Hrien, led by CEO Chris Power, is revolutionizing American manufacturing by building AI-powered smart factories that rapidly train workers to be highly productive, addressing skilled labor shortages and aiming to surpass China’s manufacturing capabilities. With $260 million in new funding, the company plans to expand its operations and emphasizes the critical role of advanced manufacturing in national security and economic revitalization.
Chris Power, CEO and founder of Hrien, discusses the company’s mission to re-industrialize America by building AI-powered smart factories that significantly boost workforce productivity. Hrien currently operates a 100,000 square foot facility in Los Angeles and has experienced rapid growth, increasing revenue tenfold in the past year. The company recently secured $260 million in Series C funding, led by prominent investors, which will enable them to expand into new manufacturing sectors and launch a much larger factory in Arizona by the end of the year.
Hrien addresses a critical challenge in American manufacturing: the shortage of skilled labor such as machinists and welders. By integrating AI, robotics, and advanced software, Hrien’s factories can train workers in just 30 days to be ten times more productive than traditional methods that take decades. This approach aims to revitalize the workforce and surpass China’s manufacturing capabilities by empowering workers rather than replacing them, supporting both defense and commercial sectors with dual-use technology.
The company emphasizes the importance of advanced manufacturing jobs as attractive, high-tech career opportunities that do not necessarily require a four-year college degree. Hrien’s workforce includes individuals from diverse backgrounds, including military veterans and those previously in unrelated jobs, who are trained to operate sophisticated machinery and collaborate with software engineers. This cultural shift aims to restore pride and viability in skilled trades, countering decades of deindustrialization that led many to pursue traditional college paths instead.
Hrien develops a full-stack software platform called Opus, which upgrades existing factory machines with smart capabilities, improving efficiency and reducing the need for highly skilled labor. The company believes manufacturing software is decades behind other tech sectors, offering significant room for innovation. By collecting vast amounts of labeled manufacturing data, Hrien is positioned to continuously improve its AI models and factory automation, driving productivity gains and enabling rapid scaling to meet growing demand.
Chris Power highlights the national security implications of revitalizing American manufacturing amid rising geopolitical tensions with China. He stresses the urgency of re-industrializing within a 15- to 20-year window to maintain U.S. global leadership and address critical shortages in defense manufacturing, such as shipbuilding and munitions. Hrien sees itself as a key player in this mission, competing primarily against time and the scale of the challenge, and calls for greater national focus and investment to secure America’s industrial future.