Good morning ☀️, leader of the next generation.

I believe this: Technology, when used with intention, doesn’t distract us — it awakens us.

It shows us who we are. What we can build. How far we can go. It strips away the noise and gives us tools that let our natural genius come through.

That we stop waiting for the world to hand us permission — and we start using the tools already in our hands to create, to express, to become.

This is not about keeping up. It’s about breaking through.

⚡ Robotics Reimagined: Cartken Finds a New Lane

Why Cartken pivoted its focus from last-mile delivery to industrial robots

Cartken's evolution from campus food delivery to industrial automation represents one of the most compelling examples of strategic adaptability in the autonomous robotics industry. The company's discovery that their delivery robots could generate more direct value in industrial settings than consumer applications illustrates how robotics startups can unlock unexpected market opportunities by applying proven technologies across different domains, while highlighting the often-overlooked potential for industrial automation to drive robotics adoption.

Serendipitous Market Discovery and Strategic Validation

The genesis of Cartken's industrial focus emerged organically through inbound customer interest rather than planned market expansion, demonstrating how successful robotics companies must remain responsive to unexpected opportunities. CEO Christian Bersch and his co-founders, all former Google engineers who previously worked on the Bookbot project, initially viewed industrial applications as a distant possibility while focusing on perfecting their campus and urban delivery operations.

However, when companies began proactively reaching out about deploying Cartken's robots in factories and laboratories, the startup recognized signals of significant unmet demand in industrial markets. This customer-driven discovery process validates a crucial principle in robotics commercialization: the most valuable applications often emerge from actual user needs rather than predetermined market strategies.

The 2023 engagement with German manufacturing company ZF Lifetec served as a pivotal proof point, with Bersch noting that "our food delivery robot started moving production samples around, and it's quickly turned into our busiest robot of all."

Technology Transfer and Cross-Domain Advantages

Cartken's successful transition from food delivery to industrial applications demonstrates the transferable nature of core robotics technologies when properly architected. The company's navigation stack, AI systems, and obstacle avoidance capabilities, originally developed for traversing college campuses and Tokyo's crowded streets, proved directly applicable to industrial environments without significant reengineering.

The years of data collected from food delivery operations provided unexpected advantages for industrial deployment. Navigation algorithms trained on unpredictable urban environments created robust systems capable of handling the varied challenges of industrial facilities.

Market Opportunity and Customer Value Proposition

The industrial robotics market that Cartken has identified addresses fundamental operational challenges that span multiple industries. The company's focus on inter-building material transport targets a specific but widespread operational need where human workers currently move materials manually—activities that are both costly and inefficient at scale.

Bersch's observation that industrial customers derive "more direct value" from robotics optimization than consumer delivery services reflects the superior economics of B2B robotics applications.

Strategic Partnership Development and Market Validation

Cartken's four-year relationship with Mitsubishi shows how robotics companies can leverage strategic relationships to scale deployment. Mitsubishi's order for nearly 100 Hauler robots validates industrial market demand at scale.

Product Portfolio Strategy and Future Development

Cartken’s three robot configurations—the Courier, Hauler, and Runner—demonstrate product portfolio depth. Their new Runner and upcoming forklift robot suggest a comprehensive automation approach within industrial settings.

The company maintains but doesn’t expand food delivery operations—keeping them as valuable testbeds while focusing industrial growth where the economics are stronger.

Industry Implications and Competitive Positioning

Cartken's pivot highlights that robotics startups can succeed not by dominating a single consumer market, but by flexibly adapting their technology across high-value industrial opportunities. Cross-domain capability is quickly becoming a major differentiator in the race to scale automation.

🤖 AI Dev Wars: Scaling for the Enterprise

Cursor Acquires Koala to Challenge GitHub Copilot in Enterprise AI

Enterprise AI tools race heats up as Cursor absorbs Koala talent

Cursor has acquired Koala, a CRM-focused AI startup, to bolster its enterprise ambitions. Though the CRM product will be shut down, Koala’s engineering talent will build out Cursor’s new enterprise-readiness team.

The move comes as Cursor scales fast with $500M ARR and major Fortune 500 clients. Competing with GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, and Windsurf alumni, Cursor is shifting from coding tool to full-stack enterprise AI platform.

⚡ More AI Bites

1. 🌏🔍 Perplexity sees India as a shortcut in its race against OpenAI. Search startup goes subcontinental!
2. 🎬🤖 Netflix starts using GenAI in its shows and films. Streaming giant gets algorithmic storytelling!
3. 🇪🇺🚫 Meta refuses to sign EU's AI code of practice. Zuck says no to European robot rules!
4. 🦆🖼️ DuckDuckGo now lets you hide AI-generated images in search results. Privacy search engine filters fake pics!
5. 📉⚖️ ServiceNow's acquisition of Moveworks is reportedly being reviewed over antitrust concerns. Deal faces regulatory scrutiny!
6. 💻🔄 Why a Y Combinator startup tackling AI agents for Windows gave up and pivoted. Robot Windows helpers prove too hard!

What if your story was your sales strategy?

This week, I sat down with Maury Rogow, Hollywood producer and branding mastermind behind $2.5B in brand growth.

We talked about why the brands that feel effortless aren’t the loudest — they’re just the most aligned.

⚡ Trends for the Future

Benchmark in Talks to Lead Series A for Greptile, Valuing AI-Code Reviewer at $180M

Greptile may raise $30M at $180M valuation with Benchmark

The details:

Benchmark is in talks to lead a $30M Series A for Greptile, valuing the Y Combinator alum at $180M. The startup’s AI bot reviews code like a senior engineer, spotting bugs human reviewers might miss.

Founded in 2023 by Daksh Gupta, Greptile competes with Graphite and Coderabbit in a hot AI dev tools market. Gupta’s controversial “no work-life balance” stance went viral—but hasn’t scared off top-tier VCs.

If the deal closes, Benchmark’s backing would give Greptile capital, credibility, and access to a deep operator network—key as it looks to outwork and outpace its well-funded rivals.

What makes this crucial: In a crowded field of AI dev tools, being #1 matters. Benchmark’s bet signals that Greptile’s intense culture—and its tech—might just give it the edge.

⚡ You’re Smart. Strategic. Intentional. So Let’s Be Real:
Where Are You Holding Back— On Purpose?

Every smart operator has something they’re intentionally avoiding.

Not because they’re lazy — but because it’s risky, unknown, or just... a bit *uncomfortable*.

So what’s that thing for you?
That one decision, move, or experiment you know would push you forward — but you’ve been choosing not to do it.

Tell us — and we’ll share a tactical POV or tool to help you rethink it.
No fluff. Just momentum.

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🎬 How to Use AI Agents to Build High-Converting Video Ads

Build once. Scale everywhere. In just minutes.

What if: Instead of spending weeks scripting, editing, and testing ads… you could build 10 variations of a high-converting video in 15 minutes — with agents handling the voiceover, visuals, call-to-action, and even the hook testing?

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📅 Join the Live Session w code Supercharged

We’ll walk you step-by-step through building your own ad-generating agent — no code needed.

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• ✅ AI Agent Template for Ad Generation
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