OLIX raises $312M to challenge Nvidia's inference chip monopoly
UK startup OLIX closed a $312M Series B at $3.3B valuation with backing from Arm and Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, betting photonic chips that eliminate costly memory can compete against Nvidia in AI inference.
Bayer backs retrofit autonomy as row crop margins collapse
Sabanto closes oversubscribed Series B led by Leaps by Bayer, validating retrofit autonomy as OEM alternative when farm economics force smaller-equipment strategies.
Venus Aerospace lands $91M for flight-proven detonation engine
Venus Aerospace closed a $91M Series B for rotating detonation rocket engines, with Lockheed Martin Ventures signaling that defense primes now see detonation-wave propulsion as production-ready.
PsiQuantum breaks ground on $1B photonic quantum facility
PsiQuantum began construction on a utility-scale quantum computer in Australia, backed by nearly $1B in government funding and a $1B Series E, betting silicon-photonics will beat superconducting rivals to commercial fault tolerance.
Qualcomm to acquire Tenstorrent for $8–10B, reshaping AI chip hierarchy
Qualcomm is acquiring AI chip startup Tenstorrent for $8–10B, giving the San Diego giant a RISC-V accelerator designed to outperform Nvidia on inference workloads that now dominate AI infrastructure costs.
Anterra Capital raises $100M as generalist VCs abandon agtech
Anterra Capital closed $100M for its third fund targeting $200M, backed by Rabobank, Novo Holdings, and Zoetis, a counter-cyclical bet that AI adoption in agriculture will reward disciplined operators over hype.
GM backs sodium-ion grid storage to challenge Chinese LFP dominance
General Motors invests in Peak Energy's sodium-ion battery platform for grid storage, targeting cost reduction and domestic manufacturing in a market forecast to surge 51% by 2026.
Nvidia pairs with Unitree to ship first open humanoid robot platform
Nvidia and Unitree launched an integrated humanoid robot reference design with Stanford, ETH Zurich, and two other research institutions as first customers, clearing a path to mass production while Unitree navigates U.S. export risk.
Orbital Industries raises $50M to ship AI-designed cooling fluid in 2027
London startup Orbital Industries closed a $50M Series B to commercialize AI-designed dielectric cooling for next-gen GPUs, with NVIDIA's venture arm backing the bet that simulation-driven materials discovery reaches production faster than traditional chemistry.
AbbVie wins FDA approval for first outpatient blood cancer ADC
AbbVie's Decnupaz received FDA approval May 27 for ultra-rare BPDCN, replacing the only prior therapy that required inpatient monitoring, opening access to a disease affecting ~500–1,000 U.S. patients yearly.
Amazon's touch-sensing warehouse robot wins industry award, reshapes automation
Amazon Vulcan, the first warehouse robot with tactile sensing deployed at scale, was named Robot of the Year at the Robotics Summit, signaling a shift from vision-only systems to dexterous manipulation.
Starship V3 scrubs on pad mechanics, targets second attempt today
SpaceX's first V3 launch attempt failed due to a hydraulic pin on new Pad 2; Flight 12 reattempts May 22 with redesigned Raptor 3 engines and new Ship architecture.
Geekplus wins RBR50 for robot arm that solves warehouse automation's last mile
Geekplus' Robot Arm Picking Station achieved production-ready deployment at Schneider Electric with 99.99% accuracy and zero retraining required, closing the final bottleneck in fully autonomous warehousing.
Mind Robotics hits $3.4B valuation on $1B+ in funding
Mind Robotics, RJ Scaringe's robotics spinout from Rivian, raised $400M at $3.4B valuation, over $1B total in six months, signaling the shift from R&D to factory-floor deployment with a real data advantage.
Arm enters chip manufacturing for first time, claims $20B in AGI CPU demand
Arm announced record earnings and revealed $20B in constrained demand for its first-ever data center CPU, directly competing against Intel, AMD, and Nvidia for the first time in 35 years.
Helsing's $1.2B raise and HENSOLDT deal reshape European drone warfare
Helsing secures $1.2B funding and partners with German sensor maker HENSOLDT to equip CA-1 Europa combat drone, positioning Europe's defense AI leader to compete with Anduril.
US Critical Materials eyes Colorado School of Mines rare earth tech for Montana deposit
US Critical Materials and ASX-listed Bayan Mining formalized a processing collaboration on the highest-grade US rare earth deposit, using Colorado School of Mines proprietary chemistry to close the domestic midstream gap.
Darkhive wins $49.7M Army contract, closes $30M Series B from RTX Ventures
San Antonio startup Darkhive secures largest-ever APFIT award for tactical edge command software, backed by $30M Series B led by RTX Ventures, signaling mega-prime confidence in commercial autonomy platforms.
NextEra Bets the Utility on Battery Storage, Not Solar
NextEra Energy Resources signed 1.3 GW of battery storage contracts in Q1 2026 alone, repositioning storage as its primary growth engine ahead of solar through 2032.
Dutch DAC startup enters greenhouses with $25.1M to displace fossil CO₂
Skytree closes Series A led by Koppert Cress to deploy direct air capture systems in commercial greenhouses across four countries, replacing fossil-derived CO₂ with captured atmospheric carbon.