TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch contest is best known for its main-stage final: 20 startups vying for the Startup Battlefield Cup and a $100,000 prize, whittled down from thousands of applicants and a broader Battlefield 200 cohort.
But the rest of the Battlefield 200 is where you see what’s coming next across entire industries. This year’s logistics, manufacturing and materials batch shows how quickly AI, robotics and new materials are moving from lab demos into real-world factories, warehouses and supply chains.
Here are the 16 Battlefield 200 startups in those categories — and why they stood out.
Logistics: squeezing more value from every trip and yard
GigU: Helping drivers pick the right rides
What it does: GigU is an app for ride-share and delivery drivers that analyzes which trips will make them the most money.
Why it matters: Drivers have long complained that too many trips simply aren’t worth the hassle once you factor in time, distance and expenses. GigU is trying to turn that frustration into optimization, promising better earnings and more control over the ride-share experience.
Glīd: Autonomous freight movers for railyards
What it does: Glīd builds self-driving vehicles to move freight around railyards.
Why it matters: The autonomous vehicle industry has largely focused on passenger cars and highway trucking, leaving out low-speed, high-impact environments like railyards. Glīd’s system targets exactly that overlooked problem — and it already has hardware cred, having won the 2025 TechCrunch Startup Battlefield.
Kinisi: Robots that adapt on the fly in warehouses
What it does: Kinisi is a robotics company with sensory tech that processes data at high speed.
Why it matters: Warehouses are messy, dynamic spaces. Kinisi leans on a simple robot design paired with large language model (LLM) technology so its machines can adapt to changing warehouse problems in smarter, safer ways, rather than relying on brittle pre-programmed routines.
Manufacturing, materials and industrial: AI in the factory, new stuff in the supply chain
CloEE: AI for machine performance
What it does: CloEE offers a platform for manufacturing sites that uses AI to analyze millions of data points on machine performance.
Why it matters: Downtime and underused equipment are expensive. CloEE uses AI not just to boost production efficiency, but also to improve machine care, squeezing more value and reliability out of existing assets.
CosmicBrain AI: No-code training for robots
What it does: CosmicBrain AI is a no-code/low-code platform to train robots.
Why it matters: If robots are going to become everyday tools, programming them can’t stay a specialist skill. CosmicBrain AI wants to lower that barrier, letting users teach robots new tasks without deep robotics expertise.
Delft Circuits: Wiring up quantum computers
What it does: Delft Circuits builds new network cable technology for quantum computing.
Why it matters: Quantum computing doesn’t just need faster processors; it needs entirely different infrastructure. Delft Circuits is betting that purpose-built cabling with specialized materials and tuned microwave and thermal performance will be a key part of making quantum systems practical.
Evolinq: AI agents for procurement
What it does: Evolinq offers AI agents that handle enterprise procurement processes.
Why it matters: Procurement is full of repetitive workflows and vendor back-and-forth. Evolinq says its agents can mimic buyers’ existing workflows and automate supplier communication — without heavy integration work — to speed up purchasing and reduce manual drudgery.
ExoMatter: Screening new materials with AI
What it does: ExoMatter is an AI platform that helps materials science R&D teams evaluate materials.
Why it matters: Discovering new materials is usually a long, expensive cycle of trial and error. ExoMatter uses AI to help scientists screen inorganic crystalline materials against metrics like performance, sustainability and cost, narrowing the field before anyone walks into a lab.
Kamet AI: Predictive analysis for factories and warehouses
What it does: Kamet AI offers an AI analysis system for manufacturing and warehouse environments.
Why it matters: Complex industrial operations hide a lot of inefficiency. Kamet AI relies on predictive models to flag process and equipment issues for complex use cases, with the goal of cutting costs or boosting throughput without ripping and replacing existing systems.
Koidra: Automation brains for indoor farms
What it does: Koidra offers an AI-powered automation control platform for indoor agriculture.
Why it matters: Indoor farms and highly automated industrial facilities generate huge amounts of sensor data. Koidra calls its approach “physics-aware” AI — tech designed to understand the underlying physical systems, not just the data exhaust, to fine-tune climate, energy use and yields.
Mbodi: Teaching industrial robots new skills faster
What it does: Mbodi offers a platform that teaches industrial robots new skills.
Why it matters: Retrofitting existing robots is often slow and expensive. Mbodi built a cloud-to-edge system that plugs into current robotic tech stacks and helps robots learn tasks faster, aiming to extend the life and flexibility of robots manufacturers already own.
MycoFutures: Mushroom-based leather
What it does: MycoFutures makes a leather-like material grown from mushroom roots (mycelium).
Why it matters: Traditional leather is animal-based and carbon-heavy; many synthetic alternatives rely on plastics. MycoFutures’ mycelium leather is biodegradable, avoids harmful chemicals, and is designed to match conventional leather in look and versatility without the usual environmental baggage.
OKOsix: A tougher biodegradable plastic alternative
What it does: OKOsix has created a biodegradable material meant to replace plastics.
Why it matters: Plenty of “green” plastics break down too easily to be practical. OKOsix is going after that problem directly, designing a biodegradable material that still prioritizes durability so it can compete with everyday plastics in real-world use.
Ravel: Making blended textiles recyclable
What it does: Ravel has invented a process to unravel blended textiles back into mono-materials.
Why it matters: Blended fabrics are one of fashion’s biggest pollution headaches because they’re so hard to recycle. Ravel’s process separates those blends so their plastic components can be turned back into yarn or other clothing, attacking a massive waste stream at the materials level.
Strong by Form: Wood as a structural concrete replacement
What it does: Strong by Form has created engineered wood strong enough to replace concrete and steel in structural floors.
Why it matters: Concrete is a major source of carbon emissions, and steel isn’t far behind. Strong by Form’s material aims to let architects and engineers swap some of that concrete for a lighter, more eco-friendly engineered wood without compromising structural performance.
Xronos: Deterministic, open source robotics
What it does: Xronos offers a platform to speed up the development and deployment of robotics and automation solutions.
Why it matters: Robotics projects often stall in the gap between simulation and deployment. Xronos is open source and leans on deterministic development, promising that the planned and simulated robotic action will show the same, reproducible behavior every time in the real world.
From railyards and warehouses to quantum labs and textile recyclers, this year’s Battlefield 200 logistics and industrial cohort shows how much of the innovation story is shifting from consumer apps to the physical backbone of the economy — where every percentage point of efficiency or sustainability can move markets.
