What Defense Tech Firms Can Learn From Formula 1; Anduril Valued at $30B+

INNOVATION

What Defense Tech Firms Can Learn From Formula One

xcitement about self-driving taxis and small autonomous drones is exposing a dividing line between systems that operate at relatively slow speeds and the increasing challenges posed by systems operating at the speed of war. Government contractor Booz Allen Hamilton is looking to Formula One car racing to gain a combat edge for autonomous military vehicles.

“Doing autonomy slowly is something that we’re getting better and better at,” Bill Vass, the company’s chief technology officer, said June 3. “Autonomy at speed is very hard. . . . Whether it’s an aircraft or a missile or an autonomous vehicle, on the battlefield, you have to move fast.”

How Can We Measure if Defense Innovation Works?

The Pentagon still lacks clear ways to measure if the organizations charged with innovation in the Department of Defense actually work.

In 1964, the federal government funded 67 percent of research and development in the United States. By 2020, that figure had fallen to 21 percent. With defense budgets remaining relatively flat, it is more important than ever for the Department of Defense to adopt commercial technology.

Pentagon Hopes to Find ‘Low-Collateral’ Tech for Downing Drones

The Pentagon is seeking ways to down hostile drones to defend military bases without endangering nearby civilians or infrastructure—and it wants solutions soon.

INVESTMENT

Defense tech giant Anduril now valued at over $30 billion

Anduril announced that its revenue nearly doubled to $1 billion in 2024, plus it secured around $1.5 billion in total contract value.

Atticus eyes $2 billion valuation via defense-tech CEO fundraise: report

Atticus was founded by Owen Rapaport — who previously launched the digital asset management and securities trading compliance firm Aer Compliance — and Jacob Hirschman, formerly Circle's special counsel of products and regulatory affairs and current advisor to the firm.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Mission before money: How Europe's defense startups are luring AI talent

Some European tech workers who might once have headed to the United States are looking at defense startups closer to home. Others are rushing back to Europe from jobs abroad.

A sense of patriotism stirred by the war in Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump's upending of security alliances is a motivation for many, as well as the opportunity to make money as European governments boost military spending.

For others, it's the appeal of working on cutting-edge battlefield applications that use artificial intelligence.

Autonomous AI War Technology Delivers Killer Robots

AI systems are designed to always carry out the mission. A software logic problem in special situations is a worst-case scenario that we must expect

How AI Is Changing Warfare with Brian Schimpf, CEO of Anduril

Anduril reimagined how startups can build software and hardware for the defense sector. Now, they’re using AI to reimagine modern warfare.

Speaking with a16z Growth General Partner David George, Anduril cofounder and CEO Brian Schimpf discusses how AI helps humans make better strategic decisions by sorting through the enormous amount of data collected from modern battlefields.

The AI Arms Race: How LLMS are shaping the Future of intelligence?

The rapid evolution of Large Language Models (LLMs) has sparked an unprecedented race among tech giants and startups alike. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, Anthropic’s Claude, DeepSeek, and Elon Musk’s Grok are all vying for dominance in a market that is projected to grow from USD 214.6 billion in 2024 to USD 1339.1 billion in 2030.

This competition is not just about technological superiority, it is about shaping the future of work, education, and human-machine interaction. But as these models grow more powerful, the stakes are becoming increasingly high, raising critical questions about ethics, accessibility, water usage and the concentration of power.

Army-Funded AI Tool Can Predict How Entire Cities React in Real Time to Crisis and Chaos

As cities become increasingly complex and unpredictable, research backed by the U.S. Army Research Office has quietly introduced an AI-powered tool capable of mapping and forecasting urban population behavior in real time.

Developed by a team at Manchester Metropolitan University, the system leverages the power of machine learning and geolocated social media data to reveal how city populations adapt during crises, from pandemics to civil unrest.

TECHNOLOGY

From Europe to Asia: Why Israel’s defense tech is in high demand

In 2024, Israel hit a record $14.7 billion in defense exports, driven by European demand for its advanced, battle-proven systems and strengthened by global partnerships.

Plans for 'AI Fight Club' of defense, tech companies brewing in Washington

Top defense and technology companies are creating new battlefield simulations generated by powerful artificial intelligence models in hopes of stopping war from breaking out around the globe.

Lockheed Martin is assembling an “AI Fight Club.” Google is working toward creating digital twins of various battlefields that could be used, for example, to deter an invasion of Taiwan. These are just two of many AI projects in the pipeline from developers chasing large defense contracts in Washington.

SPACE

Infrasound Technology Proves Critical for Planetary Defense Against Threats from Outer Space

A Sandia Labs scientist specializing in tracking the angle of objects entering Earth’s atmosphere has demonstrated how an existing network of infrasound technology-based sensors designed to detect potential nuclear weapon tests can be adapted for planetary defense.

The novel use of this technology can provide a defense against potential dangers from outer space, including discarded tools, defunct satellites, and other pieces of space junk currently encircling the planet.