The future of manufacturing and robotics. In it we cover advanced factory automation, humanoid robots, how digital twins simulate and optimize manufacturing lines, AI-led product and parts design, nanotechnology, and the next generation of physical technology founders and startups.

Lior Susan, a pioneering force in digital transformation for physical industries who wears the hat of a CEO and investor simultaneously to extreme success. A serial entrepreneur, Lior is CEO of Bright Machines, delivering advanced robotics and automation for manufacturing. Funded to the tune of $300M Bright Machines operates out of the US, Mexico, and Israel. Its key funder is the VC firm Eclipse that Lior also co-founded and works as a General Partner. A firm that become one of the first specialists in physical industry transformation and since grown to manage over $4B and partnered with over 70 companies. Lior sits on both sides of the table and offers a uniquely deep perspective on how our world is being reshaped.

Subscribe for the latest episodes. Email me on danieldarling@focal.vc

The future of manufacturing and robotics. In it we cover advanced factory automation, humanoid robots, how digital twins simulate and optimize manufacturing lines, AI-led product and parts design, nanotechnology, and the next generation of physical technology founders and startups.
Lior Susan, a pioneering force in digital transformation for physical industries who wears the hat of a CEO and investor simultaneously to extreme success. A serial entrepreneur, Lior is CEO of Bright Machines, delivering advanced robotics and automation for manufacturing. Funded to the tune of $300M Bright Machines operates out of the US, Mexico, and Israel. Its key funder is the VC firm Eclipse that Lior also co-founded and works as a General Partner. A firm that become one of the first specialists in physical industry transformation and since grown to manage over $4B and partnered with over 70 companies. Lior sits on both sides of the table and offers a uniquely deep perspective on how our world is being reshaped.
Subscribe for the latest episodes. Email me on <a href="mailto:danieldarling@focal.vc">danieldarling@focal.vc</a>

Fast forward 5 years to view the future of an industry through the eyes of its most innovative entrepreneurs and CEOs.

Learn what key industries could look like in 5 years.

Witness the evolution through the eyes of leading CEOs.

Discover who gets disrupted and who wins big.

Hear of mind blowing technology set to reinvent all the rules.

Reshape your mental model to thrive in the change ahead.

Delivered as short (~30 mins), insight-packed discussions, that will spark imagination and leave listeners with a preview of what lies ahead.

Fast forward 5 years to view the future of an industry through the eyes of its most innovative entrepreneurs and CEOs.
Learn what key industries could look like in 5 years.
Witness the evolution through the eyes of leading CEOs.
Discover who gets disrupted and who wins big.
Hear of mind blowing technology set to reinvent all the rules.
Reshape your mental model to thrive in the change ahead.
Delivered as short (~30 mins), insight-packed discussions, that will spark imagination and leave listeners with a preview of what lies ahead.

5 Year Frontier

#15: Factory automation, humanoid robots, digital twins, building the backbone of AI and the future of manufacturing w/ Bright Machines CEO / Eclipse VC Lior Susan

The future of coding. We cover multiplying engineering output, vibe coding bottlenecks, agents as reviewer, AI roll-ups, and the future of developing software.

Merrill Lutsky is co-founder and CEO of Graphite, bringing AI-acceleration and automation to code review. Founded in 2020 out of New York, Graphite has become a key part of the developer ecosystem — as more code is generated with AI, they enable developers to scale the evaluation, testing, and review process before it is released. A growing bottleneck that has become incredibly important. The startup has raised over $70M from leading VC’s such Accel, A16Z, Menlo as well as a receiving a strategic investment from model provider Anthropic. Last year Graphite grew its revenue 20X and is trusted by over 45,000 developers at top engineering organizations such as Shopify and Figma.

His second startup, Merrill has helped develop and manage software products for high output engineering companies such as Square, Oscar Insurance, and SelfMade. He holds a degree in Applies Math and Economics from Harvard.

Sign up for new podcasts and our newsletter, and email me on danieldarling@focal.vc

The future of coding. We cover multiplying engineering output, vibe coding bottlenecks, agents as reviewer, AI roll-ups, and the future of developing software.
Merrill Lutsky is co-founder and CEO of Graphite, bringing AI-acceleration and automation to code review. Founded in 2020 out of New York, Graphite has become a key part of the developer ecosystem &mdash; as more code is generated with AI, they enable developers to scale the evaluation, testing, and review process before it is released. A growing bottleneck that has become incredibly important. The startup has raised over $70M from leading VC&rsquo;s such Accel, A16Z, Menlo as well as a receiving a strategic investment from model provider Anthropic. Last year Graphite grew its revenue 20X and is trusted by over 45,000 developers at top engineering organizations such as Shopify and Figma.
His second startup, Merrill has helped develop and manage software products for high output engineering companies such as Square, Oscar Insurance, and SelfMade. He holds a degree in Applies Math and Economics from Harvard.
<a href="http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1749194187282000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0HRGNDSU-eFHpd2YU_BEY3">Sign up</a>&nbsp;for new podcasts and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1749194187282000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ujDnjgmVYRwpelC89N0NS">our newsletter</a>, and email me on&nbsp;<a href="mailto:danieldarling@focal.vc">danieldarling@focal.vc</a>

#38: The 100X Engineer, Vibe Coding Bottlenecks, Agents As Evaluators, AI Roll-ups, And The Future Of Software Creation w/ Graphite CEO Merrill Lutsky

The future of carbon conversion. We cover the global energy race, turning CO2 into biofuels, propelling interplanetary travel, modular military refueling stations, and the future of clean energy.

Guiding us will be Greg Constantine CEO of AIRCO, one of the most ambitious startups reimagining the role of carbon in our economy and climate future. Headquartered in New York, AIRCO has developed a proprietary technology that captures carbon dioxide and converts it into high-value products, including sustainable aviation fuel, rocket fuel, and even consumer-grade ethanol. Rather than burying carbon underground, AIRCO turns it into something useful—fueling commercial flights, defense operations, and potentially even Mars missions. To date, AIRCO has raised over $100 million from a roster of strategic investors including Carbon Direct Capital, Patriot Capital, Toyota, JetBlue, and has secured large contracts from the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA—including recent work on developing rocket fuel from the Martian atmosphere.

Greg Constantine brings a rare blend of operating and investing experience—previously holding senior roles at Diageo and serving as a venture partner at LocalGlobe, where he backed early-stage deep tech and climate companies. Now, he’s at the helm of one of the most frontier-pushing climate startups in the world, blending advanced chemistry, automation, and strategic focus to rewire how we think about carbon.

Sign up for new podcasts and our newsletter, and email me on danieldarling@focal.vc

The future of carbon conversion. We cover the global energy race, turning CO2 into biofuels, propelling interplanetary travel, modular military refueling stations, and the future of clean energy.
Guiding us will be Greg Constantine CEO of AIRCO, one of the most ambitious startups reimagining the role of carbon in our economy and climate future. Headquartered in New York, AIRCO has developed a proprietary technology that captures carbon dioxide and converts it into high-value products, including sustainable aviation fuel, rocket fuel, and even consumer-grade ethanol. Rather than burying carbon underground, AIRCO turns it into something useful&mdash;fueling commercial flights, defense operations, and potentially even Mars missions. To date, AIRCO has raised over $100 million from a roster of strategic investors including Carbon Direct Capital, Patriot Capital, Toyota, JetBlue, and has secured large contracts from the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA&mdash;including recent work on developing rocket fuel from the Martian atmosphere.
Greg&nbsp;Constantine&nbsp;brings a rare blend of operating and investing experience&mdash;previously holding senior roles at Diageo and serving as a venture partner at LocalGlobe, where he backed early-stage deep tech and climate companies. Now, he&rsquo;s at the helm of one of the most frontier-pushing climate startups in the world, blending advanced chemistry, automation, and strategic focus to rewire how we think about carbon.
<a href="http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1746848311562000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3zUXBjv-sFAHQEUB0iVSZd">Sign up</a>&nbsp;for new podcasts and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1746848311562000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ledB_JvyKbxGdbsHWV9i_">our newsletter</a>, and email me on&nbsp;<a href="mailto:danieldarling@focal.vc">danieldarling@focal.vc</a>

#37: Global Energy Race, Creating With Carbon, CO2 As Fuel, Powering Mars, And The Future Of Clean Energy w/ AIRCO CEO Greg Constantine

The future of selling. We cover AI-copilots for sales, forecasting engines for CROs, real-time procurement layers, and the future of revenue intelligence.

Guiding us will be Andy Byrne CEO of Clari, the #1 Enterprise Revenue Platform trusted by over 1,500 companies managing more than $4 trillion in revenue. From pipeline to close, renewal to expansion, Clari brings end-to-end visibility, control, and predictability to every revenue-critical function in the enterprise. The company has raised $520 million in funding from top-tier investors including Blackstone, Silver Lake, Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, and Sapphire Ventures. Recognized as a 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ winner and growing at 227% over three years, Clari is leading a movement to modernize how businesses run their revenue process — transforming it from siloed and reactive to unified, intelligent, and data-driven.

Andy is a defining voice in the future of revenue operations. A serial entrepreneur and two-time CEO, Clari marks the fourth company he’s helped build with backing from Sequoia Capital — a rare feat that speaks to his track record and long-term vision. Known for being thoughtful, resilient, and a true builder, Byrne has helped scale Clari into a global platform used by the world’s most sophisticated sales and finance teams.

Sign up for new podcasts and our newsletter, and email me on danieldarling@focal.vc

The future of selling. We cover AI-copilots for sales, forecasting engines for CROs, real-time procurement layers, and the future of revenue intelligence.
Guiding us will be Andy Byrne CEO of Clari, the #1 Enterprise Revenue Platform trusted by over 1,500 companies managing more than $4 trillion in revenue. From pipeline to close, renewal to expansion, Clari brings end-to-end visibility, control, and predictability to every revenue-critical function in the enterprise. The company has raised $520 million in funding from top-tier investors including Blackstone, Silver Lake, Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, and Sapphire Ventures. Recognized as a 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500&trade; winner and growing at 227% over three years, Clari is leading a movement to modernize how businesses run their revenue process &mdash; transforming it from siloed and reactive to unified, intelligent, and data-driven.
Andy is a defining voice in the future of revenue operations. A serial entrepreneur and two-time CEO, Clari marks the fourth company he&rsquo;s helped build with backing from Sequoia Capital &mdash; a rare feat that speaks to his track record and long-term vision. Known for being thoughtful, resilient, and a true builder, Byrne has helped scale Clari into a global platform used by the world&rsquo;s most sophisticated sales and finance teams.
<a href="http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://podfollow.com/5-year-frontier&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1745965327586000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1HhJkh3e7ByVa8XWko9gK5">Sign up</a>&nbsp;for new podcasts and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.5yearfrontier.focal.vc/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1745965327586000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2r70UJSmII1Y21NUCoag_n">our newsletter</a>, and email me on&nbsp;<a href="mailto:danieldarling@focal.vc">danieldarling@focal.vc</a>

#15: Factory automation, humanoid robots, digital twins, building the backbone of AI and the future of manufacturing w/ Bright Machines CEO / Eclipse VC Lior Susan

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