Pentagon

AV Scores $20M AFRL Contract for Ceramic Materials

We talk a lot about all the zoom and go boom hardware around here, but we don’t spend a lot of time talking about the stuff used to make it. That changes today.  Yesterday, AV (the artist formerly known as AeroVironment) announced that it has been awarded a ceramics advanced materials and processes (CAMP) contract […]

Investment

Exclusive: Picogrid Raises $45M Series A 

Picogrid is proving that teamwork really does make the dream work. This morning, the El Segundo-based hardware and software integration startup announced in an exclusive release to Tectonic that it has raised $45M in a Series A led by Bessemer Venture Partners to expand its product family, increase deployments, and take its integration tech into […]

Pentagon

Hermeus Scores $159M DIU Contract Extension

Well, the go-fast guys are back with some super-speedy contract news.  This morning, hypersonic aircraft startup Hermeus announced that it’s scored a $159M contract modification from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to continue developing hypersonic airdraft and “demonstrate high-Mach flight and high-speed payload release.” The OG contract was awarded back in 2023 and now has […]

Tech

Kraken and Davie Team Up to Build USVs in Canada

Kraken is stepping things up in the Commonwealth.  Yesterday, the UK-based unmanned surface vessel (USV) startup announced a partnership with Canadian shipbuilding giant Davie to manufacture its USVs in Québec, starting with its flagship K3 Scout speedboat-drone. Zoom zoom (said in a Québecois accent).  Small and speedy: Kraken, if you’ve been paying attention to the […]

Investment

Airis Labs Emerges from Stealth with $60M

Another day, another pile of cash being poured into defense and security AI. This morning, US-Israeli AI startup Airis Labs emerged from stealth with $60M in funding and a mission to take all of the video out there and turn it into actionable intelligence. A big chunk of that cash comes from a $31M Series […]

Investment

RevEng.AI Raises $15M Led by the NIF

We’re back with some super-cyber nuts and bolts, friends.  This morning, AI-for-cybersecurity startup RevEng.AI announced that it’s raised a $15M Series A to further advance its cyberthreat-detecting AI software and expand into the United States. The round was led by the NATO Innovation Fund with participation from Sands Capital, In-Q-Tel (IQT), IQ Capital, and Episode […]

Tech

Exclusive: Rune Rolls Out Autonomous Vehicle Logistics Kit

By now (unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past few years), you’re probably well aware that the US military is going all-in on autonomous vehicles. And if you read Tectonic, you’ll know that there are a whole lot of companies making them.  When those many thousands of autonomous vehicles are fielded, each […]

Tech

Vector-SR2 Team Unveils a Saudi-built Shahed Drone Clone

Looks like Saudi Arabia and Utah have more in common than deserts.  SR2Vector, a joint venture between Saudi Arabia’s SR2 Defense Systems and Utah-based startup Vector, has unveiled a co-produced Shahed-esque (or in US terms, LUCAS-esque) long-range one-way attack drone called SKYWASP, which’ll be manufactured at the JV’s upcoming factory near Riyadh. The news was […]

PentagonPolicy

Exclusive: A First Look at SVDG’s NatSec100

Well, guys. The moment you’ve all been waiting for is here.  This morning, the Silicon Valley Defense Group released its fourth annual NatSec100 report, looking at the state of things in our cute lil’ defense tech world and the companies dominating the game. And lucky for you, we here at Tectonic got an exclusive first […]

EuropeInvestment

Earlybird and AVP Reportedly Raising €500M Defense Fund. 

Well, seems the Europeans are getting super serious about investing in their defense. Yesterday, Sifted reported that Earlybird Ventures is teaming up with Paris-based AVP (the artist formerly known as AXA Venture Partners) to raise a €500M fund focused on defense. The reported raise comes just a few weeks after Earlybird announced that it’s closed […]