Ridgeline Newsletter
Autonomous Agents, Secure Supply Chains, and Global Expansion: The Ridgeline Portfolio Companies Modernizing Foundational Industries
Autonomous Agents 101: How Industrial Engineers Can Teach Machines to Solve High Value Problems
When we talk about intelligent autonomous AI agents, some people picture futuristic robots or software making decisions in place of humans. But what if these agents are actually designed to enhance human expertise, not replace it? That’s the core philosophy of Composabl, a Ridgeline-backed platform that empowers industrial engineers to harness AI in real-world operations—like managing intricate supply chains or optimizing production lines with thousands of moving parts.
In our latest Q&A with Octavio Santiago (Head of Data Science) and Hunter Park (Lead Machine Learning Engineer), we explore how the Composabl team is bridging complexity with clarity. They tackle the all-too-common fear that AI is “too big” or “too opaque” for industries that value predictability and safety. Their solution? A cutting-edge approach to machine teaching and interpretability—ensuring engineers can confidently blend domain knowledge with AI’s ability to process massive datasets in real time. By focusing on transparency and practicality, Composabl helps companies realize immediate gains in efficiency, cost savings, and even product quality.
From a beverage manufacturer that saw a 3% increase in factory throughput to a chemical facility reducing calibration from six months to 72 hours, the applications are as diverse as they are impressive. The secret sauce? Equipping domain experts—the industrial engineers on the front lines—with tools that are both powerful and user-friendly, eliminating the gap between complex AI algorithms and day-to-day operations.
If you’ve ever wondered how foundational industries like manufacturing or energy can accelerate adoption of AI without sacrificing reliability, Composabl has some answers. Their platform shows how tomorrow’s AI is not about flashy chatbots, but about augmenting human ingenuity in ways that drive tangible, measurable impact.
Read our full interview to learn the details behind Composabl’s agentic AI, including real-world success stories and how they’re shaping the future of industrial automation.
Portfolio News
Eclypsium has secured a $45M Series C, co-led by Ten Eleven Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Madrona, Pavilion Capital, Singtel Innov8, and Sixty Degree Capital, to advance supply-chain security at scale. In an era where organizations are racing to build robust AI infrastructure and secure mission-critical systems, ensuring every component—from firmware to hardware—is fortified is more critical than ever. Eclypsium’s proactive platform is shaping the future of cybersecurity by helping enterprises and governments safeguard their technology stacks against vulnerabilities.
ICON has raised $56M in Series C funding, co-led by Norwest Venture Partners and Tiger Global. The funding will be used to advance the development of ICON’s “Phoenix” printers, which are designed to enable multi-story construction with advanced 3D printing technology while reducing the carbon footprint of the building process. ICON, an innovator from our pilot fund, is focused on transforming the construction industry by creating cost-effective and sustainable housing solutions in the U.S. and beyond.
Psionic has secured a $6.8M award with the U.S. DOD to boost secure navigation. With GPS vulnerabilities on the rise, the DOD is prioritizing robust positioning, navigation, and timing solutions that can operate in contested or denied environments. Psionic’s SurePath™ is engineered to resist jamming and spoofing, ensuring reliable operation without GPS. This contract supports high-volume manufacturing and marks a key step in strengthening operational resilience.
SatVu has secured a €1M project from the European Space Agency through ESA’s new Marketplace, reinforcing its leadership in high-resolution thermal imaging for the energy sector. This milestone partnership—with a major global energy and commodities trading firm—demonstrates how SatVu’s HotSat constellation delivers thermal data 20x clearer than conventional methods, unlocking asset-level insights that were once out of reach.
Harbr Data has partnered with Databricks to help organizations turn raw data into actionable business outcomes—faster and with tighter governance. By integrating Harbr’s data marketplace with Databricks’ AI and data solutions, leading Databricks users (and Harbr customers) like Moody’s, CoreLogic, and other Fortune 500 brands can seamlessly share data, manage access, and collaborate without the headache of messy data copies.
Altana has been selected by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to screen vendors for the alliance. Its AI-powered Value Chain Management System provides full supply chain visibility—from raw materials to finished products—highlighting risks and improvement opportunities to bolster operational resilience. This partnership marks a significant step in enhancing supply chain security and resilience for governments and businesses globally.
AI Squared’s Benjamin Harvey was featured on CNBC Overtime with Jon Fortt to tackle a pressing question: How can businesses tell if AI is truly worth the investment? In their conversation, Harvey explains how AI Squared integrates AI directly into business workflows—delivering measurable productivity gains that help companies assess ROI in an era of rapidly evolving costs and features.
Q-CTRL has opened its new San Francisco office, strengthening its presence in a key deep-tech hub. Expanding an established footprint that includes Sydney, Los Angeles, Berlin, and Oxford, this move will enhance connections with industry leaders and accelerate Q-CTRL's mission to bring quantum technology into real-world applications.
📅 Ridgeline Travel & Events
The Ridgeline team has been active across industry events, connecting with key players and driving impactful conversations. Recently, we spent time attending Military Veteran Startup Conference 2025, New North Innovation Summit, and Manifest, and connected with our networks in Las Vegas, London, NYC, SF, and Boston.
We look forward to connecting at these upcoming events! If you’ll be attending or are nearby, don’t hesitate to reach out to schedule a meeting.
Key Upcoming Events
April 10 | Nashville | Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict & Emerging Threats
City Visits
DC: March 6-8; 13-14
SF: March 10-12
LA: March 10-13
Cincinnati: March 25-27
Nashville: April 9-11
If you’re in any of these cities, let us know—we’d love to connect!
Keep In Touch
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