What we're looking for in 2026

For the past 20 years, the center of gravity in technology has been software that connects people, moves information, and digitizes large parts of the economy. That era produced extraordinary companies and enormous shareholder value. But the next wave of technology is not primarily about connecting humans. It is about upgrading the physical world.

At Anorak Ventures, we invest at the pre-seed and seed stage in founders building these systems. We focus on technologies that push humanity forward while strengthening the real-world infrastructure of modern civilization.

Below are 10 areas Anorak is focused on, and what we are looking for in each category.

1. Industrial Autonomy

Factories, warehouses, ports, construction sites, and industrial facilities are shifting from manual operations to autonomous systems run by software, robotics, and AI. Entire industrial workflows will soon operate with minimal human intervention. We’re actively investing in the machines, infrastructure, and software that allow the physical economy to reduce its reliance on manual labor.

2. Government & Defense

The US and its allies are increasingly comfortable moving outside traditional vendors for their technology needs. As companies like SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril continue to rise in prominence, they pave the way for new entrants producing advanced AI, autonomy, sensing, and cyber infrastructure solutions. We’re actively investing in technologies serving national security and government efficiency.

3. Domestic Manufacturing

The global supply chains built over the last forty years were optimized for cost. The next forty years will add resilience and sovereignty as key considerations. Countries are rebuilding their ability to manufacture critical technologies locally—semiconductors, batteries, materials, and advanced components. We’re actively investing in materials science and technologies that enable the US and our allies to reshore manufacturing capabilities.

4. Energy

Energy is the foundation of economic growth. Breakthroughs in production, storage, and transmission will unlock new levels of industrial capacity. Thermal storage, next-generation batteries, and advanced grid infrastructure are reshaping how energy is generated and delivered. We’re actively investing in technologies that enhance the capabilities of our existing grid, as well as edge production and transmission.

5. AI-Native Infrastructure

The physical world was built by and for humans. The next generation of infrastructure will be built for machines. Sensors, robotics, and embedded intelligence will transform factories, cities, supply chains, and transportation systems into AI-native environments where machines continuously collect data and make real-time decisions. We’re actively investing in systems designed for these AI control loops.

6. Safety & Security

Security infrastructure is rapidly becoming automated. Robotics, sensors, and AI are enabling entirely new approaches to protecting facilities, cities, borders, and critical assets. Physical security is evolving from reactive human monitoring to proactive, autonomous systems. We’re actively investing in the next generation of intelligent safety and security technology.

7. Sovereign Technology Stacks

Geopolitics is pushing nations toward independent technology stacks: domestic chips, cloud infrastructure, communications networks, and AI capabilities. Countries increasingly view core technology as strategic infrastructure. We’re actively investing in domestic and international companies, enabling sovereign and resilient technology systems across allied nations.

8. Exploration Technologies

Large parts of our planet, and nearly all of space, remain unexplored. They have captured our imagination since early civilizations and hold endless opportunities to move humankind forward. Advances in robotics, sensing, propulsion, materials, and autonomy are opening previously unreachable environments and investment opportunities: deep oceans, remote terrain, orbital infrastructure, and beyond. We’re actively investing in technologies that expand the frontiers of human exploration.

9. Health, Longevity, and Human Systems

Medicine is shifting from episodic treatment to continuous biological monitoring. New biosensors and molecular diagnostics will enable us to measure the body's hidden systems in real time: brain activity, hormones, metabolism, immune signals, and more. We’re actively investing in companies focused on extending healthspan, improving quality of life, and managing aging populations.

10. Critical Infrastructure Modernization

Much of the infrastructure that powers modern economies was built decades ago. Energy grids, ports, communications networks, and transportation systems are now being rebuilt with new materials, software, sensors, and automation. We’re actively investing to upgrade the physical systems that keep societies functioning—the infrastructure beneath the economy itself.

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Taken together, these trends point toward a simple thesis. The next generation of great technology companies will not just live on the internet. They will reshape the real world. They will build the machines that run industry, the systems that power cities, the technologies that protect nations.