Venture capital firm Eclipse has officially closed a new $1.3 billion fund dedicated to investing in and actively building startups focused on “physical AI,” marking a significant push to bridge the gap between advanced software and industrial infrastructure.
Incubating the Next Generation of Industrial AI
Beyond traditional venture backing, Eclipse is taking a hands-on approach by incubating startups directly within its own operations. Partner Greg Behl confirmed that the firm is already in the process of building companies from the ground up using capital from this new fund, though specific details on these ventures remain under wraps for now.
“We’re definitely working on a couple of really cool ideas,” Behl said, emphasizing that the firm is strategically targeting startups that operate across complex enterprise environments rather than niche segments.
The Strategy: Connecting Sectors Through Data
The core thesis behind the new fund centers on industrial connectivity and data utilization. By breaking down silos between sectors, Eclipse aims to create companies that can scale efficiently while leveraging proprietary data to build sustainable competitive advantages.
“The next insight is like, how do you connect these sectors? How do you build scale across sectors? And how do you use the data across sectors to build that moat?” Behl explained. He noted that this cross-sector data will be instrumental in training smarter AI models designed to provide broader benefits across the industrial landscape, a strategy he describes as the fundamental blueprint for their current investment cycle.
