Startup builder gets $100M boost

Vantora, a firm that builds startups for corporate partners, raised $100 million from Silversmith Capital Partners. The company was previously called UP.Labs and launched in 2022.

From public startups to private ones

Vantora is shifting from building startups for the broader market to building them exclusively for corporate customers. Corporate partners now invest in these ventures and can fold them into their own businesses.

Why companies want proprietary AI

Fortune 100 industrial companies need to own AI systems for autonomy and hardware retrofitting. They can't rely on third parties or let competitors access the same technology.

“You need to own that intelligence layer. They're never going to let us go sell that to their competitors.”

Unlocking bigger opportunities

Vantora previously rejected ideas that were strategic for corporate partners but too sensitive to release publicly. The proprietary model now lets it pursue these high-value physical AI use cases.

“We were missing on the biggest value problems, which had the biggest upside because of that.”

J.B. Hunt AI project example

Vantora developed an AI idea to advance J.B. Hunt's business but the company rejected releasing it publicly. Under the new proprietary model, Vantora can now pursue this project exclusively for J.B. Hunt.

“They said there is no way you can take this out to the world, and so we passed on it.”

Growing roster of corporate partners

Vantora has launched startups for Porsche, Alaska Airlines, J.B. Hunt, Wabash, and TDG (parent of Ashley Furniture). It's also working with new partners in industrial manufacturing and oil and gas.

Independent from venture partner

Vantora shares office space with venture firm Up.Partners but operates as a separate entity. The $100 million from Silversmith is Vantora's first outside investment.