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- 🔋⚡ CATL's $6B Battery Megafactory
🔋⚡ CATL's $6B Battery Megafactory
Indonesia Plant Reshapes Market
Dear Friend,
The mobility sector captured massive institutional backing this week, with the European Commission deploying €2.8 billion across 94 transport projects to accelerate sustainable rail networks and smart infrastructure, while Rivian secured its next $1 billion milestone from Volkswagen's strategic partnership amid a broader autonomous vehicle boom that has channeled $54 billion globally since 20241. This surge reflects the sector's maturation, with over $5 billion in venture and private equity funding flowing into AV and robotics startups in the first half of 2025 alone, even as regulatory headwinds from Congressional policy rollbacks threaten the $125 billion already invested in U.S. clean transportation manufacturing.
Energy transition financing reached unprecedented scale, led by CATL's $6 billion battery manufacturing complex in Indonesia and Nextwind's record $1.6 billion debt raise for German wind expansion—the largest ever secured by an independent wind company in the country. Meanwhile, specialized players like Terra CO2 raised $124 million from Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Al Gore's Just Climate to revolutionize concrete production, while Eos Energy received $22.7 million in DOE loan advances for zinc-based grid storage technology. These developments unfolded against the backdrop of President Trump signing the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which terminated residential solar tax credits and accelerated the phase-out of wind and solar incentives, creating a complex policy environment for clean energy investments.
Physical AI emerged as the week's breakout sector, with Genesis AI raising $105 million in seed funding from Eclipse Ventures and Khosla Ventures to build universal robotics foundation models for industrial automation. This landmark round underscores the sector's momentum, as AI startups captured 53% of all global venture capital in the first half of 2025, jumping to 64% in the U.S., with physical AI and robotics representing a significant portion of this investment activity1. The Genesis AI funding signals growing investor confidence in foundational robotics technologies that can automate repetitive tasks across industries, positioning physical AI as a critical component of the broader AI infrastructure buildout.
Stay sharp,
Vitaly Golomb |  |
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Mobility
1. European Commission Transportation Investment
The European Commission selected 94 transport projects to receive nearly €2.8 billion in EU grants under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for sustainable and connected mobility across Europe. This massive funding initiative focuses on rail transport (77% of total funding), greener ports, and smarter transport networks, supporting projects in modernizing railways, inland waterways, and maritime routes.
2. Rivian Securing the Next $1B from Volkswagen
Rivian has hit a milestone in its agreement with German automotive giant Volkswagen that will bring $1 billion into the EV startup’s coffers in the form of a share sale. Rivian also announced Wednesday that it delivered 10,661 vehicles in the second quarter.
3. Congressional Action on Clean Transportation
CALSTART reported that Congress significantly impacted clean transportation progress by gutting various programs. The organization noted that "in the past two and a half years alone, companies have invested more than $125 billion in U.S. clean transportation manufacturing" but expressed concerns about policy rollbacks.
4. Autonomous Vehicle Market Growth
Reports indicated that the autonomous vehicle sector experienced explosive growth in 2024-2025, with $54 billion in global funding representing the highest levels since 2021. Over $5 billion in venture and private equity funding went into AV and robotics startups worldwide in the first half of 2025.
Energy Transition
1. Terra CO2 Raises $124 Million Series B
Terra CO2, a startup focused on reducing concrete's carbon footprint, secured $124 million in Series B funding to build a manufacturing facility near Dallas capable of producing 240,000 tons of its sustainable concrete material annually. The funding round was co-led by Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Eagle Materials, Temasek-backed GenZero, and Al Gore's Just Climate, with participation from Barclays Climate Ventures, Cemex, Prologis, and Siemens Financial Services.
2. President Trump Signs "One Big Beautiful Bill"
President Trump signed H.R. 1, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," into law during Fourth of July celebrations. The legislation represents the most significant rollback of clean energy incentives since the Inflation Reduction Act was passed, terminating residential solar tax credits and accelerating the phase-out of wind and solar incentives.
3. Eos Energy Receives DOE Loan Advance
Zinc hybrid cathode battery and storage system maker Eos Energy received its second loan advance of $22.7 million from the US Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office. This funding supports the company's zinc-based battery technology development for grid-scale energy storage applications.
4. New Mexico Utility Storage Contracts
Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) sought regulatory approval for offtake agreements associated with three hybrid battery energy storage system (BESS) projects to power Meta data centers. The utility's earlier stipulation for 450 MW of new solar and battery storage capacity in 2028 had been approved by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission.
5. Nextwind Raises $1.6 Billion for German Wind Energy
European renewable energy provider Nextwind secured €1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) in debt financing for wind energy expansion in Germany, representing the largest amount ever raised by an independent wind energy company in the country. Deutsche Bank, ING Bank, and LBBW acted as underwriters and contributors to the financing deal.
6. CATL Begins $6 Billion Battery Project in Indonesia
A subsidiary of CATL and local partners began construction on a battery manufacturing complex in West Java, Indonesia, representing a complete value chain battery integration project worth $6 billion. This project represents one of the largest battery manufacturing investments globally and demonstrates continued international expansion in energy storage manufacturing.
Physical AI
1. Genesis AI Raises $105 Million Seed Funding
Genesis AI, a global physical AI research lab and full-stack robotics company, emerged from stealth with $105 million in seed funding co-led by Eclipse Ventures and Khosla Ventures. The company aims to build a universal robotics foundation model and horizontal platform to unlock unlimited physical labor by automating a wide range of repetitive tasks across industries.
2. AI Funding Dominance
Axios reported that AI startups received 53% of all global venture capital dollars invested in the first half of 2025, with this percentage jumping to 64% in the U.S. Physical AI and robotics represented a significant portion of this investment activity.
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