“The Best Smartphone on Earth – (Not Clickbait)” That’s how tech YouTuber Zack Nelson described the new Fairphone 5 on his channel.

Known for his channel JerryRigEverything, where he takes apart smartphones and tests their durability, the Fairphone 5 was called the best for being built differently from most other smartphones available in the market.

Smartphones are normally glued shut, which makes them difficult to repair and consumers are left with no option but to upgrade when a newer model hits the market.

With Fairphone, the Amsterdam-based electronics manufacturer has taken a different approach, one that focuses on sustainability, longevity, and future proofing with a long update cycle.

Launched late last month, the Fairphone 5 with its modular design takes that goal a step further, making it not only easier to repair but also comes with user replaceable parts.

A social enterprise

Fairphone was founded as an awareness campaign about conflict minerals in 2010 and began making its own smartphones only in 2013.

In the past 10 years, Miquel Ballester, co-founder and Head of Product Management at Fairphone, says the hardware startup has sold over 550,000 phones.

That number may look small considering 268 million smartphones were shipped during the second quarter of 2023 alone according to Counterpoint Research, but the impact has been bigger.

A smartphone comprises over 50 different materials and each has its own complex supply chain, making it difficult to build them.

That complex supply chain is further complicated by the use of conflict minerals and with Fairphone 1 in 2013, the Dutch startup wanted to show that it is possible to build a phone through actually sourcing those minerals in conflict areas in a responsible way.

“Our influence increased significantly once we began designing smartphones from scratch and having our own supplier relationships with the Fairphone 2 in 2015,” says Ballester.

Since then, Fairphone has improved working conditions at mining sites, expanded its focus from eight to 14 focus materials, and its Fair Materials Sourcing Roadmap charts its path towards making fair and ethical electronics.

“Our mission was always to set an example,” says Ballester, adding that Fairphone is an example that a fair business model is possible.

From its conflict-free tin initiative to the Fair Cobalt Alliance, which Tesla joined in 2020, Ballester says the industry is listening to the impact of their social enterprise.

Sustainability can sell

Smartphones have become indispensable in our lives but the worrying fact is that most smartphone makers don’t build their devices with focus on longevity.

There is a new iPhone every year because consumers are willing to upgrade and the spec war in the Android world means even incremental gains get pitched as a reason enough to upgrade.

With its products, Fairphone wants to shun that very idea. Fairphone 5 uses 70 per cent fair or recycled focus materials, making it the most sustainable phone yet from the company.

It also comes with five years of warranty, user replaceable parts, and promised software support till 2031.

However, being a fair and most sustainable phone is not the only selling point. Ballester says it is also their best phone from a technical standpoint.

Sure, any other smartphone priced at €699 will offer far superior hardware but it will still dwarf Fairphone 5 when it comes to software support and ease of repair.

That, Ballester believes is a major selling point and what makes Fairphone profitable for three years in a row.

“When we started out, many people believed there would be no demand for a phone that cares about people and the planet,” he says. “Ten years later, we have proven them wrong.”

Fairphone 5 has received critical acclaim for what it is trying to achieve in a complex smartphone world but the harsh reality is that smartphones are only becoming more and more similar.

Ballester says there are no longer huge jumps to be made when it comes to technological innovation.

So, consumers are instead willing to keep their devices in use for longer and he feels it is up to the manufacturers and legislators to make it possible.

The recent launch of iPhone 15 series with USB Type-C port can be seen as a legislative win where Apple adopted the port not because it wanted to but because it was forced to by the European Union.

Software, support and availability

With Fairphone 5, Fairphone is promising to offer software updates till 2031 and it really sounds ludicrous when most phones last only three or four years with updates.

Ballester says it is not an outrageous plan and backs it with proof that Fairphone 2, which launched in 2015, received its final software update at the beginning of 2023.

In the case of Fairphone 5, that longevity is being guaranteed by the adoption of an industrial-grade chipset from Qualcomm.

The co-founder of Fairphone says an average consumer chipset has a shorter average life cycle compared to a professional IoT chipset.

“These chipsets offer equally high-quality 5G and features as consumer market options. They also make the process of ensuring longevity more predictable and safe,” adds Ballester.

With Qualcomm offering support for QCM 6490, the chipset powering Fairphone 5, until at least 2028, Fairphone promises extended support until 2031 through its software longevity team.

It is remarkable how choice of one chipset can alter the lifespan of a smartphone but Ballester is confident that they can “offer at least eight years of support from launch” but aims for ten years of support.

That longevity is the dream of a tech enthusiast like me but the limited availability of Fairphone 5 means that sustainability won’t be widespread.

Fairphone 5 is being launched only in Europe and Ballester says this is because the company is still focusing on growing in Europe.

The company recently brought Fairphone to the USA with its partner Murena and calls it “an important first step in exploring entering America” in the future.

He acknowledges the demand for Fairphone around the world but does not see the company entering new markets in the near future.

A fair industry

More than products, Ballester repeatedly argues that the biggest impact of Fairphone is its ability to show the world that it is possible to build phones that are sustainable and last longer.

He says short product cycles, where smartphones on average are exchanged after 2 to 3 years, is extremely harmful for the planet.

“It devalues the work of the people working under tough conditions to mine the resources in your electronics, puts additional pressure on the workers in the production line and makes electronic waste one of the fastest growing waste streams on earth,” he adds.

In addition to moving away from short product cycles, Ballester sees a need to establish supply chain initiatives improving the livelihoods of those working in the supply chain of materials.

He cites the Fair Cobalt Alliance, co-founded by Fairphone, as an example. “We want to engage and invest where the issues are biggest and where we can have a positive impact on the livelihoods of many thousands of people,” he says.

The Fairphone co-founder also wants to see paying living wages become the norm in the industry.

Through its Living Wage Toolkit, Fairphone is already demonstrating how to convince their suppliers to pay a living wage bonus to factory workers.

Ballester says their living wage bonus resulted in almost 1,500 people at its final assembly manufacturer receiving close to one month of extra salary. The company is now supporting the employees of sub-suppliers of components with living wage bonuses.

Everything Fairphone does, Ballester says, raises awareness about the issues in the industry and thus sees it as a responsibility to make the industry fair for workers who make the supply chain and materials possible for our electronics.

The smartphone maker is currently working on a new Fair Materials Roadmap for 2030, where it plans to extend the list of focus materials to ones sourced from fairmined or fair recycled sources.

He adds, “We will also set new company-wide targets on fair materials for 2024 to 2026.”

In conclusion, Ballester says it is a misconception that Fairphones are expensive because of its focus on fair and recycled materials.

He says the biggest impact on its cost comes from scale and sees continued growth as a way to lower costs.

While there is a need for the collective industry to embrace long product cycles, consumers also need to take a hard look at their smartphone purchase and usage.

Editor’s note: The funding amount was incorrectly mentioned as €33M, instead of €3.3M. The article has, therefore, been updated to reflect the same

Lund, Sweden-based AlixLabs, a semiconductor company, announced on Tuesday, September 5 that it has secured SEK 40M (approximately €3.3M) in a fresh funding round.

The investors backed AlixLabs include Navigare Ventures, Industrifonden, and FORWARD.one. 

Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs says, “The investment plays a pivotal role in propelling our company towards scalable success. The infusion of capital not only validates our vision but also empowers us to bring our groundbreaking technology to the forefront of semiconductor manufacturing.”

“This investment marks a significant milestone as we work towards our goal: to have our meticulously developed process adopted by circuit manufacturers in their most advanced production by 2025.”

“With this support, we are forging a path to transform the semiconductor landscape and usher in a new era of efficiency and innovation,” adds Sundqvist.

The announcement comes seven months after raising €908.7K in funding from a range of investors, including Navigare Ventures, Almi Invest, and the ice hockey family Nylander.

The semiconductor industry has been facing challenges related to escalating expenses for a long time, largely due to the high costs of Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV) equipment. 

In addition, there is an escalating need for energy-efficient alternatives and more sustainable practices.

Here’s where AlixLabs comes into play!

AlixLabs: Advancing energy-efficient semiconductor innovation

Founded in 2019, AlixLabs emerged as a spin-off from Lund University to enable the cost-effective and energy-conscious fabrication of semiconductors, particularly logic and memory components. 

The company’s ALE (Atomic Layer Etching) pitch-splitting technology (APS) enables the precise division of nanostructures while significantly reducing energy consumption and emissions. 

This breakthrough has now caught the attention of investors as it addresses the rising costs associated with current manufacturing techniques.

This method holds approved patents across the USA, Taiwan, and Europe.

AlixLabs’ innovation comes at the right time with the European Union’s ambitious semiconductor initiative, the EU Chips Act, allocating substantial resources for semiconductor companies. 

The investor

Navigare Ventures is a multi-stage investor specialised in science-driven companies. 

Alex Basu, Investment Manager at Navigare Ventures, says, “AlixLabs has taken considerable steps in establishing itself as an emerging equipment manufacturer, contributing to the fast-growing European semiconductor industry. We look forward to a continued partnership as they bring their technology to production in the coming years.”

FORWARD.one is a Dutch venture capital firm focused on deep tech hardware startups and scale-ups with €200M under management, including investments in robotics, semiconductors, photonics, sensors, extended reality, and biomanufacturing. 

Arjan Göbel, partner at FORWARD.one says, ”The technology that AlixLabs has developed solves real problems for its semiconductor customers and adds a lot of value for them by reducing the complexity of making chips and making the process much cheaper while reducing the environmental impact of the process significantly. Doing this with a very skilled and ambitious team makes it a great investment for FORWARD.one.”

Rotterdam-based Valyuu, a circular platform for pre-owned electronics, announced on Tuesday that it has secured €2.4M in a fresh funding round led by Rubio Impact Ventures and Slingshot Ventures.

Other participating investors include US-based Techstars, Golden Egg Check Capital, and several angel investors.

The Dutch company says it will use the funds to further develop the platform, increase brand awareness in the Benelux and accelerate international expansion. 

Valyuu plans to develop the platform with new product features, expand the product catalogue, and optimise the pricing and matching technology.

“We have been working in the electronics market for years and see how irresponsibly stuff is handled. 80% of all electronics still function perfectly, and the remaining 20% just need a refresh. This does indicate that reuse in this sector needs a boost. With an accessible digital platform – the buying and selling process on Valyuu is very simple – we want to lower the threshold for giving discarded products a new life,” says Ferhat Topuz, CEO of Valyuu. 

Valyuu: Circular economy marketplace

Valyuu was founded in 2022 by Ferhat Topuz, Arvin Esterabadi, and Jingwei Ren with the sole mission of encouraging more circular behaviour, thereby reducing the e-waste pile.  

Through the platform, users easily buy and sell used electronic devices in different categories at a fair price and without intermediaries. 

The company also offers a ‘product passport’ for each product, which offers full transparency on the product’s condition, complete with unique photos and access to test reports. 

As a result, consumers know exactly what they are buying. All products are validated using software and tested for functionality.

What the investors say

Rubio Impact Ventures is an impact venture fund based in the Netherlands with €150M AUM. 

The VC invests in world-changing entrepreneurs who unite powerful positive impact with a scalable commercial business; the future-proof approach to a successful business. 

Besides investment, the VC also offers expertise and network access to help them accelerate to the next level.

“Why we get so excited about Valyuu is the realisation that a used phone still works just fine, and it’s mainly about convenience and trust,” says Warner Philips, partner at Rubio. “It seems like a small detail, but by not sending that phone with that little scratch halfway across the world for a new back cover, you save up to 80% of emissions, AND you can offer both buyer and seller a better price.”

Ernst Rustenhoven, who led the investment from Slingshot Ventures, says, “Valyuu is operating in a market that we expect to continue to grow rapidly in the coming years – the lifespan of electronic equipment is increasing, making it easier for it to get a second life. Valyuu has shown that its proposition matches consumer needs. This provides a good basis to realise its ambitious growth plans.” 

Stockholm-based deep-tech startup TeraSi announced that it has secured 13M SEK (€1M) in a pre-seed funding round to advance its proprietary system-in-package technology. 

The funding comes from Navigare Ventures, Almi Invest, Onsight Ventures, Deeptech Labs, and existing investors.

The company’s technology addresses the challenges of packaging high-frequency chips for wireless applications above 60 GHz, including the upcoming 6G communication network. 

With the additional funding, TeraSi says it can also invest in manufacturing infrastructure and implement an aggressive IP strategy. It will enable the company to launch new products tailored for the test and measurement, radar and wireless markets.

“Before we can realise society’s visions of the next generation of wireless we need to build hardware to support it,” TeraSi CEO James Campion says. “We believe our technology offers the best combination of performance, compactness and volume scalability and solves the packaging and integration bottleneck above 60 GHz.”

“We’re excited to start scaling our technology and show its true potential over the coming years,” he adds. 

About TeraSi

TeraSi, established in 2020, is a privately held enterprise driven by a core team of three co-founders — Campion, Adrian Torrent and Bernhard Beuerle. The company leverages academic research from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and extensive internal R&D

CB Insights reports that the company has secured substantial funding from noteworthy investors such as STING Accelerator, Stefan Lindeberg, KTH Holding, Fredrik Posse, Per Bjorklund and others.

TeraSi showcased its latest developments in wireless technology at the recent EuCNC & 6G Summit. It presented its scalable E-band waveguide array antennas for 5G and future wireless applications.

What the investors say

Navigare Ventures Investment Manager Alex Basu praises TeraSi’s exceptional aptitude in crafting fresh RF solutions. He also foresees its pivotal role in ushering in the era of next-gen wireless technologies like 6G. “We look forward to supporting the team as they continue the long tradition of RF-technology development in Sweden,” Basu says.  

“TeraSi has a great team and a truly unique technology platform that is on a path to becoming a key enabling technology for the coming 6G communication network,” says Gustav Notander, Investment Manager at Almi Invest. 

He points out the substantial business opportunities and the potential to establish novel and improved services with significant societal impact. “So we are very excited about this investment,” he adds. 

According to Notander, Almi Invest looks forward to actively supporting TeraSi’s journey to realise this promising potential.

Miles Kirby, CEO of Deeptech Labs, acknowledges TeraSi’s remarkable progress since the company’s participation in the Spring ’23 cohort of the Labs. According to him, this latest development represents a significant achievement in their trajectory.

“We are thrilled to support this latest funding round and look forward to working with the TeraSi team as they continue to scale their technology,” he says. 

Per Kirby, this support aims to bolster further their objective of addressing challenges in high-frequency packaging and paving the way for innovative applications in uncharted domains. 

Metzingen, Germany-based Neura Robotics, an AI and robotics startup, announced on Wednesday that it has secured $55M (approximately €48M) in a new funding round. 

The round was led by European investors Lingotto (an investment management company owned by Exor N.V.), Vsquared Ventures, Primepulse, and HV Capital.

With the capital increase, Neura Robotics says it will accelerate expansion into the US and Japan, and develop production infrastructure in Germany. This will meet the exponential demand for the order book, which the company claims exceeds $450M  (approximately €400M).

David Reger, Founder and CEO of Neura Robotics, says, “Since our genesis in 2019, Neura Robotics has been working to push the boundaries of innovation in robotics by rethinking the subject with artificial intelligence and a platform approach, ushering in a new era in robotics. Today’s funding round enables us to keep up the pace in delivering on our visionary promises.“

NEURA Robotics: Bridging the gaps in robotics

Founded in 2019 by David Reger, NEURA Robotics aims to bridge innovation gaps in robotics and establish the age of cognitive robots.

The German company combines all components, sensors and artificial intelligence into one device. It offers partners a platform for joint app development for a wide range of specialist areas. 

As the first company to combine AI and robotics, Neura unveiled the world’s first market-ready cognitive robot shortly after its founding. 

This robot, called MAiRA, perceives its environment and people and acts autonomously. By combining all relevant sensors and components with artificial intelligence in one device, Neura Robotics offers its partners a platform for the joint development of applications for a wide range of sectors from industry to service and household. 

Neura Robotics robots can see, hear, and feel. 

Kawasaki, the third-largest robotics manufacturer worldwide by revenue, unveiled a product range “powered by NEURA.“ 

What the investors say

“Neura operates at the confluence of AI and hardware development. Germany and Europe have a particular advantage here,” says Nikhil Srinivasan, Managing Partner at Lingotto.

Dr. Herbert Mangesius, General Partner at Vsquared Ventures, says, “If you are serious about software, you need to embrace hardware. This is particularly true for robotic automation and has been a bottleneck in bringing cutting-edge machine learning and cognitive capabilities into the Industrial and services world for many years.” 

“Neura Robotics is the first company we met that combines this technological vision and leadership with an open partnership model and is driving global progress at a never-before seen pace within robotics.”adds Mangesius.

Eindhoven-based SMART Photonics, a company that focuses on a foundry for photonic integrated circuits, announced on Wednesday that it has secured an additional €100M in funding. 

Key strategic players from the semiconductor industry, including ASML, NXP, and VDL Groep, participated in the funding round. 

Financial institutions such as ING, BOP Impact Ventures, and the Deep Tech Fund, affiliated with Invest-NL and partly financed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, joined as investors in this funding round.

Previous investors, including Innovation Industries, BOM, PhotonDelta, and KPN Ventures, have joined this funding round again. 

The Netherlands government will provide €60M in public funding as part of the approved National Growth Fund project PhotonDelta as previously announced.

The Dutch company will deploy the funds to strengthen its role as the leading manufacturer of next-generation chips in the European photonic value chain. 

Further, SMART Photonics will use the funds to extend its manufacturing capabilities and accelerate the development of its photonic integrated chip technology platforms and its Process Design Kits (PDKs).

Previously, SMART Photonics received a new loan worth up to €13M from Rabobank to scale up production of photonics chips and strengthen its role in the growing photonics ecosystem.

“We are very pleased to be supported by this new group of lenders and are grateful for the continued support of our existing investors,” comments Johan Feenstra, Chief Executive Officer of SMART Photonics. 

“With this round of funding, we receive strong support from the Dutch ecosystem, including strategic lenders and financial institutions in our ambition to become the globally leading foundry for Photonic Integrated Chips (PICs),” adds Feenstra. 

SMART Photonics: Creating the next generation chips

Founded in 2012, SMART Photonics focuses on offering foundry production services predominantly for Indium Phosphide-based photonic components. 

The Dutch company claims to be an independent foundry – producing high-end Photonic Integrated Circuits for customers.

The company offers a complete production process from epitaxial growth and re-growth, processing, polishing, and dicing of wafers into chips. In addition, the company also helps its clients support from the proof of concept phase up to and including full production. 

SMART Photonics offers solutions for data and telecommunication, sensing and medical applications.

What do the investors have to say?

ASML, NXP, and VDL Groep jointly states, “Financial support from the three fellow-Brainport region companies gives SMART Photonics the best opportunity to take the essential next steps to further mature the organisation, strengthen technical capabilities and extend their manufacturing base. Our additional funding will help strengthen the Brainport and the wider Dutch and European Photonics ecosystem. SMART Photonics becoming a strong and versatile foundry can greatly benefit the growing number of fabless photonic chip design companies in the Brainport region.”

Demissionary Minister Micky Adriaansens of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy states, “We believe in the Netherlands as a leading international hub for the development of the fast-growing integrated photonics industry. That’s why we invest both through the National Growth Fund project PhotonDelta in the whole ecosystem and our dedicated Deep Tech Fund with specific funding for start-ups and scale-ups that focus on innovative complex technology such as SMART Photonics. For the prosperity and economic growth of the future and to maintain our competitiveness, it is necessary that we develop innovative key technologies like integrated photonics within the European Union.”

Grenoble, France-based MICROOLED, a manufacturer of high resolution, low power consumption OLED microdisplays, announced on Wednesday that it has raised €21M in funding led by Jolt Capital.

Additionally, French sovereign wealth fund Bpifrance, via its Innovation Defense vehicle, alongside both historical investors, Cipio Partners, and Ventech, participated in this round. To date, the company has secured €25M in funding.

The French company says it will use the capital to finance the development of the next range of full-colour, high-luminance OLED solutions, expand its manufacturing capabilities in Grenoble and grow international sales teams in the security segment and the B2B ActiveLook platform model.

“Innovation is at the heart of our strategy, and this new funding will allow us to double down on our efforts to bring it to market the most disruptive technologies in AR,” says Eric Marcellin-Dibon, CEO of MICROOLED.

Aiming for the sky

Smartphones and tablet PCs have paved the way for Augmented Reality (AR), but the future lies in smart glasses, which are set to become the dominant wearable devices for AR experiences, claims the French company. 

These glasses will rely on embedded microdisplays that offer high luminance, contrast, and low power consumption. Among the different technologies competing in this space, organic LED (OLED) stands out for its superior performance to traditional LED displays. OLED displays are increasingly being utilised in see-through Near-Eye Displays (NED) found in viewfinder eyepieces for cameras.

A 2022 report from KBV Research reveals that the market for microdisplays designed for AR/VR applications is expected to witness significant growth. This is projected to reach $4B by 2027. 

As a result, MICROOLED aims to position itself as a market leader in ultra-lightweight wearable heads-up displays.

MICROOLED: Provides OLED microdisplays 

Founded in 2007, MICROOLED specialises in the design, production, and marketing of OLED microdisplays for near-eye applications such as outdoor optical equipment, night vision glasses, ocular equipment for medical devices, augmented reality glasses, etc.

The French company caters to both consumer and recreational markets with its ActiveLook head-up display module, which provides real-time visual information for hands-free activities. 

Additionally, the company serves industry and security segments. 

Since 2007, this Grenoble-based company has leveraged its expertise and collaborated closely with the nearby CEA/Leti research centers to develop a range of core technologies derived from the semiconductor industry. 

They have obtained over 170 patents to protect their innovations. 

The investors

Jolt Capital is an independent private equity firm specialised in growth investing in advanced technology companies. It has a mission to build future European leaders with a global focus.

Since 2011, Jolt Capital has invested in European B2B companies with revenues between €10M and €50M. 

Its proprietary AI platform, Jolt.Ninja enables enriched sourcing, accelerated due diligence and automatic detection of investment or acquisition targets. 

“MICROOLED is the archetypal growth deeptech company that we are looking for at Jolt. Patented core technologies in the field of semicon, a genuine potential to build manufacturing capacity in Europe, a series of fast-growing B2B markets, and powerful but energy-frugal products. We are delighted to have them join our portfolio and are looking forward to helping them scale to global leadership in light AR,” says Pierre Garnier, Managing Partner at Jolt Capital.

“We are delighted to become a shareholder of MICROOLED, to help them reach another level in terms of technology development, sales, and industrial capacity. MICROOLED is a key global supplier of the near-eye microdisplays market, for both military and civilian applications. It perfectly matches the strategy of the Defense Innovation Fund, aiming at
supporting the growth of tomorrow’s deeptech champions,” adds Nicolas Berdou, investment director at Bpifrance.

Eindhoven-based deep-tech startup FononTech announced on Tuesday that it has secured €2.3M in a seed round of funding. 

The investment came as a convertible loan from TTT Smart Industries Fund, SHIFT Invest, Brabantse Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij (BOM), the Brabant Startup Fonds (BSF), and renowned investor Sake Bosch. 

Rabobank has also granted a loan.

The Dutch startup says it will use the funds to develop its printed micro-electronics technology further and prepare for the scale-up phase. 

CEO Rob Hendriks says, “We expect the market for micro-electronics assembly to double to around €78B in the coming five years. We are delighted with our investors’ faith in us that we will win a big share of this.”

FononTech: Impulse printing

Founded in 2022 as a spin-off of TNO at Holst Centre in Eindhoven, FononTech focuses on impulse printing, a technology to print small electronic circuits for electronic devices.

Typically, lithography is often used to electronically connect chips. However, today’s lithography-based processes consist of many complex steps with high carbon emission rates that are difficult to reduce.

CTO Fabien Bruning says, “Traditional manufacturing techniques are stretched to the limit. Our Impulse Printing Technology solution will push through this limit.” 

FononTech is already busy creating a team of engineers to work on their first industrial R&D system: the Impulse Beta Tool.

With Impulse Printing technology, micro-electronics manufacturing can be reduced by a factor of 1000. 

Hendriks says “Our ambition is to become the global market leader in sustainable assembly and manufacturing of micro-electronics. This means scaling up as quickly as possible, with this investment being a big help on our journey.”

Zurich-based ANYbotics, a robotics company pioneering the development of autonomous mobile robotics, announced on Tuesday that it has secured $50M (approximately €46M) in a Series B round of funding.

The round was led by Walden Catalyst and NGP Capital with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Aramco Ventures, Swisscom Ventures, and Swisscanto Private Equity, as well as existing investors. 

The company says the funds will be used to expand international deployments, fuel the development of new capabilities, and solidify ANYbotics’ competitive position in robotic inspection solutions.

“This funding validates our unique approach to addressing fundamental challenges of operating complex industrial facilities,” says Dr. Péter Fankhauser, Co-Founder and CEO of ANYbotics. 

“Our legged robots have already proven their value in increasing productivity and safety. With this investment, we will expand internationally and accelerate the development of our robots’ AI capabilities such as manipulation for maintenance work to revolutionise automated industrial operations,” adds Fankhauser.

The investment comes as demand for robotic solutions surges in heavy industries such as oil & gas, chemicals, power, mining, metals & minerals, and utilities. 

ANYbotics: Provider of autonomous robotic solutions

Led by Péter Fankhauser (CEO), ANYbotics is a Swiss robotics company that specialises in the development of advanced-legged robots for industrial inspection. 

Founded in 2016, the company’s flagship products, ANYmal and ANYmal X, are powered by cutting-edge AI and provide ‘unparalleled’ performance across multiple industries. 

The company says that ANYmal possesses a unique combination of high mobility and ruggedness designed for industrial applications. 

Market-leading companies, including PETRONAS, Shell, SLB, Outokumpu, Siemens Energy, BASF, and Vale already benefit from ANYbotics’ end-to-end solution, which delivers tangible value in operational deployment. 

Moreover, the company’s ANYmal X platform, the world’s sole Ex-proof legged inspection robot, has garnered significant pre-orders and reservations exceeding $150M. 

These commitments come from global oil and gas as well as chemical companies participating in the product launch programme.

The company is on a mission to transform how heavy industries operate by automating manual and hazardous tasks, enhancing productivity, and improving worker safety.

The investor

Walden Catalyst is a venture capital firm helping early-stage companies in the U.S., Europe, and Israel build the next generation of category-defining businesses in deep tech. 

“We are thrilled to invest in ANYbotics, a pioneering technology originated at ETH Zurich that combines AI and Reinforcement Learning with robotics to create highly robust and autonomous four-legged robots,” says Young Sohn, Managing Partner at Walden Catalyst. 

“This unique technology allows robots to be easily deployable in complex industrial environments, making it an efficient solution for inspection applications in environments that are dangerous for human beings. Moving forward, we see a significant opportunity to leverage the company’s robust mobility platform and locomotion software stack to enable new use cases and expand their addressable market beyond robotic inspection,” adds Sohn.

NGP Capital backs early-stage B2B companies from Series A onwards in Europe, the US, Israel, and China within enterprise software, industrial tech, cybersecurity, and infrastructure. Through its $400m fifth fund launched in 2022, NGP Capital invests in companies driving the convergence of the physical and virtual.

“ANYbotics’ state-of-the-art technology coupled with a clear global value proposition is exciting – it enables humans to do what they do best and replace dangerous and repetitive tasks with a fully automated AI-powered robot,” says Christian Noske, Partner at NGP Capital. “We are excited to work together towards large-scale deployments and further internationalisation.”

Amsterdam-based Fairphone, a social enterprise company, on Thursday, May 11, announced the launch of Fairbuds XL, its first modular audio device. 

Fairphone has expanded its product portfolio with sustainably designed, modular over-ear headphones that include recycled and fair materials. 

By leveraging their expertise in producing sustainable and repairable smartphones, Fairphone has applied the same principles to develop the Fairbuds XL.

This feature allows users to extend their devices’ lifespan, reducing electronic waste and minimising environmental impact.

Combating the make-use-dispose mentality

 In 2021 alone, approximately 548M headphones were sold, and sales have steadily increased since 2013. 

Unfortunately, the prevailing make-use-dispose mentality in the electronics industry, driven by short product life cycles, has led to a significant e-waste problem. 

Only a small portion (17.4 per cent) of e-waste is recycled. Additionally, the industry faces challenges related to the demand for minerals used in electronics production. In addition, it faces poor working conditions in mines and factories. 

Fairphone aims to challenge these practices and demonstrate a more ethical approach that benefits both people and the planet.

What makes Fairbuds XL sustainable?

According to the company, the Fairbuds XL are among the most sustainably designed headphones on the market. 

These headphones incorporate various eco-friendly features, including Fairtrade gold integration in the supply chain and vegan leather. 

Moreover, they utilise several recycled materials, such as 100% recycled plastic in applicable parts, 100 per cent recycled aluminum in structural elements like the headband base, and recycled tin. 

Even the travel pouch accompanying the headphones is crafted from 100% recycled polyester and nylon.

Further, Fairphone will pay $0.55 per headphone to fill the living wage gap of the production line workers. It is working with the supplier on improving working conditions based on workers’ needs.

Fairbuds XL is climate-conscious, meaning that Fairphone reduces the carbon footprint of the Fairbuds XL through longer use, using recycled materials, and also investing in carbon reduction projects that lower CO2 emissions while benefiting the surrounding communities.

Fairbuds XL specifications

Fairbuds XL features a 40mm dynamic driver, noise cancellation, a two-point Bluetooth connection, and strong bass, warm mids, and clear highs. 

Moreover, the replaceable battery promotes longevity, providing up to 30 hours of battery life. Despite their modular design, the Fairbuds XL also has IP54 certification.

Fairphone has developed the Fairbuds App, available on both the Play Store and App Store. 

This app allows users to customize the sound through Signature EQ presets professionally tuned by Sonarworks. The app ensures the longevity of the headphones by offering firmware updates, introducing new features, and providing occasional bug fixes. 

Users will also have the option to order replacement parts if repairs are required. In addition, they will gain insights into the different components that comprise the Fairbuds XL.

Fairphone collaborated with Sonarworks, a renowned leader in sound calibration, to deliver the signature sound quality of the Fairbuds XL. 

Sonarworks’ technology has been utilised by Grammy Award-winning engineers working with top artists like Lady Gaga, Madonna, Rihanna, Adele, and Coldplay.

The headphones will be available from 11 May on Fairphone’s website and selected partners. They are priced at a suggested retail tag of €249 / £219 in two colors — green speckled and black speckled.