Jared O'Leary (SirenOpt): Fixing Advanced Manufacturing

Jared O'Leary (SirenOpt): Fixing Advanced Manufacturing

Author: Hugo Rauch March 10, 2026 Duration: 32:56

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🌊 The Invisible Problem Inside Every Factory

Why advanced manufacturing is still wildly inefficient — and how real-time sensing could unlock the next wave of climate tech.

We’re joined by Jared O’Leary, Co-founder of SirenOpt, a deep-tech company building real-time sensing systems for advanced manufacturing.

In this episode, we dive into why even the world’s most advanced factories operate with massive hidden inefficiencies, and what it really takes to move toward autonomous, self-optimizing manufacturing for climate technologies like batteries and beyond.

In our conversation, we covered:

→ Why manufacturing is inherently probabilistic, and why every product exists on a distribution of quality

→ The hidden cost of variability in battery factories, including massive scrap rates and conservative processes

→ Why “98% yield” doesn’t actually mean what people think

→ How missing data inside the manufacturing line creates huge blind spots

→ Why real-time sensing is the missing layer for Industry 4.0 factories

→ How cold plasma sensing works, and why it enables non-destructive measurement at millisecond speed

→ Why better manufacturing could unlock next-generation batteries like solid-state

Without the ability to manufacture advanced materials reliably, even the best lab breakthroughs never scale.

📬 Reach out to Jared O’Leary: jared.oleary@sirenopt.com



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newwavenewsletter.substack.com

Hugo Rauch hosts New Wave, a podcast that lives at the intersection of business ambition and scientific reality. This isn't about distant predictions or abstract science; it's a grounded exploration of the technologies and companies being built right now to address our environmental future. Each episode focuses on the practical journey, dissecting the models, the breakthroughs, and the hard decisions that define the climate tech landscape. You'll hear from founders, researchers, and investors who are actively shaping this space, getting into the specifics of what works, what doesn't, and why. The conversations move beyond hype to examine the tangible mechanics of creating viable solutions, from energy storage and sustainable materials to carbon removal and regenerative agriculture. It’s for anyone who thinks about the climate challenge not just as a crisis, but as a complex and urgent field of innovation. By tuning into this podcast, you gain a clearer understanding of the economic forces and scientific principles driving the next generation of environmental solutions. New Wave connects the dots between the lab, the boardroom, and the impact we need to see in the world, offering a sober yet optimistic look at where substantive progress is truly being made.
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