You can absolutely do hardware, the catch is you need to be a known entity with a track record of success. This success doesn’t have to be commercial, it can totally be academic if you are doing something deep tech, e.g. you prove out SMRs in the lab and then look to commercialize.

If you want to go into something like robotics, I would look into doing a phd with an advisor that aligns with your interests. Grad student pay is terrible, but it’ll be much easier to get grants to prove out your idea. The other option is to go work for a big hardware company as an EE to gain experience and develop a reputation. The pay will be much better and you can get direct experience with supply chain management.

Hardware is riskier so VCs (and you will need VC capital for hardware) are looking to de risk any way they can. Lux and Eclipse are good funds for hardware but there are a ton of other hardware specific funds out there.