Dynamo Dispatch (2026/03/30)
Issue 368 | Zipline, Doss, Krane
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 đ
The rules of global trade are being rewritten in real time. Hormuz is under threat, aluminum plants are taking hits, cold storage is drowning in empty space, and the USMCA is up for its biggest renegotiation in years, all while AI is reshaping the infrastructure underneath it all, and companies are scrambling to figure out where they stand. The old playbook isnât cutting it anymore. Read more below!
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Madelyn, Madison, and the rest of the Dynamo team
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Make, Move, and Monetize đŚ
â The New Weapons of Global Power Are Oil, Rare Earths and Microchips. The escalation around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz is a sharp reminder that global power is tilting back toward control of physical chokepoints and hard assets, from oil and LNG to rare earths and semiconductors. As energy prices spike and supply routes come under direct threat, the bigger story is that economic leverage now sits as much with countries that control critical materials and industrial capacity as with those that dominate software, finance, or digital networks. The takeaway is that supply chains, once treated as efficiency systems, are increasingly becoming instruments of state power, with inflation, industrial output, and even AI buildouts now exposed to geopolitical disruption. Completely unrelated, Trailer Storage Demand Rises as Tariffs, Nearshoring Reshape Supply Chains.
US Pushes âWeeks, Not Monthsâ Iran Timeline as Hormuz Shipping Crisis Deepens. The US is signaling it wants the Iran operation wrapped up in weeks, not months, even as strikes continue and the Hormuz crisis keeps rattling energy markets. Reuters reports Washington believes it can meet its objectives without a ground war, but the combination of ongoing attacks, partial degradation of Iranâs missile arsenal, and rising oil and fuel prices suggests this is still far from contained. The real implication is that even if the military timeline stays relatively short, the economic and geopolitical fallout could prove much harder to unwind, especially if energy infrastructure and shipping lanes remain part of the conflict. Also, Iran has a New Demand to End the War â and It Could Bring in Billions, and Trump Says US Will Destroy Iranâs Oil Wells, Kharg Island Without Deal to âImmediatelyâ Reopen Hormuz Strait.
NVIDIA, Emerald AI Team with Energy Companies on âFlexibleâ Data Centers. NVIDIA and Emerald AI are pitching âflexibleâ data centers that can dial power use up or down based on grid conditions, with support from major energy players including AES, Constellation, NextEra, Invenergy, and Vistra. The idea is to make AI infrastructure less like a fixed power sink and more like an active grid participant, using Nvidiaâs architecture and Emeraldâs software to respond dynamically to periods of stress. The larger implication is that as AI power demand collides with grid constraints, the winners may be the companies that make data centers easier to integrate into the energy system, though for now, this looks more like an important strategic signal than a fully committed deployment wave. For more, check out Texas Saddles Up for Data Center Clash.
With Sift, Two Ex-SpaceX Engineers Are Bringing the Software That Helped Launch Rockets to the Factory Floor. Sift, founded by two ex-SpaceX engineers, is evolving from a telemetry workflow tool into the data infrastructure layer for modern manufacturing, as AI makes analysis features easier to replicate but sharply increases the value of clean, machine-readable industrial data. Its software helps companies like ULA and Astranis manage massive sensor and test-data streams from increasingly software-defined machines, which helped it raise a $42M Series B in 2025 at a $274M post-money valuation. The broader implication is that as factories become more AI-native, a meaningful share of the value may accrue not just to robotics and hardware players, but to the software platforms that organize the underlying data those systems depend on.
Cold-Storage Vacancies Hit 20-Year High. US cold-storage is hitting a painful reset. Vacancy reached a 20-year high of 6.9% in Q4 as pandemic-era overbuilding collided with softer demand, higher electricity costs, and shifting consumer behavior. The sectorâs post-COVID boom drew in new developers and culminated in Lineageâs blockbuster 2024 IPO, but now even the biggest players are feeling the pressure, with revenue softness at both Lineage and Americold and growing expectations that weaker new entrants will wash out. What comes next is likely a classic oversupply shakeout, with scaled incumbents positioned to gain share as newer, less seasoned operators struggle to make the economics work. Related, Cold Storage Trough in Sight as Vacancies Hit 20-Year High.
FedEx Launches Same-Day Delivery with OneRail as Amazon, Walmart Boost Their Speeds. FedEx is launching same-day delivery with OneRail, giving retailers a faster shipping option just as Amazon, Walmart, and Target push delivery speeds even harder. The pitch is that retailers can offer tighter delivery windows and real-time tracking without having to build the operational complexity themselves, using OneRailâs network and software alongside FedExâs reach. This underscores how fast delivery is becoming less of a premium feature and more of a baseline expectation, which means the real winners may be the platforms that help retailers match Amazon-level convenience without rebuilding their entire logistics stack. Completely unrelated, Stolen Freight Does Not Disappear Anymore.
Iran Strike on Key Aluminum Producer Threatens Global Supply Chains. Iranâs strike on Emirates Global Aluminiumâs Al Taweelah facility shows the conflict is now hitting core industrial assets, not just military and energy targets, with potentially meaningful consequences for global aluminum flows. Because EGA is a major supplier, any prolonged disruption could ripple through autos, construction, packaging, and electronics, adding fresh cost pressure on top of already rising oil prices and shipping disruptions. The broader shift is that Middle East geopolitical risk is no longer just an energy story. It is becoming a wider commodities and industrial supply-chain shock. Also, Iranâs Attacks on Gulf Aluminum Plants Threaten Supply Crisis and Soaring Gas Prices and Supply Chain Disruptions Drive Up Costs Across the Economy.
AMD Talks With US Commerce Chief Put AI Supply Chain In Focus. AMDâs meeting with the US Commerce Secretary signals how strategically important the company has become to Americaâs semiconductor and AI agenda, with domestic manufacturing, supply-chain resilience, and national tech leadership now directly shaping its operating environment. The bigger story is that AMD is trying to lock in a more central role across the AI stack through policy access and ecosystem partnerships. Still, that upside comes with more exposure to export controls, compliance demands, and political scrutiny. For executives, investors, and founders, the takeaway is that AMDâs competitive position will increasingly be determined not just by product execution, but by how well it navigates government-backed industrial policy and turns that proximity into a durable commercial advantage. For more, check out US State Department Launches New $250M Pax Silica Fund to Secure Semiconductor Supply Chains.
Borderlands Mexico: USMCA Review to Reshape North American Supply Chains. The 2026 USMCA review is shaping up as more than a procedural check-in; it could become a reset for how North America thinks about trade, with supply-chain resilience, China competition, labor enforcement, digital rules, and industrial policy all on the table. Katherine Taiâs framing suggests the agreement is likely to be extended, but with sharper emphasis on regional manufacturing, tighter scrutiny of foreign investment, and updated rules for sectors like autos, tech, and energy. The bigger implication is that North American trade is moving away from simple tariff reduction and toward a more strategic model built around economic security, making the review a potential turning point for how companies design sourcing, production, and market access across the region.
Warehouses Face $100K-Hour Downtime Risk as Cloud Outages Mount. Warehouse operators are waking up to the fact that cloud dependency can turn a technical hiccup into a major operational and financial event, with downtime now costing anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000 per hour. The more important shift is that resilience is starting to outrank AI as the priority, pushing interest toward hybrid WMS setups that keep live operations running locally even when cloud connectivity fails. In practice, that means warehouse tech strategy is moving from pure efficiency and centralization toward architectures built for continuity, customer trust, and damage control when outages hit. Related, Cloud Outages Disrupt Warehouse Operations, Drive High Costs.
Request for Startups đ˘
Dynamo is always looking to meet startups that are helping to make, move, and monetize goods. Check out our latest request for startups below!
Industrial verticals like chemicals, aerospace, and electrical distribution run on fragmented systems and institutional knowledge that horizontal software canât handle. The opportunity is AI-native, verticalized platforms that embed compliance logic and automate core workflows without forcing a rip-and-replace. Read more here.
The Future of Supply Chain đď¸
Check out our podcast series thatâs 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 đ¸
Grand Raises $5M in Pre-Seed Funding. Grand is building an AI-powered trust and payment network for real-world industries such as construction, manufacturing, and trade supply, enabling businesses to evaluate and onboard partners based on continuous behavioral data. The company will use the funding to expand into the UK and Europe, grow its engineering and data science teams, and deepen its AI-driven platform capabilities. The round was led by 20VC, with participation from NAP and Firedrop.
Conduit Raises $6M in Seed Funding. Conduit provides a dock and yard management system for warehouses, with modular tools for dock scheduling, driver self-check-in, documentation, and yard management that create a system of record for shipping and receiving operations. The company will use the funding to deepen its core platform, expand AI-based workflows such as predictive scheduling and real-time exception alerting, and grow its engineering and customer success teams. The round was led by Innovation Endeavors, with participation from Y Combinator.
Krane Raises $9M in Seed Funding. Krane provides an AI-native platform for construction supply chain management that automates material planning, procurement, and coordination workflows across project lifecycles. The company will use the funds to accelerate its product roadmap execution and expand enterprise deployments. The round was co-led by Glasswing Ventures and Link Ventures, with participation from Tunitas Ventures, RoseCliff, New-Normal Ventures, and angel investors.
Doss Raises $55M in Series B Funding. Doss provides an AI-native inventory management platform that integrates with existing accounting and ERP systems to synchronize physical goods data with financial workflows. The company will use the funding to expand its product capabilities and continue building out its inventory and supply chain traceability layer alongside accounting partners. The round was co-led by Madrona and Premji Invest, with participation from Intuit Ventures, Theory Ventures, General Catalyst, Contrary Capital, and Greyhound Capital.
Kaliun Raises $250K in Seed Funding. Kaliun is an AI-powered construction CRM platform designed for residential general contractors, integrating proposal generation, project management, subcontractor coordination, invoicing, and expense tracking into a single system. The company will use the funds to accelerate product development and support its national rollout, including expanding AI capabilities and onboarding early adopters. The investment was led by TGA Kitchens & Remodeling founder Tomer Amar, with participation from private investors.
Zipline Raises $200M in Series H Funding. Zipline develops an autonomous drone delivery and logistics platform that includes aircraft, launch and landing systems, and software to deliver medical, retail, food, and agricultural products. The company will use the additional funding to accelerate US expansion into new markets and support continued growth of its home delivery service and global operations. The extension round included participation from Paradigm, with prior investors in the Series H round including Fidelity Management & Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners, and Tiger Global.
Whoâs Hiring? đŠâđť
Be sure to check out the Dynamo website for more job opportunities at our portfolio companies!
Senior Software Engineer Improvinâ in Stockholm, Sweden.
Director of Defense at Lux Aeterna in Denver, CO.
Systems Integration Engineer at Manna in Dublin, Ireland
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