. In a June 19 letter, the California Chamber of Commerce and dozens of shippers warned that fresh tariff rounds could recreate pandemic era congestion, urging restoration of the federal Supply Chain Task Force, more chassis and a permanent data sharing platform. With Los Angeles imports already down nine percent in May, executives fear another surge then slump cycle will punish working capital and service level metrics heading into peak season. The appeal signals that private actors are losing patience for ad hoc interventions and want structural fixes before ballots and budgets lock in. Related, May Imports Drop 9% at Busiest US Seaport on China Tariffs.
Amazon’s New Massachusetts Fulfillment Center Deploys Heavy Lift Mobile Robots. Amazon has launched a 2.9M square foot robotic fulfillment center near Boston equipped with its newest “Titan” robots, which can lift and transport pallets weighing up to 1,500 pounds. These mobile units work alongside AI-directed pick stations to support same-day delivery across New England, while reducing strain and injury risk for warehouse workers. The site serves as a proving ground for Amazon’s broader ambition to build fully autonomous fulfillment systems. This development is part of a larger competitive strategy to outpace rivals on logistics cost per unit and labor productivity. Related, Warehouse Robot Forecast Lowered as Retail Correction Persists.
The Future of Supply Chain 🎙️
Check out our podcast series that’s been running since 2018. On each episode of the Future of Supply Chain, we sit down with a different entrepreneur, investor, or industry veteran to discuss innovation, technology, and the most exciting opportunities in supply chain as we build the future of the industry together.
Fundraises and M&A 💸
Nvelop Raises €1.2M in Seed Funding. Nvelop is building an agentic-AI co-pilot that transforms spreadsheet-heavy sourcing into real-time, chat-based workflows. The funding will be used to deepen their language-model stack, localise the product for Nordic markets and launch initial pilots with manufacturers. The round was led by Failup Ventures, with participation from Antler and several Nordic angel investors.
Traxlo Raises €1.6M in Seed Funding. Traxlo’s outcome-based labour platform enables retailers and 3PLs to pay frontline staff per completed task, rather than by the hour. The funding will be used to expand operations across Central and Eastern Europe and strengthen integrations with WMS platforms. The round was led by Coinvest Capital, Bad Ideas Fund, Plug and Play, NGL, DEPO Ventures and existing investor Iron Wolf Capital.
Ovido Raises €2.4M in Seed Funding. Ovido provides manufacturers and brands with an AI-powered platform that helps manufacturers and suppliers manage regulatory compliance, product traceability, and sustainability data. The funding will fuel European expansion and further product development. Lifeline Ventures and Kvanted co-led the round, with participation from Illusian and Business Finland.
Octane Raises $5.2M in Seed Funding. Octane provides digital fuel and maintenance payment tools with analytics for commercial fleet operators across MENA. The funding will be used for expansion into Saudi Arabia and to build AI-driven fraud detection and route optimisation modules. The round was led by Shorooq Partners, with participation from Algebra Ventures and Elsewedy Capital Holding.
Supply Wisdom Raises $14M in Series B Funding. Supply Wisdom provides continuous cyber, ESG and geopolitical risk signals for procurement and vendor management. The funding will be used to expand signal coverage and double go-to-market efforts. The round was led by Jurassic Capital, with Fulcrum Equity Partners and Conductor Capital participating.
Voltfang Raises €15M in Series B Funding. Voltfang converts converts excess or used EV batteries into large-scale energy storage systems, primarily serving logistics companies. The round will contribute to the company’s efforts to increase capacity at its facility from 100 MWh to 1 GWh by 2030. FORWARD.One led the round.
Mercanis Raises $20M in Series A Funding. Mercanis automates indirect procurement workflows, including RFQs, scoring and contracting, using AI. The funding will be used to expand into the US, integrate with major ERP platforms and broaden category coverage. The round was co-led by Partech and AXA Venture Partners, with Signals.VC, Capmont Technology, Speedinvest and angels including Dr. Ulrich Piepel, Dr. Marcell Vollmer, Mirko Novakovic and Victor Jacobsson participating.
Senra Systems Raises $25M in Series A Funding. Senra builds "assembly-as-a-service" software and hardware to automate wire harness manufacturing for EV and aerospace. The funding will be used to launch a micro-factory, scale its CAD-to-manufacturing platform and grow the engineering team. The round was co-led by Dylan Field and CIV, with participation from General Catalyst, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 8VC and Pax.
Pelico Raises $40M in Funding. Pelico provides a real-time factory co-pilot that flags shortages and re-optimizes production workflows. The funding will be used for North American expansion, talent acquisition and deployment of agentic supply-chain orchestration features. The round was led by General Catalyst, with participation from 83North and Serena Capital.
Mach Industries Raises $100M in Series B Funding. Mach Industries develops hydrogen-based propulsion and autonomous defense logistics vehicles. The funding will be used to expand vertically integrated manufacturing and accelerate R&D for its hydrogen-based engine systems. The round was co-led by Khosla Ventures and Bedrock, with Sequoia Capital, Hanwha Aerospace and 137 Ventures participating.
Applied Intuition Raises $600M in Series F Funding. Applied Intuition is an autonomous vehicle software company. The funding comes as the company pushes deeper into defense applications. The round was co-led by BlackRock-managed funds and Kleiner Perkins, and included new investments from the Qatar Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi Investment Council, Greycroft, and more. Existing investors General Catalyst, Lux, Elad Gil, and Mary Meeker’s growth fund Bond also participated.
Vista Equity Partners Acquires Amtech Software. Vista Equity Partners is a US private equity firm known for consolidating vertical SaaS platforms. It is buying Amtech Software from private-equity peer Peak Rock Capital, a provider of digital systems used in the packaging industry. The acquisition gives Vista another smart manufacturing foothold and creates cross sell potential with its existing portfolio of factory automation and supply chain software assets.
Who's Hiring? 👩💻
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Account Executive at Token Transit in San Francisco, CA (Remote).
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