We analyzed early-stage investment trends to uncover which advanced manufacturing tech markets — from humanoid robots to manufacturing AI copilots — are taking off and how these will impact the broader space.
Funding to advanced manufacturing companies has progressively declined since 2021’s high of $20B, with 2023 funding clocking in at $11.6B. Nevertheless, the sector continues to see new developments take off, particularly amid the AI boom.
AI cuts across practically every emerging area of activity. For instance, on-demand manufacturing companies are using AI to automatically match clients with vendors, while manufacturing analytics platforms use it to generate real-time insights from factories and process plants.
Early-stage companies in these areas focus on a range of manufacturing industries, including aerospace, automotive, consumer products, oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors.
To see where advanced manufacturing is heading in 2024, we looked at the tech markets with the most early-stage investment activity since February 2023:
- Industrial humanoid robots
- Manufacturing analytics (discrete, process, and predictive maintenance)
- On-demand manufacturing platforms
- Industrial 3D printing (ceramics, composites, metals, and polymers)
- Digital twins – industrial infrastructure & assets
- Manufacturing AI copilots
- Automated inspection
We dig into the trends shaping each market below.
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