VC Giants Back LA Defense Tech Startup; Defense Dealmaking in the Year of Disruption

INNOVATION

Tech startups in the European defense sector

A defense tech start-up ecosystem is developing in Europe as countries look to boost innovation in defense capabilities.

Three Ways to Build EU Defense

As the US prepares to cut support for “free-loading” Europeans, the continent has a plan to rapidly scale-up its defenses. How should it ensure delivery?

China claims new stealth tech could evade US' Golden Dome defense system

The high-performance stealth material is capable of operating across multiple detection ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, even at temperatures reaching 1,292°F.

20 Israeli Defense Firms Showcase New Tech at DSEI Japan 2025

The delegation was led by the Defense Ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) and Directorate of Defense Research and Development (MAFAT), in collaboration with the Israeli Defense Attaché Office in Japan.

INVESTMENT

VC Giants Back LA Defense Tech Startup

El Segundo based startup CX2 has charted its own impressive course this week, securing $31 million in a Series A round led by Point72 Ventures, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, 8VC, and Pax Ventures, to boost its mission in electronic warfare.

The new funds will help CX2 scale its team and accelerate the development of advanced tools, including autonomous drones and specialized signals-intelligence systems. These innovations promise precision interference without collateral disruptions, addressing critical defense capability gaps identified by industry experts.

2025: Defense Dealmaking in the Year of Disruption

Defense tech disruptors have an opportunity to increase their market position, whereas defense prime contractors will likely look to divest certain non-core assets. For dealmakers, understanding the DoD’s spending priorities and acquisition reform plans will be critical in determining the best strategy for your business.

EIF commits €40m to Keen's European defense tech fund

The fund, which is targeting €125m, will focus on early-stage start-ups across Europe operating in sectors such as cybersecurity, information superiority, robotics, AI, autonomous systems and space technology.

Gigi Levy-Weiss and Redis co-founder Yiftach Shoolman launch defense tech startup Lin

The stealth Israeli startup is the year’s biggest defense-tech Seed deal, as founders turn focus from gaming and cybersecurity to battlefield innovation.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

America’s AI Strategy: Playing Defense While China Plays to Win

America is making a critical mistake in its AI strategy—it is overreaching in playing defense but doing the opposite in playing offense. While Washington is busy building regulatory walls to restrict access to AI compute power (a term encompassing computational resources used to train and run AI models), China is circumventing these barriers and strategically developing asymmetric advantages.

TECHNOLOGY

U.S. Defense Intelligence Flags Rivals' Growing Military Use of Quantum Tech

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has warned that quantum technologies are nearing battlefield relevance, as rival nations invest in quantum sensors, communications and computing in ways that could erode American strategic advantages.

The findings are part of the DIA’s 2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment, which outlines how fast-moving developments in quantum science, artificial intelligence, microelectronics and cyber capabilities are changing the shape of modern warfare.

Trump’s proposed Golden Dome missile defence system – an expert explains the technical challenges involved

The SDI programme – better known by its somewhat mocking nickname of “Star Wars” – sparked a heated debate over its technical feasibility. Ultimately, it would never become operational. But do we now have the technologies to realise the Golden Dome shield – or is this initiative similarly destined to be shelved?

Ukraine pitches high-tech weapons in Paris to transform continental defense

Ukraine, forged in fire, now offers Europe drones and ammunition at the defense symposium.

POLICY

Let’s Put the ‘Tech’ into Military Technology Policy

Power projection is more than projecting military might—a nation’s economic power is the foundation of its capacity to project national power. And technological development is an important component of that power.

In citing its reasoning behind the 1987 Nobel Prize for Economics, given to Robert Solow, the committee wrote: “Technological development will be the motor for economic growth in the long run.”

OUTER SPACE

Space Force still weighing cost, operational advantages of satellite refueling tech

“I think we’re trying to understand the value proposition of refueling and the trades that come with it," Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton said.

What Does the Future of Cybersecurity in Space Look Like?

A new report aims to help policymakers and tech specialists prepare for the future of cybersecurity in outer space.

The report, which is titled Outer Space Cyberattacks, is from California Polytechnic State University's Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group think tank, and it highlights different manners and motivations for cyber attacks in space. It also includes a tool that can help cybersecurity teams create hypothetical threat scenarios. Technologies and threats are constantly evolving, and as such, it's important to consider a wide variety of hypothetical near- and far-future concerns.