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🤖✨AI Hardware Revolution: $6.5B Move
OpenAI & Jony Ive Redefine Devices
Dear Friend,
The mobility and defense tech sectors secured record venture capital inflows, with startups like Anduril Industries and Saronic Technologies collectively raising over $1.6 billion to scale AI-driven autonomous systems, including drones and unmanned surface vessels. This aligns with the Department of Defense’s $86.2 million contract to Northrop Grumman for advanced infrared countermeasure systems, critical for protecting Air Force and Navy aircraft. Meanwhile, the EU finalized a landmark €150 billion defense fund to bolster cross-border collaboration on mobility and autonomous platforms, prioritizing “buy European” mandates to reduce reliance on external suppliers.
Grid resilience dominated the energy narrative, as Ameresco secured $78 million to expand battery storage infrastructure, while New York’s NYSERDA allocated $5 million to pilot long-duration storage technologies aimed at reducing fossil fuel dependency. Across the Atlantic, Deutsche ReGas unlocked €112 million in EU funding for a green hydrogen facility in Lubmin, Germany, leveraging offshore wind to power seawater electrolysis—a project poised to decarbonize industrial clusters. Enel’s 285 MW wind farm swap with Gulf Pacific Power further highlighted strategic brownfield expansions, enhancing U.S. renewable capacity without new land use.
OpenAI’s $6.5 billion acquisition of io, Jony Ive’s stealth AI hardware startup, marked a bold leap into consumer and industrial devices, merging generative AI with sleek physical interfaces. Robotics firms like Beyond Imagination and Richtech secured $100 million and $14 million, respectively, to deploy humanoid robots in manufacturing and hospitality, addressing labor shortages through advanced tactile and decision-making algorithms. These strides complement Shape Robotics’ €14 million financing package to scale educational robots, emphasizing AI’s role in skill development alongside operational automation.
These sectors collectively illustrate a paradigm where geopolitical urgency, decarbonization mandates, and AI’s physical incarnation drive unprecedented innovation. As defense budgets fuel dual-use technologies, energy storage bridges renewable intermittency, and robots transcend factory floors, the fusion of policy, capital, and engineering audacity reshapes what’s possible. The challenge now lies in scaling these systems equitably, ensuring today’s breakthroughs become tomorrow’s infrastructure.
Stay sharp,
Vitaly Golomb |  |
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Mobility
1. Defense Tech Startups Surge with Record Funding
U.S. defense tech startups, including Anduril Industries and Saronic Technologies, secured record venture capital funding for AI-driven drones and autonomous systems, driven by heightened defense spending and geopolitical tensions. Anduril raised $1.5 billion to expand autonomous military production, while Saronic achieved a $1 billion valuation for autonomous surface vessels.
2. Department of Defense Awards Contracts for Defense Mobility Systems
The DoD announced an $86.2 million contract modification to Northrop Grumman for Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) systems, enhancing defense mobility for Navy and Air Force aircraft. The procurement includes advanced threat-warning sensors and laser transmitters, with work spanning 13 U.S. locations.
3. Clean Motion Secures EU Funding for Solar-Charged Vehicles
Clean Motion AB secured €290,000 in EU Horizon funding as part of the SOLAR-MOVE consortium to advance solar-charged vehicle technology, aiming to scale lightweight electric vehicles for urban mobility.
4. EU Approves €150 Billion Defense Fund for Collaborative Projects
EU ambassadors approved a €150 billion defense fund to finance cross-border projects, prioritizing "buy European" initiatives to strengthen the continent’s defense industrial base, including mobility and autonomous systems.
Energy Transition
1. Ameresco Secures $78 Million for Battery Energy Storage
Ameresco finalized a $78 million financing agreement to develop a battery energy storage system, with a $300 million private shelf facility for future solar and storage projects.
2. Deutsche ReGas Awarded €112 Million EU Grant for Green Hydrogen
Deutsche ReGas secured €112 million from the EU Hydrogen Bank to build a renewable hydrogen facility in Lubmin, Germany, leveraging offshore wind and seawater electrolysis.
3. Energy Storage Boom Accelerates Shift to LFP Batteries
Falling costs and improved performance of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are driving a 51% annual growth in energy storage deployments, outpacing EV demand.
4. GDI Raises $11.5 Million for Silicon Anode Technology
Battery materials startup GDI secured $11.5 million to scale silicon anode production, which offers 30% higher energy density for faster EV charging.
5. US Utilities Sector Sees $60.47 Billion in 2025 M&A Activity
Utilities signed $60.47 billion in deals to meet surging electricity demand from AI data centers, prioritizing renewables and grid infrastructure.
6. NYSERDA Allocates $5 Million for Energy Storage Innovation
New York announced $5 million in funding for long-duration and advanced battery storage technologies to support grid reliability and decarbonization.
7. Enel Boosts US Renewable Capacity with Wind Farm Swap
Enel increased its U.S. renewable capacity by 285 MW through a wind farm asset swap with Gulf Pacific Power, enhancing its brownfield portfolio.
8. New York Opens $5 Million Solicitation for Advanced Storage Tech
NYSERDA launched a $5 million funding round for electric, chemical, and mechanical storage solutions to advance grid flexibility and cost reductions.
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Physical AI
1. Specialized Robotics Firms Attract $2.26 Billion in Q1 2025 Funding
Robotics companies globally raised $2.26 billion in Q1 2025, with over 70% allocated to task-specific robots designed for logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing, driven by advancements in edge AI chips like Nvidia’s Orin NX.
2. OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s AI Device Startup in $6.5 Billion Deal
OpenAI acquired io, a hardware startup co-founded by Apple designer Jony Ive, in a $6.5 billion all-stock deal to develop AI-powered consumer and industrial devices, marking its largest acquisition to date.
3. Shape Robotics Secures €14 Million Multi-Facility Financing Package
UniCredit Romania approved a €14 million financing package for Shape Robotics, including a €7.5 million working capital facility and a €6 million export factoring line, to scale its educational robotics solutions.
4. Richtech Robotics Announces $100 Million Stock Offering
Richtech Robotics filed a $100 million at-the-market stock offering to fund expansion of its hospitality and healthcare robots, causing shares to drop 8.9% premarket.
5. Beyond Imagination Secures $100 Million Series B for Humanoid Robots
Ray Kurzweil’s humanoid robotics startup, Beyond Imagination, secured a $100 million Series B led by Gauntlet Ventures at a $500 million valuation to deploy AI-powered industrial robots in factories and labs.
Information provided by Mavka Capital. Securities are offered through Finalis Securities LLC, a member of FINRA/SIPC. Mavka Capital and Finalis Securities LLC are separate, unaffiliated entities. The information contained in this message does not constitute legal advice and should not be considered an offer to purchase or a solicitation to sell securities or any other financial instruments; it is for informational purposes only.