Tulane Ventures Invests in Startups Driving Infrastructure and Industrial Innovation
Tulane Ventures has invested in two emerging startups digitizing traditional analog industries. The venture firm’s latest funding round supports ARIX Technologies, a robotics company focused on automating industrial inspection, and Hello Gravel, a digital marketplace for bulk construction materials. These investments underscore the increasing interest of venture funds in tech-enabled construction (ConTech) and industrial automation, two sectors increasingly leveraging digital technology solutions to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve safety.
ARIX Technologies: Preventing Costly Oil & Gas Refinery Shutdowns Through Automated Robotic Inspections
Founded in Jackson, Louisiana, ARIX Technologies is tackling one of the energy and manufacturing sectors' most persistent issues: pipeline corrosion. The company has developed robotic inspection solutions and machine learning analytics to help industrial facilities identify and mitigate corrosion risks before they lead to costly failures.
Founded by former ExxonMobil engineer Dianna Liu, ARIX emerged from the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute with a vision to modernize corrosion inspections. Her team developed pipe-crawling robots designed to perform inspections faster, safer, and more cost-effectively than traditional methods. These semi-autonomous systems, combined with AI-powered analytics, provide actionable insights for proactive maintenance, reducing financial losses and environmental risks. By enabling early detection and intervention, ARIX helps industrial operators mitigate corrosion-related hazards before they escalate.
The company has gained industry recognition, including being selected as a Shell GameChanger Program Graduate, named a Most Promising Energy & Clean Technology Company by the Rice Alliance Technology Venture Forum, and most recently recognized as a Darcy Partners Top 10 Emerging Technology in Energy and Industrial Operations.
“ARIX is incredibly excited and grateful to have Tulane Ventures as one of our newest investors. This is an important time in our company’s journey. Tulane’s investment team, network, and funding will enable ARIX to scale commercial operations, expand our deployment of robotic inspection technology, and continue advancing infrastructure inspection and safety standards across the United States,” stated Liu. “We are especially proud to share deep roots with Tulane and Louisiana as ARIX was originally founded in Southeast Louisiana and remains committed to serving our customers along the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast region.” Tulane Ventures has committed $250,000 to ARIX Technologies.
Pictured above are Dianna Liu, ARIX Technologies (left), and Daniel Crowley, Co-founder of Hello Gravel (center), and Alan Kofman, Co-Founder and Head of Growth of Hello Gravel (right).
Hello Gravel: Modernizing the Aggregates Industry
The aggregates industry—comprising materials such as sand, gravel, and crushed stone—has long relied on outdated procurement processes involving phone calls, PDF quotes, and even fax machines. Hello Gravel aims to modernize this traditional market by offering an e-commerce marketplace platform that instantly lets customers price and order bulk materials online.
Co-founded by Daniel Crowley, a serial entrepreneur and Tulane alum (B’11) with extensive experience in government contracting, infrastructure, and logistics, and Alan Kofman, an e-commerce expert and entrepreneur with 10 years of experience scaling direct-to-consumer brands via performance marketing channels. Hello Gravel is described as "1-800-Flowers but for gravel." It offers a nationwide delivery service for construction aggregates. The New Orleans-based company utilizes a proprietary tool to provide dynamic regional pricing and serves a diverse clientele, including homeowners and municipalities, across all 50 states. Additional members of the executive team include Tulane graduates Michael Brubaker, Head of Sales (B'11), and Andrew Dunn, Head of Data & Corporate Relations (MBA '10).
“The investment by Tulane Ventures will allow Hello Gravel to grow at a much faster pace. This will allow us to hire in key areas of data, operations, and sales. Additionally, it will allow us to invest in building the technology infrastructure to better streamline our offerings. "We are excited to have a great partner in Tulane Ventures,” said Crowley. Tulane Ventures has invested $100,000 in Hello Gravel.
The Growing Opportunity in Industrial Digitization
The construction and industrial technology sectors present attractive investment opportunities due to their stable and recurring revenue streams, which are often linked to long-term contracts. These contracts offer predictability and growth potential. Companies that adopt automation, AI-driven analytics, and supply chain digitization are gaining a competitive advantage in industries that have historically resisted change. With increasing pressure to enhance efficiency and sustainability, innovations that streamline processes and reduce costs are becoming more popular among investment experts.
Tulane Ventures aims to support companies that are strengthening Louisiana’s position in key areas of industry modernization. As these companies scale their operations and expand their reach, they are likely to attract additional talent to the region, further solidifying Louisiana’s economic growth potential.
The Tulane Ventures Seed Fund is the first venture fund launched by Tulane Ventures™. This $10 million seed fund is designed to support start-up businesses and early-stage ventures in Louisiana, specifically focusing on the health/medical, climate/energy, and artificial intelligence/technology sectors. The Tulane Ventures Seed Fund intends to make investments ranging from $25,000 to $250,000.
