FDA clears path for faster gene therapy trials, cutting submission burden
FDA draft guidance allows gene therapy sponsors to reuse existing scientific data in regulatory submissions, lowering cost and timeline to clinic across the entire genome-editing sector.
Westmag exits stealth disclosing $11M a16z-led seed for American drone and robot motors
Westmag emerged from stealth today disclosing an $11M seed led by Andreessen Horowitz with Founders Fund, Lux Capital, NFDG, and Menlo Ventures participating; the round closed in 2025 and the South San Francisco company spent the year building production capacity now ramping against committed orders.
Nominal raises $80M, lands $53M Air Force contract
Hardware testing platform Nominal closed Series B-2 at $1B valuation, then secured $53M Air Force IDIQ to standardize DoD test infrastructure, the real inflection point.
Hermeus Gets FAA Supersonic Green Light, Closes $350M Series C
Hermeus closed a $350M Series C and received FAA authorization for supersonic flights within 48 hours, positioning itself as the Pentagon's first commercially operated hypersonic testbed.
Hermeus hits $1B valuation on $350M Series C, Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 in flight
Hermeus closed $350M Series C led by Khosla Ventures, reaching unicorn status days after successfully flying Quarterhorse Mk 2.1—a delta-wing hypersonic demonstrator the size of an F-16—positioning the startup to move from prototype to DoD-ready production.
SpaceX Files for IPO: $1.75 Trillion Valuation, National Security Moat
SpaceX submitted a confidential IPO filing to the SEC on April 1, seeking a $1.75 trillion valuation and up to $75 billion in capital. The filing values a merged aerospace-AI enterprise built on military launch dominance and Starlink's near-10-million-user base.