defense tech

Vertical Aerospace has a plan to capitalize on Europe’s defense tech moment

Transportation /

Russia’s war in Ukraine and President Donald Trump’s reluctance to support NATO allies has led to a boost in funding for European defense tech. And across industries, startups are leveraging the opportunity. One such company could be UK-based startup Vertical Aerospace, which is developing eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft mainly for air taxi […]

Vertical Aerospace has a plan to capitalize on Europe’s defense tech moment Read More »

Rising star defense tech startup Mach Industries is raising $100 million, sources say

Startups /

Mach Industries, the defense tech founded by 21-year-old Ethan Thornton, is about to close a fresh $100 million in financing co-led by new investor Khosla and existing investor Bedrock Capital, a source familiar with the deal tells TechCrunch. The new round will value the company at around $470 million, according to the source. However, the

Rising star defense tech startup Mach Industries is raising $100 million, sources say Read More »

British startup Isembard lands $9M to reshore manufacturing for critical industries

Fundraising /

Geopolitical pressures are accelerating a demand in many countries and regions to reshore — that is, to redevelop critical industry infrastructure, and to bring back businesses, which had moved or outsourced some or all of their industrial operations to cheaper countries further away. But that is easier said than done. In the key area of

British startup Isembard lands $9M to reshore manufacturing for critical industries Read More »

Defense tech Theseus landed Y Combinator, the US Special Forces and $4.3M from a tweet

Startups /

On February 18, 2024, Ian Laffey posted on X that he and two others he’d just met built a cheap drone at a hackathon that calculated its coordinates simply by using its camera and Google Maps. He and his colleagues, Sacha Lévy and Carl Schoeller, were all engineers under the age of 25. The tech

Defense tech Theseus landed Y Combinator, the US Special Forces and $4.3M from a tweet Read More »

How a hydrogen explosion led a teenage founder to become Sequoia’s first defense tech investment

Startups /

As Sequoia Capital’s first defense tech investment, Mach Industries is an industry darling, raising over $80 million since its founding in 2023. Its founder, Ethan Thornton, now 21, began Mach as a teenage MIT student before dropping out to focus full-time on his startup. But a few months before landing a seed investment from Sequoia

How a hydrogen explosion led a teenage founder to become Sequoia’s first defense tech investment Read More »

Construct Capital raises $300M fund for defense and manufacturing tech

Venture /

Construct Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in startups applying technology to sectors like manufacturing, transportation, and defense, has closed its third fund with $300 million in capital commitments. The Washington D.C.-based firm previously raised a $225 million second fund and a $75 million capital pool for later-stage companies in 2022. While many

Construct Capital raises $300M fund for defense and manufacturing tech Read More »

Y Combinator’s police surveillance darling Flock Safety raises $275M at $7.5B valuation

Venture /

Flock Safety and one of its long-time VCs, Bedrock Capital, announced Thursday that the startup raised a fresh $275 million at a $7.5 billion valuation. Flock makes computer vision-enabled video surveillance technology used by law enforcement as well as businesses, property management companies, and so on. It’s best known for its automatic license plate recognition

Y Combinator’s police surveillance darling Flock Safety raises $275M at $7.5B valuation Read More »

Shield AI raises $240M at a $5.3B valuation to commercialize its AI drone tech

Startups /

Shield AI, the San Diego defense tech startup that builds drones and other AI-powered military systems, has raised a $240 million round at a $5.3 billion valuation, it announced today. Shield AI says its Hivemind software already enables fighter jets and drones to fly autonomously. Now, Shield AI wants to sell Hivemind to a broader

Shield AI raises $240M at a $5.3B valuation to commercialize its AI drone tech Read More »

Alpine Eagle secures funding from European backers for counter-drone tech amid rising threats

Startups /

The war in Ukraine has brought drones to the forefront of modern warfare, creating a surge in demand for counter-drone systems. However, legacy solutions to counter drones, such as ground-based defense systems and cyber warfare, often come with a hefty price tag. For German startup Alpine Eagle, these solutions fall short: When now-ubiquitous $500 first-person

Alpine Eagle secures funding from European backers for counter-drone tech amid rising threats Read More »