Manufacturing is no longer just about moving atoms. It is shifting toward software-defined automation and fully autonomous systems. Daniel Kazani sits down with Miroslav Kriz, Principal Partner at Momenta, to discuss how AI is reshaping the factory floor. They explore why industrial innovation requires different safety standards than typical software, where a "hallucination" can mean physical danger rather than just bad code.

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Miroslav explains the reality of "lights out" factories, where blast furnaces adjust in real time without human input. He also critiques the "tourist syndrome" that European founders face when entering the US market and argues why industrial startups should look to Pittsburgh or Indianapolis rather than Silicon Valley. This conversation covers the journey from simple automation to true autonomy and the specific physics that investors look for before writing a check.

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Guest Bio

Miroslav Kriz is a Principal Partner at Momenta, a venture capital firm focused on industrial impact and enterprise technology. He specializes in bridging the gap between legacy industrial companies and modern innovation.

Currently based in Prague after moving from New York, Miroslav works to connect Central and Eastern European technical talent with the US market. He also helps lead initiatives like Gem7 to help startups establish operational beachheads in America.

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What We Cover

1. The three core pillars of industrial impact are software-defined automation, robotics, and AI.
2. Why the "move fast and break things" mentality fails in manufacturing, where safety is critical.
3. How virtualization allows agile development on machines with 30-year lifecycles.
4. The emergence of "lights out" factories and autonomous closed-loop systems.
5. Why ROI in industry is defined by speed and waste reduction rather than quality improvements.
6. The "tourist" mistake European founders make when expanding to the US.
7. Why industrial startups often find better success in Detroit or Milwaukee than in Silicon Valley.
8. Using AI in venture capital to validate physics and research trends rather than make deal decisions.

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Resources Mentioned

1. Momenta
2. Gem7 (Market entry service)
3. Rockwell Automation
4. Fleet Space
5. Grok
6. Microsoft