I was a senior writer at Forbes covering technology, defense and national security. I'm also the co-author of WONDER BOY: Tony Hsieh, Zappos and the Myth of Happiness in Silicon Valley, published by Henry Holt & Company. Contact me on Twitter at @davidjeans2 or email me at djeans@forbes.com. You can also send tips on Signal +1 347 559 5443.
An Arms Dealer Joins Silicon Valley’s Military Boom
Will Somerindyke founded Regulus Global a decade ago. Now, he’s raising hundreds of millions for ammunitions startup Union — and Regulus is the first customer.
Meta Could Spend Majority Of Its AI Budget On Startup Scale As Part Of $14 Billion Deal
Forbes has learned the deal includes a provision to establish a 5-year commercial agreement in the hundreds of millions annually.
Mega Funding Round Makes Anduril Cofounder A Billionaire
The recent funding round led by Founders Fund valued the hot military startup at $30 billion – and made its chairman Trae Stephens the latest defense tech billionaire.
How A Grisly Injury Threw A $5 Billion Drone Startup Off Course
Shield AI executives overlooked its V-BAT drone’s safety hazards. With sales falling short and the CEO stepping down, the company is trying to win back military customers.
Meta Is Recruiting Former Pentagon Officials As It Ramps Up Military Ambitions
Meta is recruiting former national security officials, months after opening up its Llama AI model for military use.
Khosla Ventures In Talks To Lead $100 Million Funding For Defense Startup Mach
Led by Khosla partner Keith Rabois, the potential fundraise would be a major vote of confidence that could value Mach as high as $400 million.
Accel Backs Defense Tech Startup Chaos Industries At $2 Billion Valuation
Accel is leading a $275 million funding round into Chaos Industries, a defense tech company that sells a suite of communications and radar technologies.
Silicon Valley’s Military Drone Companies Have A Serious ‘Made In China’ Problem
As Pentagon leaders call for thousands of drones to face China, they are grappling with an uncomfortable reality: Silicon Valley is addicted to Chinese drone components.
Clearview AI’s Founder Removed From Facial Recognition Company’s Board
Ton-That had stepped down as CEO and became president in December due to the company’s struggles to secure major federal government contracts and raise funding.
A Top Pentagon DOGE Official Looks Like A Successful Founder. His Story Doesn’t Always Add Up.
Justin Fulcher ran a telehealth startup that went bankrupt and appears to have overstated his credentials. He’s among those leading Elon Musk's DOGE effort at the Pentagon.