The latest Y Combinator Demo Day has highlighted a new group of startups attracting significant interest from venture capital investors. 

Unlike some previous cohorts that focused heavily on software and consumer applications, this group featured a notable number of companies working in areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence hardware, nuclear power and advanced computing.

Among the companies receiving attention was Atomarine, which is developing floating data centres that could eventually use nuclear power. 

Dipole Labs is working on optical networking technology designed to improve the movement of data between processors in AI data centres, while Lamb Labs is developing specialised chips intended to reduce the energy required to run AI models.

Several startups are also targeting robotics and defence technology.

Praxis Robotics is collecting real world data to help train robots, while Nori is developing relatively affordable robots designed to perform everyday household tasks. 

Cosmic Robotics is developing autonomous machines capable of handling heavy construction work, with ambitions that its technology could eventually contribute to construction beyond Earth.

Other notable companies include Parasma, which is researching the potential use of human brain cells for computing, and Waddle Labs, which is developing an artificial intelligence layer capable of generating control code for robots. 

Isengard Industries is focusing on locally produced jet powered strike and counter drone systems for allied countries.

Investors said the latest cohort stood out for its emphasis on deep technology and ambitious engineering projects. 

Despite the futuristic nature of many of the ideas, venture capitalists also noted that startup valuations appeared more restrained than those seen in some recent funding cycles. 

The companies now face the challenge of turning their ambitious concepts into commercially viable products.

Source: TechCrunch