The Saturday Morning Newsletter #98

This Week I’m Tracking: 13 developments across the sectors shaping our future

Reading Time: 5 minutes of curated insights

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Let’s dive in.

#1: The Protein Brewery

Description: The Protein Brewery is a producer of fungi-based ingredients.

Why Is This Company Interesting? The Protein Brewery recently raised $18M in venture capital funding. Protein is the new craze currently, being added to all sorts of previously untouched foods. The Protein Brewery is creating the next generation of protein, with prebiotic fibers and complete protein. They have become a category leader in nutrient-dense mycoprotein, offering a versatile whole-food ingredient.

#2: Superlight

Description: Superlight develops electric trucks for middle-mile logistics operators.

Why Is This Company Interesting? Superlight recently raised $21M in venture capital funding. As electric vehicles became increasingly popular, pretty much all manufacturers started with existing designs and adapted them to run on electricity. Superlight worked in the opposite way, designing an electric truck from the ground up, favoring lighter-weight materials, better electronics, and software integrations.

#3: Cuprum Metals

Description: Cuprum Metals is a copper extraction company.

Why Is This Company Interesting? Cuprum Metals recently raised $19.4M in venture capital funding. The mining industry continues to invest in developing more efficient methods to extract copper from copper sulfide ores. These account for around 80% of the world’s copper deposits and are critical to supply chains around the globe. Their technology works by circumventing the passivation layer effect, allowing the direct oxidation of copper.

#4: Omni

Description: Omni is a developer of plant-based pet foods.

Why Is This Company Interesting? Omni recently raised $11M in venture capital funding. Omni is a provider of plant-based pet food products. The pet food industry continues to grow as people expand their pet arsenals globally, a trend that persists post-COVID. Pet food has traditionally been skewed toward meat-based products; however, plant-based products can deliver similar performance. Omni is perfectly optimized to capture this excess demand.

#5: Astral Systems

Description: Astral Systems builds compact fusion reactors.

Why Is This Company Interesting? Astral Systems recently raised $30.3M in venture capital funding. Astral Systems is developing fusion energy to provide medical byproducts. The global healthcare industry lacks a steady supply of these critical minerals, creating a significant market opportunity. Astral Systems intends to capture this demand using revolutionary fusion energy solutions.

Department of Energy: DoE Meets Trump’s Goal, Delivers 3rd Advanced Reactor Criticality

This week, Deployable Energy’s demonstration reactor Unity successfully completed a zero-power field criticality demonstration. This was the third advanced reactor to go critical by the Trump administration’s deadline. These are advanced microreactor designs, proving the next generation of nuclear energy can and will work.

The New York Times: Fighting Fires

A European team is currently trying to stop Europe from burning. They combine information from satellites, weather models, and expert analysis to track fires. This system is critical to Europe’s centralized firefighting strategy. How can countries be prepared for extreme fire situations? Countries have raced to improve their ability to track fires and proactively address them.

Space: Swift Space Telescope Rescue Mission

The Swift Boost mission launched the LINK satellite this week. It will rendezvous with the Swift Observatory and tow it into a stable orbit, saving it from being burned up in the atmosphere. This successful launch came after many attempts were called off due to weather and software issues

The New York Times: Blue Origin To Raise Big Fund

The rocket company founded by Jeff Bezos to compete with SpaceX is beginning to take on external money for the first time, at a $130B+ valuation. The Company is raising $10B, hoping to further accelerate the current space race and missions to the Moon. As SpaceX just raised tons of money in its IPO, there will be a lot of capital deployed in space now.

The New York Times: What We Should Learn From Nordic Happiness

In Norway, there is a minimum wage of around $20/hr, 5 weeks of paid vacation each year, a pension, maternity and paternity leave, and paid leave when a child is sick. A big question is, if American companies can offer terms for these jobs in Norway, why not do so in America?

CBS News: Inventions that Tell the Story of America

There is one invention that many historians believe powered the innovation in the United States over the past centuries: the patent process. This created a powerful incentive system, unreplicated worldwide, that drove lasting change and externalities. This was established in the Constitution and continues to be strengthened today.

Quartz: 25 Ideas from Philosophy That Are More Practical Than They Sound

There are many useful philosophical ideas—although they are traditionally portrayed as being abstract and obtuse. These ideas are actionable, helping you understand life changes, what questions to ask, and what choices you want to make. Would recommend; it’s a solid list.

Reddit: 6 Best Mental Health Advice I Was Ever Given

1. If it still bothers you after 24 hours, speak up within 48 hours.

2. Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for taking care of.

3. A bad day doesn’t mean a bad life.

4. The critical judge in your head does not tell the truth, and it does not have your best interest at heart.

5. Your brain can’t be grateful and anxious at the same time. When anxiety takes hold, look for gratitude.

6. Stop apologizing for expressing your feelings. You’re convincing yourself that you are not worth the space you take up.

I think this list is intriguing. Many people in the comments have issues with the gratitude and anxiety position, but the rest seem to hold up to the general standard.

That's a wrap on this week’s roundup.

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Drew Jackson

Founder & Writer

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