Gen Z Founder Launches AI Startup Backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Peter Thiel to Disrupt $5 Trillion Industrial Sector

Feb 20, 2026
Fortune
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Summary

Gen Z founder Kiara Nirghin launches Emanate, an AI startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Peter Thiel, and Alexis Ohanian, deploying autonomous revenue agents to modernize the $5 trillion industrial materials sector and promising customer revenue boosts of up to 80%.

Key Points

  • Emanate, a San Francisco-based industrial AI startup founded by Gen Z entrepreneur Kiara Nirghin, emerges from stealth with backing from Andreessen Horowitz, Peter Thiel, and Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian.
  • The startup deploys autonomous AI revenue agents to modernize the $5 trillion industrial materials sector, targeting inefficiencies like slow response times and gut-instinct pricing, claiming it can boost customer revenue by 60% to 80%.
  • Emanate's launch aligns with a16z's investment strategy prioritizing national infrastructure and industrial sectors, with general partner Ben Horowitz emphasizing the importance of American technological leadership amid the firm's record $15 billion fundraise.

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