Defense Tech
Aug 4, 2026
Palantir Posts $1B Profit as Karp Slams AI Labs
Palantir CEO Alex Karp celebrated a landmark $1 billion profit quarter while renewing his attack on frontier AI labs, calling the broader AI industry 'Marxist' and warning enterprises against trusting them. It's a provocative positioning play that doubles down on Palantir's core pitch: sovereign, auditable AI for serious institutions.
Enterprise AI
AI
Startups
Jul 21, 2026
Mistral's €3bn Raise and Its Pivot to a European Palantir
Mistral AI is reportedly closing a €3bn Series D at a €20bn valuation, with the EU's Scaleup Fund in talks to lead. The round signals more than just capital — it reflects a deliberate repositioning toward defense and government contracts that echoes Palantir's playbook.
AI
Venture Capital
European Tech
Jul 20, 2026
Lakestar Closes €300M Fund; Salesforce Buys Contentful
European VC Lakestar has closed a dedicated €300 million DefenseTech fund, while CMS startup Contentful has reportedly been acquired by Salesforce for $1.55 billion. Plus: Delivery Hero's era ends as it heads to Uber.
Venture Capital
Mergers & Acquisitions
Defense Tech
Jul 18, 2026
European Startup Roundup: Helsing, SWISSto12, More
A busy week across European tech saw defense AI firm Helsing, satellite manufacturer SWISSto12, and care-sector platform Pflegia among the standout names making moves. Here's what happened in the ecosystem during calendar week 29, 2026.
Startups
Funding
Defense Tech
Jul 17, 2026
No Summer Slowdown: $3.4B+ Flows Into US Startups
The week of July 11–17 saw no signs of a funding lull, with more than $3.4 billion deployed across 10 major rounds. Fireworks AI led the charge with a $1.505 billion Series D at a $17.5 billion valuation, while robotics, drones, and defense tech also pulled in significant capital.
AI
Venture Capital
Startups
Jul 14, 2026
German Funding Roundup: Project Q, Skalar, MAIA Raise
A busy week in the German startup ecosystem sees five notable deals close, spanning defense tech, tax automation, AI, and a major acquisition in the professional networking space. Here's what moved in the latest DealMonitor.
Funding
Defense Tech
AI
Jul 2, 2026
StirlingX Raises $20M Series A for Data Intelligence
UK-based StirlingX has closed a $20M Series A backed by Ventura Capital and Rokos Capital Management, just months after its $11M seed round. The company builds a sovereign intelligence and autonomy platform for defense and critical national infrastructure environments.
Critical Infrastructure
data intelligence
Defense Tech