💎 Gemist Powers Custom Jewelry with Plug-and-Play 3D Design Platform

Gemist, a Los Angeles–based startup transforming how fine jewelry is designed and sold, has raised a $6M seed round to expand its white-labeled SaaS platform. The round was led by Entrada Ventures, with participation from Artemis Fund, Beechwood Capital, and others, bringing its total funding to $9M.

🧠 3D customization made simple for jewelers
• Photoreal visualization engine lets customers design and preview jewelry in real time
• Covers dynamic pricing, e-commerce, and production management in one platform
• Requires no CAD expertise—jewelers can launch with zero dev effort

📈 Faster sales, bigger baskets
• Retailers report 400% faster sales cycles and 300% higher average order values
• Over 14,000 custom pieces are designed weekly across web, mobile, and in-store
• Integrates seamlessly with existing commerce workflows

👑 Founder-led with a sharp pivot
• CEO Madeline Fraser shifted Gemist from DTC to B2B SaaS in 2022 after seeing broader demand
• Founded out of personal frustration trying to customize a ring online
• Now focused on enabling small and mid-sized jewelers to compete with luxury digital experiences

As jewelry buyers demand personalization and transparency, Gemist is arming retailers with the tools to deliver both—no showroom or 6-week CAD cycle required.

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📦 Levelpath Rebuilds Enterprise Procurement with AI-Native UX

Levelpath, a San Francisco–based startup modernizing procurement software, has raised a $55M Series B led by Battery Ventures, with continued backing from Benchmark and Redpoint. The company is founded by the creators of Scout RFP (acquired by Workday for $540M) and aims to make enterprise purchasing as smooth as consumer apps.

🛸 AI-first from the ground up
• Built post-ChatGPT, so generative AI powers workflows from contract review to vendor insights
• Helps users avoid “rogue spend” by automatically surfacing approved, lower-cost alternatives
• Modern UI/UX designed for employees outside procurement—mobile-ready and intuitive

📊 Big logos, bigger ambition
• Customers include Ace Hardware, Amgen, SiriusXM, and Coupang
• Revenue expected to quadruple in 2025
• Competing in a $7.3B+ market alongside Coupa, Ariba, and Zip

🧬 Veteran founders, repeat playbook
• Founders Stan Garber and Alex Yakubovich previously built and sold Scout RFP
• Learned from Workday what legacy systems still couldn’t solve
• Battery’s Neeraj Agrawal—who also backed Coupa—joins the board

Procurement is often the second-largest cost center after payroll—Levelpath wants to make managing it as easy as shopping online.

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🛡️ Cato Networks Scales Secure Cloud Access

Cato Networks, a Tel Aviv–based cybersecurity company offering an all-in-one cloud-native SASE platform, has raised a $359M Series G at a $4.8B valuation. The round was led by Vitruvian Partners and ION Crossover Partners, with continued backing from Lightspeed, Acrew, and Adams Street. Total funding now exceeds $1B as the company gears up for IPO flexibility.

🔒 Unified security and networking, AI-accelerated
• Combines SD-WAN and security (SASE) into one globally distributed platform
• AI detects threats across access points, users, and traffic without siloed tools
• Replaces dozens of legacy point products—built for hybrid and remote enterprises

📈 Scaling fast with global traction
• 3,500+ enterprise customers across 150+ countries
• 46% YoY ARR growth in 2024; estimated $250M+ in recurring revenue
• Fresh capital fuels AI upgrades, R&D, and deeper international market penetration

🔺 Veteran founder, IPO-ready team
• CEO Shlomo Kramer co-founded Check Point and Imperva—two iconic cybersecurity exits
• Company exploring 2025 IPO but no rush: “we can press the button when the time is right”
• 30% of round (~$120M) set aside for secondary—early employees get liquidity

Cato’s cloud-first, AI-enhanced platform offers enterprises a simplified path to secure, scalable access—and a likely IPO bell-ringer.

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🛰️ Skynopy Simplifies Satellite Connectivity with API-First Ground Network

Skynopy, a Paris-based spacetech startup, has raised a €15M (~$16.2M) seed round to expand its hybrid ground station network for satellite operators. The round was led by Alven, with participation from Expansion Ventures, Omnes, Heartcore, and CNES-backed SpaceFounders. Skynopy aims to make connecting satellites to Earth as easy as managing a smartphone.

🛸 Ground ops, streamlined like cloud
• API-first platform lets operators book downlink sessions in minutes
• Hybrid model blends Skynopy antennas with integrated partner stations across multiple bands
• Virtualized modems, real-time orchestration, and usage-based pricing eliminate CAPEX headaches

📡 Fast data, zero friction
• Enables 20-minute revisit times and 2x more data per satellite pass
• Strategic partners include AWS, Airbus Defense & Space, and Kinéis
• AKAR network roadmap aims for 100+ connected ground stations by 2028

👩‍🚀 Founder-led with deep space chops
• CEO Pierre Bertrand and CTO Antonin Hirsch previously engineered satellite ops at Loft Orbital
• Frustrated by ground segment bottlenecks, they built Skynopy from the ground up in 2023
• Vision: orbital connectivity as seamless, scalable, and flexible as cloud computing

In a space industry racing toward real-time data, Skynopy is redefining the ground segment as software-first, API-powered, and ready for scale.

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✉️ Grammarly Acquires Superhuman to Build the AI Productivity Stack

Grammarly, the writing assistant turned AI work platform, has acquired email startup Superhuman in a move to expand beyond grammar and dominate the AI-powered workplace. The deal comes weeks after Grammarly raised $1B from General Catalyst to accelerate its product roadmap and acquisitions.

🔒 Precision writing meets premium email UX
• Superhuman adds lightning-fast, AI-enhanced email to Grammarly’s productivity suite
• Known for minimalist design, keyboard speed, and productivity coaching
• 5× growth in AI-written messages among users; 72% more emails processed per hour
• Builds on Grammarly’s 2024 acquisition of Coda to unify docs, email, and workflows

📈 Platform expansion with power users in mind
• Email is still the #1 workspace surface—professionals spend 3+ hours daily in inboxes
• Superhuman team (100+ people) joins Grammarly; brand and product remain intact
• CEO Rahul Vohra joins Grammarly’s leadership team alongside CEO Shashir Mehrotra
• Targets power users and knowledge workers seeking speed, clarity, and AI-native flow

🔺 Full-stack ambition against Big Tech
• Grammarly now spans writing, collaboration, and communication—an AI-powered “OS for work”
• Positioned as a sleek alternative to Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce ecosystems
• Email becomes the control layer for Grammarly’s AI copilots—actionable insights, auto‑drafts, smart scheduling

With Superhuman under its wing, Grammarly is becoming more than a writing tool—it’s evolving into an intelligent command center for the modern knowledge worker.

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📢 Deeto Turns Customer Voice into a GTM Powerhouse

Deeto, a New York–based startup helping companies scale customer advocacy with AI, has raised a $12.5M Series A led by Jump Capital, bringing total funding to $17M. The platform automates the capture and delivery of customer proof to accelerate deals, personalize buyer journeys, and boost GTM conversion.

🧠 Smart advocacy, delivered with AI
• AI curates customer stories and routes them based on persona, stage, and channel
• Auto-generates proof content and surfaces it across websites, sales decks, and CRMs
• Replaces static testimonials with dynamic, contextual, and scalable social proof
• Integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Gong, and other GTM tools for seamless activation

📈 Gaining traction with modern GTM teams
• Used by teams at Dropbox, Atlassian, 6Sense, Klaviyo, and Bloomreach
• Helps sellers and marketers build trust without waiting on case studies
• Removes advocacy bottlenecks—no more wrangling references or creating one-off assets

🔺 Mission-led founders, expansion-ready
• CEO Eran Baron leads a team with deep AI, SaaS, and go-to-market expertise
• Funds will scale product, deepen integrations, and grow sales and success teams
• Positioned as the “customer layer” for modern revenue teams in PLG and enterprise motions

Deeto isn’t just collecting testimonials—it’s automating the voice of the customer as a high-conversion GTM asset at every touchpoint.

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🛍️ Remark Blends Human Expertise with AI to Supercharge Online Shopping

Remark, a Boston-based startup enhancing e-commerce with live experts and AI personas, has raised a $16M Series A led by Inspired Capital, with backing from Stripe, Neo, Spero Ventures, Shine Capital, and Visible Ventures. The company is building the human-AI layer that helps shoppers convert with confidence—at scale.

🧠 AI meets real-time human expertise
• Combines live expert chat with AI-trained personas that guide buyers through complex purchases
• Converts static product pages into interactive, personalized experiences
• Auto-generates follow-ups, content, and insights that extend beyond chat windows
• Lifts conversions to 28% vs the e-commerce average of ~1.5%

📈 Scaling with commerce momentum
• 60,000+ vetted experts on the platform; top earners make $60K–$70K/year
• Retailers using Remark report ~10% increase in net revenue
• Expanding into verticals like skincare, fitness, nutrition, and consumer tech

🔺 Founder-led with a sharp product edge
• CEO Theo Satloff brings deep expertise in commerce and consumer UX
• New capital will grow the team (~25 today), deepen AI training, and expand expert coverage
• Positioned as the personalized interface layer between shoppers and online stores

Remark isn’t just adding chat to e-commerce—it’s redefining digital retail with scalable, human-powered AI that closes the gap between clicks and conversions.

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💻 Hinge Health Taps AI to Automate Care Delivery

Digital health company Hinge Health has gone public with a $2.6 billion valuation and is now leaning heavily on AI to transform how musculoskeletal care is delivered—largely without human intervention.

🧠 AI-led physical therapy
• 95% of clinician tasks now automated using Hinge’s in-house AI tools
• Combines wearable sensors, computer vision, and personalized exercise plans
• Helps boost efficiency while maintaining strong patient outcomes

📈 Profitable and scaling fast
• Q1 2025: $123.8M in revenue and $17.1M profit with 81% gross margins
• Uses AI automation to reduce costs and deliver virtual care at scale
• Now expanding into new specialties, with broader offerings launching this summer

🦾 Reinventing care with automation
• AI adjusts treatment plans in real time based on motion tracking
• Vision is to become the go-to platform for home-based chronic pain management
• Goal: replace fragmented physical therapy with seamless virtual-first care

🚀 IPO opens the digital health floodgates
• One of the first profitable healthtech IPOs in years
• Proving automation-first care can drive both impact and financial results
• Sets a new playbook for startups like Omada and Sword Health considering public listings

Hinge Health’s automation-first strategy could reshape how care is delivered—and who delivers it.

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🌍 Climeworks Scales Direct Air Capture to Tackle Climate at Gigaton Level

Climeworks, the Swiss pioneer in direct air capture (DAC), has raised $162M in fresh equity funding to accelerate the rollout of its third-generation carbon removal technology. The round was led by BigPoint Holding and Partners Group, bringing total capital raised to over $1B—marking the largest carbon removal investment of 2025 so far.

⚙️ Breakthrough tech for scalable carbon removal
• New Gen‑3 DAC modules double energy efficiency and extend filter lifespan
• Focused on scaling plants like Mammoth in Iceland—among the largest in the world
• Integrated with renewable geothermal energy for low-carbon operations
• Portfolio now includes a hybrid of engineered DAC and nature-based solutions

📊 Growing market, growing demand
• Climeworks holds over 6M tons in signed carbon removal contracts
• Corporate demand doubling YoY: >16M tons purchased in 2025 so far
• Aims to capture a slice of the projected $1T carbon removal market by 2050
• Existing clients include Microsoft, Shopify, and BCG

🧭 Long-game leadership in climate infrastructure
• Founded in 2009 by ETH Zurich engineers Jan Wurzbacher and Christoph Gebald
• Strategic push into new markets: U.S., Canada, U.K., Saudi Arabia
• This round fuels tech scale-up and new plant development, including in North America
• Blended model positions Climeworks as both premium DAC provider and full-stack CDR platform

Climeworks is shaping the future of climate tech by proving that large-scale, engineered carbon removal is real, fundable, and here to stay.

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⚡ Dexter Energy Scales AI Trading to Maximize Renewable Power Profits

Dexter Energy, an Amsterdam-based climate tech startup, has raised a €23M Series C to expand its AI-powered forecasting and trading optimization platform for renewables and battery assets. The round was led by Alantra’s Klima fund, with participation from Mirova, ETF Partners, Newion, and PDENH.

🛸 AI for grid-aware energy trading
• Combines weather, price, and grid data to forecast and optimize renewable energy trades
• Covers day-ahead, intraday, and real-time imbalance markets
• Platform helps wind, solar, and battery operators lift revenues by up to 30%
• Already supports >80 clients including Centrica, Pure Energie, and Luminus

📈 Riding the clean energy inflection point
• Renewables make up 47% of Europe’s power mix, en route to 70% by 2030
• Rising volatility and balancing costs are squeezing producer margins
• Dexter operates in 9 countries with a team of ~90 and plans to expand further into Europe
• New tools for battery trading will help producers monetize storage more efficiently

🌍 Founder-led with deep market traction
• CEO Luuk Veeken founded Dexter in 2017 to bring AI to energy trading
• This round will grow the team, improve models, and expand into new geographies
• Strategic investors back Dexter as a key enabler of grid-stable, renewables-first systems

Dexter is becoming the intelligent control layer that helps Europe’s clean energy system run profitably, flexibly—and in real time.

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🚀 Castelion Brings Hypersonic Missiles into the Startup Era

Castelion, a defense startup founded by ex-SpaceX engineers, is raising a $350M Series B to scale production of its Blackbeard hypersonic missile system. The round, led by Lightspeed and Altimeter, comes just six months after its $100M Series A and positions Castelion as a serious challenger to legacy primes like Raytheon and Lockheed.

⚙️ Fast, flexible missile manufacturing
• Taking a “SpaceX-style” approach to hypersonic R&D: rapid iteration, in-house hardware, frequent tests
• Blackbeard GL promises ~80% of top-end hypersonic performance at a fraction of the cost
• Designed to launch from existing systems like HIMARS—no new hardware needed
• First vehicle test completed in March 2025 in Mojave Desert, showing early proof of viability

📊 Strategic tailwinds and real traction
• Featured in U.S. Army’s 2026 budget with $25M allocation for Project HX3
• DoD backing includes grants from Air Force Research Lab and Naval Air Systems Command
• Roadmap: prototype demo in 2026, 10 missiles delivered in 2027, potential full-scale deployment in 2028
• Raises the bar for affordability and adaptability in the hypersonic arms race

🧭 Founders bringing new DNA to defense
• Founded in 2023 by former SpaceX and defense engineers with deep aerospace manufacturing expertise
• Emphasizes cost-efficiency, speed, and interoperability across military systems
• Fast funding pace signals investor confidence in dual-use defense tech
• Poised to upend the defense-industrial status quo with venture-style scaling

Castelion is aiming to do for hypersonics what SpaceX did for rockets: build faster, cheaper, and smarter—and win big in the next wave of national defense tech.

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🛸 Accel Leads Round for Swedish “Vibe Coding” AI Star Lovable

Accel is leading a $150 million funding round in Stockholm-based AI startup Lovable, which is closing in on a $1.8–2 billion valuation . The investment follows a $15M pre‑Series A in February and comes less than six months after launch.

⚙️ Democratizing App Creation with AI
• Lovable enables anyone—even non‑coders—to build full-fledged apps and websites using simple text prompts .
• The platform integrates top-tier AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Gemini to generate complete front‑ and backend code .
• Within just seven months of launch, it reached $75 million ARR and amassed over 30,000 paying users .
• Dubbed “vibe coding” — a term credited to Andrej Karpathy — it allows users to build by feel and language rather than syntax .

📊 Explosive Growth & Market Position
• Lovable saw ARR skyrocket from $17M in early 2025 to $75M by mid‑2025 .
• It was named one of Europe’s fastest‑growing SaaS startups, topping Sifted’s B2B SaaS Rising 100 .
• Positioned in a competitive field alongside Cursor (Anysphere), GitHub Copilot, and Replit, Lovable stands out by targeting non‑technical founders and small businesses .

🧭 Strategic Vision: Global Scaling & Toolbox Integration
• Founded in 2023 by Anton Osika and Fabian Hedin, veterans of Depict.ai and assistive technology .
• Initial pre‑seed and pre‑Series A rounds led by Creandum, Hummingbird Ventures, and prominent angels including Charlie Songhurst and Thomas Wolf .
• Upcoming round fuels expansion of deep integrations (e.g., Supabase, GitHub), international scaling, and enhancements to backend capabilities.

Lovable is proving that truly no‑code AI development is scalable, fast, and investor‑backable—positioning itself as a European powerhouse in generative AI for app creation.

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🔍 Peec AI Helps Brands Win in the Age of AI-Powered Search

Berlin-based Peec AI has raised €7M across pre-seed and seed rounds just months after launching in January 2025. The latest €5.2M seed was led by 20VC, following a €1.8M pre-seed backed by Antler, Foreword VC, Identity.VC, Combination VC, and S20. The startup helps marketing teams measure and improve visibility across AI-native search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

⚙️ Tools for the new search frontier
• Analytics platform tracks brand mentions and rankings in generative search results
• Provides insights to optimize content for LLM-based tools—what they call “GEO” (Generative Engine Optimization)
• Helps marketers adapt strategies as AI chat replaces traditional search
• Integrates with popular AI assistants and search platforms including Perplexity and ChatGPT

📊 Early traction and fast-growing demand
• Hit €650K ARR within 4 months, with revenue growing €80K per week
• Adoption driven by AI-native marketing teams, agencies, and B2B SaaS startups
• Tapping into a growing need for brand visibility as organic search shifts from links to answers
• Fundraise closed quickly due to strong investor conviction around market timing

🧭 Founders navigating the next marketing paradigm
• Founded by Marius Meiners, Tobias Siwonia, and Daniel Drabo during Antler’s Berlin residency
• Team brings experience in law-tech, esports, and enterprise software
• Vision: become the “SEO for AI agents” by owning the GEO category
• Investors back their deep conviction that AI-native discovery will reshape digital marketing

Peec AI is placing a bold bet that where AI answers go, brand strategy must follow—and it’s arming marketers with the tools to lead that shift.

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⚡️ AssetCool Boosts Grid Capacity with Smart Coatings and Robotic Upgrades

UK-based AssetCool has raised €11.5M (~£10M) in a Series A round led by Energy Impact Partners, with backing from Extantia Capital, Taronga Group, Mercia (via the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund), and Northern Gritstone. The startup develops nanotech-powered coatings and robotic systems to help utilities upgrade power lines without rebuilding infrastructure.

⚙️ Nanotech meets robotics for power lines
• Coatings increase conductor thermal capacity by up to 30%—enabling higher current flow
• Robotic platform, CapacityN, applies coatings directly on live lines at a fraction of traditional upgrade costs
• Robots also capture line data to feed AI-driven grid optimization
• Additional benefits: corrosion protection, ice resistance, and noise reduction in development

📊 Fast, affordable solutions for strained grids
• Helps utilities unlock capacity on aging infrastructure amid rising electrification needs
• Upgrades lines 20x cheaper and significantly faster than full replacement
• Already deployed across multiple international utility networks
• Funded in part by Innovate UK Smart Grant to expand capabilities

🧭 Scaling with strong investor tailwinds
• Founded in Leeds, U.K., and built to tackle grid upgrade bottlenecks globally
• New funding to support commercialization, team growth, and international expansion
• Strategic alignment with Energy Impact Partners’ global utility network for customer scaling
• Part of a growing class of “retrofit-first” gridtech startups solving for the energy transition

AssetCool is proving that sometimes the smartest way to build the future grid is to upgrade the one we’ve already got—faster, cheaper, and smarter.

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🇬🇷 Natech Builds Banking Infrastructure for Europe’s Next-Gen Finance

Natech, a Greek core banking and BaaS provider, has raised a $33M Series B to expand its modular banking platform across Europe. The round includes $26M in equity and $7M in low-interest debt from strategic fintech and banking investors. The funding supports Natech’s tech upgrades, neobank launch, and push into embedded finance.

⚙️ Modular tech for modern banking
• Offers a composable core banking system, BaaS, and embedded finance tools
• Building toward a fully cloud-native, AI-enhanced banking platform
• Powers banks, fintechs, and soon Snappi—a neobank backed by Natech, Piraeus Bank, and Neptune
• Targets institutions seeking cost-effective, modern infrastructure across Europe

📊 Scaling into Germany, Italy, and CEE
• Customers include incumbent banks and fintechs with 100% client retention
• New capital fuels expansion into Germany, Italy, and Central & Eastern Europe
• Strengthens embedded finance features to support B2B and B2C partners
• Reinforced leadership: new CTO and CPO added earlier this year

🧭 Strategic execution ahead of Series C
• Led by Deputy CEO Mathias Schütz, with global fintech and product experience
• Preparing for a Series C to deepen AI capabilities and broaden European footprint
• Natech aims to become the infrastructure layer for regional neobanks and fintech challengers

With Snappi’s launch on deck and embedded finance on the rise, Natech is quietly building the rails for Europe’s next banking evolution.

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🔒 Palmer Luckey Launches Erebor, a Crypto-Friendly Bank for Frontier Tech

Oculus and Anduril founder Palmer Luckey has unveiled Erebor, a digital-first bank built for high-risk, high-growth sectors like crypto, AI, defense, and advanced manufacturing. Backed by Palantir’s Joe Lonsdale and Founders Fund, Erebor is applying for a U.S. national bank charter to serve startups underserved by traditional banks post-SVB.

☎️A modern bank for innovation-first startups
• Fully remote, with HQ in Columbus and presence in NYC
• Combines traditional business banking with stablecoin services
• Designed for U.S. and global firms needing secure access to U.S. banking
• Tailored to the compliance needs of crypto and frontier-tech companies

🔗 Regulated, crypto-compatible infrastructure
• Plans to be the most regulated stablecoin-friendly bank in the U.S.
• Built by fintech and compliance veterans from Circle and Aer Compliance
• Strong digital onboarding and risk oversight baked into core design

💸 Backed by top-tier venture capital
• Funded by Joe Lonsdale (8VC), Founders Fund, and Luckey himself
• Launch fills a critical gap for startups locked out of legacy banking
• Investors betting big on a purpose-built SVB successor

🧠 A Tolkien-inspired banking mission
• “Erebor” symbolizes resilience and independence in finance
• Vision: power the financial backbone for the builders of tomorrow

Erebor is positioning itself as the go-to bank for the innovation economy—regulated, digital, and built to serve those reshaping the future.

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🔍 Dexter Energy Raises €23M to Scale AI-Powered Renewable Trading

Amsterdam-based Dexter Energy has raised €23 million in a Series C round led by Klima (Alantra), with participation from Mirova, ETF Partners, Newion, and PDENH. The funding will accelerate expansion of its AI-based forecasting and trading platform for renewables and battery assets.

⚙️ Optimizing clean energy with AI
• Tools for day-ahead, intraday, and imbalance market trading
• Reduces balancing costs by up to 35%, boosts wholesale revenue by 30%
• Enables smart trading for wind, solar, and storage portfolios

📈 Fast growth and strong market fit
• Serves over 80 energy companies in 9 European countries
• Clients include Centrica, Pure Energie, and Luminus
• Team of 90 experts in ML, quant trading, and energy meteorology

💡Climate-focused investor backing
• Klima and Mirova highlight Dexter’s impact on energy transition
• Funding supports scaling across Europe as renewables rise
• Aligns with push toward 70% renewable grid share by 2030

Dexter Energy is arming renewable operators with intelligent trading tools to navigate Europe’s fast-changing power markets—and fueling the clean energy shift with data-driven precision.

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🧠 Surge AI Seeks Valuation in First-Ever Raise

Bootstrapped data-labeling startup Surge AI is reportedly in talks to raise up to $1 billion at a valuation above $15 billion. The San Francisco–based company, founded by former Google and Meta engineer Edwin Chen, has operated profitably without external funding—until now.

⚙️ Premium data labeling for the AI era
• Specializes in high-precision RLHF and LLM training data
• Built a network of expert contractors for quality-first labeling
• Delivered over $1B in 2024 revenue—surpassing Scale AI’s $870M

📉 Capitalizing on Scale AI setbacks
• Scale lost clients like OpenAI and Google amid Meta ties
• CEO Alexandr Wang departed; concerns over neutrality rose
• Surge seen as independent alternative in an AI-critical market

📈 Raising to scale a lean, profitable model
• Team of ~116 with high efficiency and strong margins
• Potential raise includes primary capital and employee liquidity
• Positions Surge as top-tier rival in human-in-the-loop AI workflows

Surge AI is breaking out of stealth with strong fundamentals and bold fundraising goals—poised to reshape the data infrastructure powering next-gen AI systems.

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⚙️ Castelion Builds Hypersonic Weapons to Reinvent U.S. Defense

Castelion, founded by ex‑SpaceX engineers, has raised $100M to mass‑produce affordable hypersonic missiles. The startup is targeting fast, scalable deterrence for the U.S. and its allies.

🚀 High-speed, low-cost strike systems
• Vertically integrates rocket motors, avionics, and heat shields
• Completed 3 hypersonic test flights in 30 days
• Focuses on agile, iterative development cycles

🎯 Serving critical defense needs
• Contracted by the Navy, Air Force, and Army
• Aims to counter threats from China, Russia, and North Korea
• Secured multiple SBIR awards and DoD partnerships

📈 Funding to accelerate deployment
• Led by Lightspeed, with backing from a16z, Lavrock, Cantos & others
• Investing in full-scale production and flight demos
• Targeting operational readiness by 2027

Castelion’s fast-moving model could make hypersonic weapons cheaper, faster, and more deployable than ever before.

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🧠 Apple Eyes Perplexity to Boost Siri and Break Google Dependence

Apple is reportedly considering acquiring Perplexity AI in a ~$14B deal to strengthen its AI capabilities and reduce reliance on Google search.

⚙️ Supercharging Siri and Safari
• Talks led by Eddy Cue and Adrian Perica for a full acquisition or partnership
• Perplexity delivers real-time, cited answers—ideal for Siri and Spotlight
• Move could protect Apple if its $20B/year Google deal is disrupted

📉 A defensive but strategic play
• Siri has lagged behind ChatGPT and Gemini in conversational AI
• Perplexity faces copyright challenges that may complicate a deal
• Analysts see this as a long-term tech hedge, not a quick win

📈 Apple’s biggest AI bet yet
• Would surpass its largest deal since Beats in 2014
• Could introduce native AI search while keeping Google as default
• Apple may face competition from Meta and Samsung for the startup

Apple’s move on Perplexity signals a shift—aiming to bring real-time AI into its core products and lessen its dependence on Google’s search engine.

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