The Deep End #85
Grid Aero emerges as new autonomous aircraft player
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Grid Aero Launches with $6M and Breakthrough Autonomous Cargo Aircraft Built in 6 Months
Grid Aero, an aerospace startup focused on building the world’s most resilient autonomous air cargo network, emerged yesterday from stealth with $6 million in seed funding, co-led by Calibrate Ventures and Ubiquity Ventures. The company also revealed its first aircraft: the Lifter-Lite, a long-range, high-payload, ultra-low-cost cargo drone capable of carrying thousands of pounds for thousands of miles, designed and built in just six months.
Founded by aerospace veterans from Joby Aviation, Xwing, Northrop Grumman, and the U.S. Air Force, Grid Aero is taking a radically faster and more cost-effective approach to developing large uncrewed aircraft for both military and commercial logistics.
Tech Terrain
Future Mobility
How the FAA’s new BVLOS proposal could unlock the next phase of US drone operations
Why this matters: Industry experts say the move could open the door to large-scale commercial drone activity, while also raising important safety, technical and competitive questions.
New Frontier Aerospace is partnering with the Air Force to advance a hypersonic VTOL aircraft
Space
Anduril opens solid rocket motor factory amidst ongoing chemical chokepoint
Trend to watch: The Mississippi factory will be able to produce 6,000 tactical motors a year by the end of 2026, enough volume to position Anduril as the United States’ “third” SRM supplier.
Vulcan Centaur rocket launches experimental military satellite on its 1st-ever US Space Force mission (Video)
Energy
Department of Energy announces initial selections for new reactor pilot program
Why this matters: The DOE officially kicked off President Trump’s Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, announcing DOE will initially work with 11 advanced reactor projects to move their technologies towards deployment.
US startup makes thorium breakthrough at Department of Energy’s Idaho National Lab
Defense Tech
Cummings Aerospace unveiled a new variant of its Hellhound drone for Golden Dome
Trend to watch: The S4 variant, designed to take on Golden Dome mission sets, can shift from countering drones, to surveillance, or serving as a weapon itself like a low-cost cruise missile.
SF-based Paratus raised $2.5M pre-seed to build an AI-native OS for service members.
Advanced Computing
Nvidia said to be developing new, more powerful AI chip for sale in China
Why this matters: The news comes as the Trump administration in recent weeks has relaxed its stance on letting chipmakers export high-performance AI chips to China, though Reuters cited its sources as saying that approvals for this new chip aren’t certain at all.
Celestial AI raises $255M to solve the scalability demands of modern AI infrastructure