Shield AI is riding high after its V-BAT surveillance drone proved resilient against Russian jamming in Ukraine, executing over 35 missions in 2025. The company, now valued at $5.6 billion, has brought in new CEO Gary Steele to scale the business, with a goal of hitting $1 billion in annual revenue
The hype says AI will replace developers. The reality from an early-stage startup is far more nuanced. AI is transforming how small teams build and ship, but it’s amplifying both good and bad judgment at a blistering pace.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has ended its financial support for FWD.us, the advocacy group Mark Zuckerberg helped start in 2013. This formalizes a shift away from social advocacy that began in late 2022, aligning with Zuckerberg’s recent political and business maneuvers.
Radiant Industries, backed by Equinix, has secured over $300 million in new funding. The cash will fuel its push to commercialize the Kaleidos, a 1.2MW microreactor it plans to mass-produce starting in 2028.
The Copenhagen-based company uses fermentation to create sustainable flavors for the beverage industry. This new funding brings its total raised to €20 million in just three years.
A new Seattle startup founded by a former Google healthcare director is using AI to automate the earliest stages of drug discovery. Pauling.AI claims its “scientist-as-a-service” platform can complete tasks in weeks that traditionally took three to six months. The goal is to make developing treatmen
A new platform called YouWare is betting on “vibe coding,” using AI to turn natural language descriptions into full-stack applications. It promises to handle everything from the database to deployment for a flat $20 monthly fee.
Quantum Art, an Israeli quantum computing firm, has closed a $100 million Series A funding round. The company is developing full-stack systems based on trapped-ion qubits and aims to accelerate its path to a 1,000-qubit machine.
The team behind the Tomorrowland festival is applying its community-building skills to corporate innovation. Their Impact Circle network is now a key partner for the European Innovation Council, creating targeted matches between large companies and cutting-edge startups.
The board of UK fintech Monzo reportedly forced CEO TS Anil to step down. The key issues were a clash over when to take the company public and concerns over his long-term commitment post-listing.
