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

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2022-02-08
- Length: 43m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-02-08-independent-investment-banking-in-robotics-automation-and-ai-with-cascadia-capit
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Firdaus Pohowalla, Managing Director at Cascadia Capital, explains the role of independent investment banking in the robotics, automation, and AI (RAAI) sector. He details the rise of Robotics as a Service (RaaS) as a preferred business model for warehouse automation and logistics, while highlighting challenges like capital intensity and hardware integration. Pohowalla also demystifies startup funding rounds, emphasizing that the Series B is critical for proving scalability and that 'backlog' (purchase orders) is a more important metric than 'pipeline' for investors.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-02-08-independent-investment-banking-in-robotics-automation-and-ai-with-cascadia-capit#t=0) Introduction and Guest Background
- [4:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-02-08-independent-investment-banking-in-robotics-automation-and-ai-with-cascadia-capit#t=266) Cascadia Capital's Focus on RAAI
- [13:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-02-08-independent-investment-banking-in-robotics-automation-and-ai-with-cascadia-capit#t=835) Key RAAI Trends: Ag Tech, Healthcare, and Logistics
- [18:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-02-08-independent-investment-banking-in-robotics-automation-and-ai-with-cascadia-capit#t=1132) Robotics as a Service (RaaS) Model and Challenges
- [26:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-02-08-independent-investment-banking-in-robotics-automation-and-ai-with-cascadia-capit#t=1598) Interoperability and Driver Engagement Software
- [29:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-02-08-independent-investment-banking-in-robotics-automation-and-ai-with-cascadia-capit#t=1780) Advice for Entrepreneurs and Funding Rounds
- [38:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-02-08-independent-investment-banking-in-robotics-automation-and-ai-with-cascadia-capit#t=2301) Market Outlook and Workforce Impact

## Topics

- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Cascadia Capital (company)
- Cascadia Acquisition Corp (company)
- Merrill Lynch (company)
- Barclays (company)
- Morgan Stanley (company)
- Dexterity (company)
- Locusts (company)
- Rapid Robotics (company)
- A3 (company)
- Queen Anne Beer Hall (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [What is Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS)?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-04-13-what-is-robotics-as-a-service-raas) (Over the Air)
- [Sustainability in the Robotics-as-a-Service Industry](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-10-26-sustainability-in-the-robotics-as-a-service-industry) (Over the Air)
- [Perspectives on Automation, AI, & the Future w/ Andy Lonsberry](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-06-08-perspectives-on-automation-ai-the-future-w-andy-lonsberry) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Funding the next wave of robotics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-12-06-funding-the-next-wave-of-robotics) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [An Outcome-Based Solution for Deploying Robots w/ Saman Farid](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-01-30-an-outcome-based-solution-for-deploying-robots-w-saman-farid) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

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