Dynamo Dispatch (2025/09/15)

Issue 345 | Speedchain, Candid Intelligence, Hive Robotics

Dynamo Dispatch. A weekly update from Dynamo Ventures covering the latest and greatest in supply chain, mobility, and building venture-scale businesses.

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Weekly Commentary 💭

From a container spill that shut down Pier G in Long Beach to a Supreme Court test of presidential tariff powers, this week’s logistics landscape is volatile. Railroads tout a transcontinental shortcut as retailers cool imports, California trucking thins, and OnTrac readies cheaper nationwide delivery—while carriers reshuffle fleets to dodge new US port fees. Dive in for who gains, who pays, and more from the world of supply chain, logistics, and manufacturing.

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Make, Move, and Monetize 📦

⭐ Container Mishap Shuts Down Port of Long Beach Pier. More than 60 containers toppled from the vessel Mississippi at Long Beach’s Pier G after lashings were released, spilling into the harbor and halting terminal operations; officials suspect a ballast imbalance as crews stabilize the listing ship and begin salvage. This incident may lead to short-term schedule disruptions and reroutes, cargo losses and insurance claims, and tighter lashing/ballast procedures that could add time and cost to West Coast imports. Completely unrelated, UK Government, Industry to Invest Over 1.1B Pounds in Maritime Sector.

Chinese Goods Flood Germany as US Tariffs Redirect Trade. German imports from China are surging as US tariffs divert Chinese exports toward Europe; a temporary truce keeps tariffs high and could snap higher, accelerating rerouting into price-sensitive categories like copper, apparel, and toys. The shift brings China close to overtaking the US as Germany’s top trading partner and may ease inflation even as Germany’s exports to China fall, widening its trade gap. This may lead to lower input costs and retail prices but tougher competition and margin pressure for EU manufacturers; investors should favor retail/logistics beneficiaries and watch for policy risk (EU trade defenses, tariff snap-backs) that could whipsaw supply chains. Also, US Imports Set to Drop as Tariffs Bite and Tracking Trump Tariffs on Every Country.

Tariff Case Could Give Trump Massive New Fiscal Powers. SCOTUS will hear Trump’s bid to revive emergency tariffs, testing whether IEEPA lets presidents unilaterally impose broad, revenue-raising tariffs without Congress. The case hinges on what counts as an “extraordinary” threat, the major-questions doctrine, and whether “regulate” includes tariffs—or other taxes, as the administration pegs potential tariff revenue at ~$3.9T over a decade. A win would shift significant taxing power to the White House, increasing business costs and policy volatility; a loss would reaffirm Congress’s purse authority and limit unilateral tariff/tax shocks. Related, Trump’s Economic Agenda Hinges on the Supreme Court’s Tariff Ruling.

How a Transcontinental Railroad Could Speed Up Intermodal Transfers. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s proposed transcontinental network aims to turn many Chicago crosstown transfers into single-line coast-to-coast moves, cutting handoffs and simplifying coordination. Executives promise faster service and fewer touches, while analysts warn operational constraints and shifts to existing partnerships could move—not erase—some cross-town, and the deal still needs approval. This could tilt share from trucking to rail, reset control over the Chicago gateway, and reallocate value across IMCs, drayage, and container pools. Also, Union Pacific CEO Held Talks with Trump on $85B Plan to Buy Norfolk and Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern: Rival Alliances Bolster Merger Case.

Labor and Industry Clash Over Rail Automation. DOT’s 2030 rail strategy is drawing split input: SMART-TD warns Class I railroads have hollowed out crews and are leaning on unreliable tech, urging a federal two-person crew mandate. The Association of American Railroads argues the Biden-era crew rule lacks a safety basis, seeks repeal, and wants regulatory flexibility so automation can replace duplicative manual checks. The outcome will set the pace and cost of rail automation and staffing—shaping safety exposure, CAPEX, operating ratios, and competitiveness vs. trucking through 2030. Unrelated, Quarterly Demand For Industrial Warehouses Sees First Drop in 15 Years.

Retailers See Import Decline Through End of 2025. US import volumes surged over the summer as retailers pulled forward goods ahead of new tariffs, but the biggest retailers now expect a steady slowdown through the rest of the year. The cool-down is driven by widening tariffs, legal uncertainty over tariff authority, an early peak, and front-loading to hedge potential East Coast labor disruptions. Implications of this may include softer import flows. Higher landed costs will pressure prices and margins in Q4, tighten inventory bets, diversify suppliers and ports, and build tariff/labor risk into contracts.

California Trucking Firms Go Under, Fueling Wider Industry Fears. California trucking is buckling as 40-year-old TGS Transportation and Port-of-Oakland heavyweight GSC Enterprises shut down amid a three-year freight slump. Rates remain stuck at pre-pandemic levels with too much capacity and rising labor/insurance/equipment costs, while California’s AB5 reclassification and emissions spend amplify the squeeze. Carrier shakeouts and consolidation will keep spot rates soft near term, heighten service risk at West Coast ports, and open room for well-capitalized or asset-light players to capture share and talent. Related, No Recession, But a Restocking ‘Reset’ Seen Possible for US Trucking.

OnTrac Readies Express, Deferred Ground Delivery Services. OnTrac will launch two national services in early 2026: OnTrac Express (2–3-day coast-to-coast via ClearJet air) and Ground Essentials (1–2 days slower than standard ground, up to 30% cheaper than nationals, no residential surcharge); early access is open, and pilots are underway. It’s also debuting “7-Day Play” with Fenix Commerce to show precise delivery dates at checkout, and reports domestic shipper volume up 40% YoY. These services will provide a stronger alternative to FedEx/UPS—especially for non-urgent DTC parcels—pressuring rates while improving landed costs and checkout conversion. Completely unrelated, Trafigura Plans to Order Two More Supertankers as Global Ship Fleet Ages.

Davie Unveils $1B ‘American Icebreaker Factory’ in Texas to Build Arctic Security Cutters. Davie Defense unveiled a $1B conversion of Gulf Copper’s Galveston yard into an “American Icebreaker Factory” for Coast Guard Arctic Security Cutters, leveraging Pearlson and sister-firm Helsinki Shipyard’s proven designs while competing with a Bollinger-led consortium. The pitch promises faster delivery and a Texas-centered supply chain amid delays in existing programs. If awarded, this could quickly expand US icebreaker capacity, channel jobs and spend to Texas, and test whether a proven-design-plus-US-build model can beat legacy timelines and narrow capability gaps with Russia and China.

MSC Ready for US Port Fees After Network Changes: CEO. MSC has restructured its global network to avoid or absorb new US fees on Chinese-built/operated ships, signaling no new surcharges despite estimates of $300–$600 per container. It’s swapping Chinese-built tonnage off US services (echoing CMA CGM), while Cosco—unable to avoid the fee—also isn’t adding a surcharge; near term, MSC’s diverse fleet enables flexibility, though its large China-heavy order book could complicate future calls. For shippers, that means little immediate fee pass-through but possible rotation changes and capacity shifts—while carriers eat margin to defend share and remain exposed to policy risk as Chinese-built deliveries arrive. Related, CMA CGM Reroutes China-Built Ships to Avoid US Port Fees.

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 💸

Procense Raises $1.5M in Seed Funding. Procense develops an AI-native industrial automation platform that leverages IoT sensors to digitize manual workflows and optimize manufacturing processes in real-time. The company will use the funding to expand its team and accelerate platform development. The round was led by HighSage Ventures.

Hive Robotics Raises €2M in Pre-Seed Funding. Hive Robotics develops a unified modular platform that integrates robot control, perception, localization, and secure communications for collaborative unmanned systems across air, land, sea, and space. The funding will support team expansion and accelerate development of its architecture for resilient, scalable robotic collaboration. The pre-seed round was led by b2venture, with participation from Firedrop, Pareto, Matthias Hilpert, and Klocke Group.

Rendezvous Robotics Raises $3M in Pre-Seed Funding. Rendezvous Robotics is developing modular, self-assembling “tesserae” tiles that magnetically connect in orbit to build and reconfigure space structures autonomously. The funding will support team expansion and advance the technology from the demonstration phase to a full-scale orbital product. The pre-seed round was led by Aurelia Foundry and 8090 Industries, with participation from ATX Venture Partners, Mana Ventures, and angel investors.

Indigrid Technology Raises $4M in Follow-On Funding. Indigrid Technology provides electronic systems design and manufacturing services. The funding will support a new facility in Goa, increased production capacity for power electronics, and further product diversification and R&D. The round was led by Cactus Partners, following their earlier $5M Series A investment.

Candid Intelligence Raises $5.5M in Seed Funding. Candid Intelligence provides AI-powered software to streamline the pre-construction phase of industrial projects. The funding will be used to expand the platform’s capabilities and accelerate adoption among engineering and infrastructure firms. The round was led by Quiet Capital, with participation from MIT’s E14 Fund, Liquid 2 Ventures, Flexcap Ventures, and angel investors including Yann LeCun.

Euclid Raises $20M Series A. Euclid Power provides an AI-powered operating system for renewable energy developers, streamlining workflows and project execution for solar and storage projects. The funding will support scaling of its platform, development and program management services, and compliance offerings. The round was led by Venrock, with participation from Spero Ventures, HSBC Asset Management, Toba Capital Ventures, and others.

Speedchain Raises $111M in Strategic Equity and Debt Financing. Speedchain offers AI-powered commercial card programs and expense management solutions tailored to construction and project-driven industries. The funding will accelerate product innovation, national expansion, and go-to-market execution. Community Investment Management provided the debt financing, while equity investors include GTM Fund, Village Global, TTV Capital, K5 Global, Tandem, and Emigrant Bank.

Raken Receives Strategic Growth Investment from Sverica Capital Management. Raken provides field management software for the construction industry, offering tools for daily reporting, time tracking, safety, and workforce management. The investment will support continued product innovation and expansion of the platform’s capabilities. Sverica Capital Management led the investment, with Jordan Richards and Michael Dougherty joining Raken’s Board of Directors.

Norea Capital Acquires Majority Stake in Motrec International. Motrec International manufactures electric industrial vehicles for commercial and industrial use. The company plans to accelerate its global expansion, targeting growth in South America and the Middle East, and is considering strategic acquisitions outside Quebec. Norea Capital led the transaction, joined by Export Development Canada and members of Motrec’s leadership team, while former CEO Blair McIntosh remains a minority shareholder and board member.

Who's Hiring? 👩‍💻

Be sure to check out the Dynamo website for more job opportunities at our portfolio companies!

Marketing Associate at Ceto in London, England.

VP of Sales at Zeelo in Boston, MA.

Commercial Insurance Agent - Trucking at LogRock in Concord, NC.