August 19th 2025

INNOVATION

Palantir Mafia Raises $6B for AI, Defense Startups, Echoing PayPal Legacy

Former Palantir employees, dubbed the "Palantir Mafia," are launching startups in AI, data, and defense, raising over $6 billion and echoing the PayPal Mafia's influence. Key ventures like Anduril and Scale AI challenge incumbents amid ethical concerns. This network is reshaping Silicon Valley's innovation landscape.

The New Frontiers of Defense Innovation: How U.S.-India Alliances Are Fueling Global Tech Ecosystems and Investment Opportunities

In an era where geopolitical alliances are no longer just about military might but also about technological supremacy, the U.S.-India defense partnership has emerged as a blueprint for how cross-border collaboration can reshape innovation ecosystems and unlock long-term investment opportunities.

By 2025, this partnership has evolved from a strategic alignment into a full-fledged industrial and technological revolution, with implications that stretch far beyond the Indo-Pacific. For investors, the fusion of U.S. technological expertise and India's manufacturing potential is not just a geopolitical story—it's a high-growth investment thesis.

INVESTMENT

Looking for the next Palantir? BofA says invest in this defense-tech stock

For those overly concerned about PLTR valuation, Virginia-headquartered V2X Inc may be a better pick for exposure to the defence technology market, says a Bank of America analyst.

Why Defense Tech is India's Next Billion-Dollar VC Opportunity

The numbers speak loudly: defense tech startups have attracted over $184 million in VC funding since 2020, with exits via IPOs and acquisitions already demonstrating billion dollar potential

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI is about to reshape command structures that haven’t changed much since Napoleon

Despite two centuries of evolution, the structure of a modern military staff would be recognizable to Napoleon. At the same time, military organizations have struggled to incorporate new technologies as they adapt to new domains – air, space and information – in modern war.

High-Risk AI Models Need Military-Grade Security

The race to develop artificial general intelligence is accelerating, but America’s approach to securing it remains dangerously inadequate. While Washington celebrates its new “AI Action Plan,” which champions a light-touch regulatory model to foster innovation, Chinese intelligence services are very likely targeting American AI labs with sophisticated espionage operations.

TECHNOLOGY

AI flight software maker Merlin set to go public

Merlin is set to go public in a deal that values the company at $800 million and positions it to become one of the first publicly traded prime contractors on the market specializing in autonomous flight software, the company announced Thursday.

Grid Aero Comes Out of Stealth

We’ve said it before and we’ve said it again: Sometimes, the most game-changing tech isn’t flash-bang missiles or one-way attack drones. Sometimes, it’s the less sexy stuff needed to get critical supplies—food, ammo, med kit—to the front as quickly and safely as possible.

Investing in Ukraine’s Defense Edge: A Conversation with Perry Boyle

From a distance, it’s hard to know which new systems being fielded today in Ukraine are truly successful and which are not. How does your team cut through the noise and accurately assess whether a company’s tech has a significant battlefield impact?

The New Arsenal: How Strategic Alliances and Capital Are Fueling Europe's Defense Tech Revolution

The European defense tech sector is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by a perfect storm of geopolitical urgency, supranational coordination, and a surge in venture capital. For investors, this is a rare confluence of policy tailwinds and market dynamics that could redefine the sector's trajectory. Let's break down why this is a golden opportunity—and how to position your portfolio to capitalize on it.

A Q+A with Alex Miller, CTO of the Army

In case you didn’t know, the U.S. Army is trying to change the way it does things.

Since 2023, under Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, the service has launched a program called Transformation in Contact, which pushes new technology out to soldiers for real-time testing in the field. And in May of this year, it kicked off the Army Transformation Initiative, aimed at turning the Army into “a leaner, more lethal force.”

MITS Capital’s CEO on Backing Ukraine’s Defense Tech

Perry Boyle, CEO of MITS Capital, leads one of Ukraines most active defense technology investment groups. Together with co-founders Denys Gurak and Anton Melnyk, he supports startups from early lab stages to large-scale funding, aiming to turn battlefield innovations into scalable companies.