Notes from thehardware frontier.
Announcements, sector notes and founder guides. Every post is reviewed by our compliance officer before it goes live.
Six notes so far, in the order we published them. Portfolio news appears only with each company’s written consent.
Announcements
Why we started Dark Ice Ventures
The hardware under electrification and AI is built by small companies that struggle to get bought. Here is what we plan to do about it.
Oct 5, 2026 · William Pohl III · 6 min read
Sector notes
44 verticals, one test: will someone buy it?
How we chose our verticals, and the question we ask of every company inside them.
Oct 7, 2026 · Dark Ice Ventures · 4 min read
Founder guides
Your first field pilot, step by step
What host sites ask for before a pilot, and how to be ready on the first day.
Oct 8, 2026 · Dark Ice Ventures · 6 min read
Sector notes
Power is the bottleneck
What the AI and data center buildout means for grid and electrification hardware, in numbers from public sources.
Oct 9, 2026 · Dark Ice Ventures · 6 min read
Founder guides
How our performance warranties work
How an insurer could stand behind a young company’s warranty, explained for founders and for buyers.
Oct 10, 2026 · Dark Ice Ventures · 4 min read
Proving Ground
Inside the Texas Proving Ground
What it is, who it is for, and how a company gets in.
Oct 11, 2026 · Dark Ice Ventures · 4 min read
Stay in the loop
Notes, when they are worth sending.
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