Independent Investment Banking in Robotics, Automation, and AI with Cascadia Capital’s Firdaus Pohowalla

What’s the role of investment banking in manufacturing and logistics? Our guest this week is here to answer that question.

Firdaus Pohowalla is Managing Director at Cascadia Capital, where he leads investment banking coverage for robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence, or if we're talking in acronyms, RAAI.

In this episode, Firdaus gives us a little backstory on how he got to where he is now and why he’s always had an interest in tech and robotics. He explains why there’s such a big focus on RAAI in the investment world and what he thinks are the most exciting areas of these growing industries.

Firdaus goes on to explore the idea of robotics as a service (RaaS) and why that business model is so attractive to companies, customers, and investors. Firdaus also highlights the biggest challenges in the RaaS space and his advice for new companies looking to get involved in robotics. Finally, Firdaus breaks down the confusing alphabet soup that is Series A, B, and C funding rounds.

In this episode, find out:

• How he got involved in investing and robotics
• Why Cascadia Capital focuses on the RAAI space
• The most exciting areas of RAAI
• How robotics as a service works and why it’s attracting so much interest
• The challenges of RaaS and why the markets are slow to move on it
• Advice for new companies looking to get involved in RAAI
• How the Series A, B, C funding rounds work
• The effects of robotics and automation on the job market

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Tweetable Quotes:

• "B round is critical. If I think about all the rounds out there, the B round is where you really make or break your company.”
• “If you look at the development of the technology, and you see the sophistication of the software that's complementing all of the earlier stage solutions that have been coming out, the market is really poised for significant growth.”
• “I'd say the most important thing, and this is emotional, is make sure that you have real passion and conviction around your business idea. That's kind of entrepreneurship 101.”

Links & mentions:

• Cascadia Capital, leading middle market investment bank with a focus on applications for robotics, automation, and AI for food, beverage, and agribusiness applications
• RAAI Supply Chain Quarterly Marketing Report from Cascadia Capital (Fall 2021)
• 2021 AMR & Logistics Conference Takeaways from Cascadia Capital
• Queen Anne Beerhall, cool beer hall focusing on European & local brews plus eats, with an industrial look & ample seats in Seattle, WA

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.