Latest news with #PalmerLuckey-founded
The Star
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Anduril secures $30.5 billion valuation in latest fund raise
The Anduril logo is displayed at its stand at the Australian International Airshow in Avalon, Australia March 25, 2025. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo (Reuters) -Defense technology startup Anduril Industries has clinched a valuation of $30.5 billion in its latest funding round where it raised $2.5 billion, the company said on Thursday. This round more than doubled the Palmer Luckey-founded company's valuation, from $14 billion last year when it raised $1.5 billion. The development confirms a Reuters report from February, which said Anduril was in talks to raise as much as $2.5 billion, with tech billionaire Peter Thiel's Founders Fund set to lead the round. Anduril said on Thursday that Founders Fund made a $1 billion investment, while all other investors raised their commitments from previous rounds in the Series G fund raise. Founders Fund has backed Anduril since its inception in 2017, and one of the company's co-founders, Trae Stephens, is a partner at the firm. Anduril develops solutions, including a wide range of sensors and drones, and has gained prominence in the industry amid increasing calls for low-cost autonomous defense products. The company has also recently secured a partnership with Palantir Technologies to form a consortium that will look to jointly bid for government contracts as the Pentagon aims to reduce costs. (Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi)
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Anduril takes over Microsoft's $22 billion US Army headset program
(Reuters) - Palmer Luckey-founded defense tech startup Anduril will take over the development and production of Microsoft's mixed-reality headset program for the U.S. Army, the companies said on Tuesday. Anduril will assume control over production, as well as future hardware and software development and delivery timelines for the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) project, the companies said. The IVAS program aims to equip soldiers with a wearable system that integrates augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to improve situational awareness and support mission command of unmanned systems. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. This agreement also establishes Microsoft Azure as Anduril's preferred hyperscale cloud for all workloads related to IVAS and Anduril AI technologies. In 2021, Microsoft said it would develop its HoloLens technology to be used in high-tech headsets for the U.S. Army. Governments and defense firms worldwide are ramping up AI-powered and smart-peripheral technologies to gain an edge on the battlefield. Luckey, who previously founded virtual reality company Oculus VR, acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $2.3 billion, is no stranger to the space. The agreement, however, is still pending approval from the U.S. Department of Defense, the companies said. Anduril has also announced partnerships with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Palantir to increase the use of defense data for artificial intelligence training. The news also comes days after Reuters reported that the defense startup was in talks for a new funding round that could hike the valuation of the company to $28 billion.
Reuters
11-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Anduril takes over Microsoft's $22 billion US Army headset program
Feb 11 (Reuters) - Palmer Luckey-founded defense tech startup Anduril will take over the development and production of Microsoft's (MSFT.O), opens new tab mixed-reality headset program for the U.S. Army, the companies said on Tuesday. Anduril will assume control over production, as well as future hardware and software development and delivery timelines for the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) project, the companies said. The IVAS program aims to equip soldiers with a wearable system that integrates augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to improve situational awareness and support mission command of unmanned systems. This agreement also establishes Microsoft Azure as Anduril's preferred hyperscale cloud for all workloads related to IVAS and Anduril AI technologies. In 2021, Microsoft said, opens new tab it would develop its HoloLens technology to be used in high-tech headsets for the U.S. Army. Governments and defense firms worldwide are ramping up AI-powered and smart-peripheral technologies to gain an edge on the battlefield. Luckey, who previously founded virtual reality company Oculus VR, acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $2.3 billion, is no stranger to the space. The agreement, however, is still pending approval from the U.S. Department of Defense, the companies said. Anduril has also announced partnerships with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Palantir (PLTR.O), opens new tab to increase the use of defense data for artificial intelligence training. The news also comes days after Reuters reported that the defense startup was in talks for a new funding round that could hike the valuation of the company to $28 billion.
Reuters
07-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Anduril in talks for new funding round with possible $28 billion valuation, sources say
Feb 7 (Reuters) - Anduril Industries is in talks for a new funding round that could raise the valuation of the Palmer Luckey-founded defense technology startup to $28 billion, sources said on Friday. Tech billionaire Peter Thiel's Founders Fund is set to lead the round, which could be as much as $2.5 billion, according to the sources. Founders Fund declined to comment. CNBC reported on the funding earlier. Anduril, founded in 2017, develops autonomous solutions across a wide variety of sensors, including drones. In 2023, the startup launched its Lattice for Mission Autonomy, an AI-enabled software to collaborate teams of autonomous systems during missions under human supervision. Luckey is credited for founding virtual reality company Oculus VR, which was later acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $2.3 billion. Make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments with the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter. Sign up here.
