AtomsNotBits

Daily Hard Tech Headlines: - PsiQuantum has secured a $125 million agreement with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to expand testing of its approach to building a utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer. The company remains one of only two participants in Stage C, the final phase of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative. - Terra Industries, an African defense and critical infrastructure security startup, has launched Kama, an autonomous interceptor drone built to counter weaponized commercial drones. The company plans to produce the system at its Abuja and Accra factories. - Andrenam has secured an $18 million Series A. The Los Angeles startup develops sonar systems for maritime security, with the round led by Upfront Ventures. - Saronic Technologies has partnered with Samsung Heavy Industries to scale autonomous ship production in the United States, focusing on robotic shipyard automation and high-throughput manufacturing. - Hokkaido Spaceport’s Launch Complex 1, a new Japanese orbital launch site, is nearing completion. - Northrop Grumman has launched its Mission Robotic Vehicle aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, enabling the inspection of satellites in orbit using two robotic arms and the installation of propulsion modules to extend their operational lives. - Bahrain is exploring the development of its first small modular nuclear power plant. - The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has launched a Drone as First Responder program using systems provided by Paladin. - MOBY Robotics, an ocean intelligence startup, has secured a commercial contract to map the seabed in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone using deep-ocean robotic systems. The customer was not disclosed. - United States Marine Corps tested forward manufacturing capabilities in Okinawa during Valiant Shield 26, including circuit-board repair, metal restoration, hybrid manufacturing, and 3D printing while in transit. - Vast, the Long Beach space infrastructure startup, has launched a national security division focused on space-based capabilities for the DOW and intelligence community. Melanie Stricklan will lead the division. - Babcock International Group, ACUA Ocean and Frankenburg Technologies are teaming up to develop a maritime C-UAS system combining Acua’s unmanned surface vessel, Babcock’s launcher and Frankenburg’s precision-guided interceptor missiles. - Cooperative Ventures, backed by two of North America’s largest agricultural cooperatives, has invested in OpenTug, which develops software for the inland barge networks that move grain, fertilizer, and other bulk commodities across the United States. - Simon Shuham, the former head of product at Exowatt, has launched a Denver-based stealth startup developing high-efficiency systems that convert stranded waste heat into electricity. - Canadian Strategic Missions Corporation (CSMC) secured a $4.5 million investment from the Canadian government to support the scaling of small nuclear technology for the Arctic.

BREAKING: Saronic Technologies has partnered with Samsung Heavy Industries to scale autonomous ship production in the United States, focusing on robotic shipyard automation and high-throughput manufacturing. The partnership brings South Korean shipbuilding expertise into U.S. shipyards.

Daily Hard Tech Headlines: - Rocket Lab secured a $266 million U.S. Space Force contract for suborbital launches from Alaska. - Splash Industries has secured a $4.2 million funding round. The Los Angeles startup develops uncrewed surface vehicles for contested logistics and maritime security. Ubiquity Ventures led the round. - Omar Pimentel has joined Type One Ventures, the global multi-stage venture firm investing in frontier technologies, including space, advanced computing, hypersonics, next-generation transportation, biotechnology and human performance. Pimentel previously led policy and strategy for the Defense Innovation Unit’s space portfolio. - Gritt AI has secured $32.4 million in pre-seed and Series A funding. The startup, launching out of stealth, enables robotic arms and autonomy to be integrated into existing heavy equipment for construction automation across markets including solar development, data centers and roadbuilding. - Nth Cycle, the American critical-mineral refining company, plans to go public via a SPAC merger with Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. VI. The deal would create one of the few publicly traded pure-play critical-mineral refining companies in the U.S. - Relativity Space, the reusable-rocket startup, is expanding its operations to Cape Canaveral. - Atoms is deploying autonomous mining systems at the world’s largest iron ore mine in the Brazilian Amazon and at a phosphate mine near the Iraq–Saudi Arabia border. Additionally, the startup secured a $1.7 billion investment led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Bain Capital, Fifth Wall and other investors. - Proprio Robotics (YC S26) has launched out of Y Combinator. The startup develops robotic systems for data center construction. - PYRRHUS has launched LADRS, a weapon-mounted controller that enables operators to remotely control drones without taking their hands off their rifle. - Humanoid, the European robotics startup, has secured a $152 million Series A. The company plans to begin deploying robots across manufacturing, retail and logistics by the end of 2026. - Aurora, the trucking autonomy firm, has launched a new driverless Class 8 truck (the heaviest category of commercial truck, including tractor-trailers) that will operate autonomously across routes in the U.S. Sun Belt. - Neros Technologies is supplying its first batch of Archer FPV strike-drone systems to the U.S. Marine Forces Reserve. - Y Combinator has launched its new Requests for Startups for the fall, with focus areas including low-cost interceptors and ocean-based data centers. - Archer has announced Halo, an autonomous VTOL aircraft designed for commercial cargo and logistics missions across critical industries, including offshore energy, disaster response and maritime operations. The runway-independent platform was developed alongside Anduril Industries, with Japan’s Marubeni Aerospace serving as its initial strategic launch partner.

BREAKING: Uber founder Travis Kalanick says his new company, Atoms, is deploying autonomous mining technology at the world’s largest iron ore mine deep in the Brazilian Amazon and at a phosphate mine near the Iraq–Saudi Arabia border. The deployments come as Atoms announces a $1.7 billion equity investment led by Andreessen Horowitz, with Ben Horowitz joining the board. Kalanick shared the deployment details on TBPN.

ICELAND EXCLUSIVE: Inside the world’s first geothermally powered synthetic jet fuel (eSAF) demonstration facility in Northern Iceland. Syntholene Energy is developing a system to turn stranded geothermal power into exportable jet fuel. CEO Dan Sutton explains the technology and what it will take to scale production. Disclosure: Syntholene Energy covered travel and lodging for this reporting trip.

Daily Hard Tech Headlines: - Bluecore Energy HQ has launched out of stealth. The Long Beach startup develops small modular nuclear reactors built for maritime environments, which will sit on barges to power ports and other critical infrastructure. - Japan Airlines, one of Asia’s largest airlines, is partnering with JetZero to advance its blended-wing Z4, focusing on cabin design, flight operations, maintenance and ground handling. - Splash Industries has completed a 170-nautical-mile cargo mission, using its Typhoon unmanned surface vessel to deliver critical components from Oahu to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, 85 miles offshore. The 20-hour mission was conducted mostly at night in Sea State 4–5 conditions. - Photon Queue has secured a $4 million seed round. The Chicago startup develops quantum memory technology for quantum networks and computing systems. Playground Global led the round. - Flathead Forge, the hard-tech investment firm, has invested in Capwell Services, which develops technology that captures natural gas normally vented or flared and converts it into usable fuel or pipeline-ready gas. - The UK and Florida are deploying $400,000 to seed joint commercial space projects spanning satellite systems, space transportation and in-space manufacturing. - Bedrock Ocean Exploration, Liquid Robotics and Integer Technologies have completed a joint maritime autonomy demonstration focused on remotely monitoring critical undersea infrastructure. - Kratos Defense and Security Solutions is expanding manufacturing at its Sacramento facility for Elroy Air’s autonomous cargo aircraft, designed for contested logistics. - NOX METALS, the new-age Detroit metal supplier, has expanded with 75,000 square feet of new factory space. - Korean Register (KR), a maritime classification society, partnered with Hyundai Motor Group to test an autonomous robot aboard a vessel for potential onboard monitoring and inspection applications. - Samsung has launched a robotics unit in Seoul focused on humanoid robots, robotic hands and advanced manufacturing automation.

Daily Hard Tech Headlines: - Seneca successfully completed the first known operational deployment of U.S.-made autonomous fire-suppression drones in partnership with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). - Rocky Mountain Steel Mills has begun operations at its new $1.2 billion long-rail facility in Colorado, delivering its first steel rail to Union Pacific Railroad. The companies have a seven-year contract for the domestic production of steel rails. - Petrel Technologies has secured a contract with Air Force Special Operations Command for its hybrid VTOL aircraft. - Martin Materials Solutions secured a $7.1 million investment from the Department of War to scale the domestic manufacturing supply chain for space solar-cell coverglass used on satellites. - Fluidstack secured an $830 million Series A at a $7.5 billion valuation. The startup develops compute infrastructure for hyperscalers, including building and operating large-scale data centers. The round was led by Situational Awareness, the investment firm founded by Leopold Aschenbrenner. - X-Bow Systems, the New Mexico defense startup, has launched a new low-cost interceptor focused on taking down Group 3 drones. - Rooibos seeds harvested from South Africa’s indigenous red bush will be launched into space by MaxIQ.Space and the South African National Space Agency to test how exposure to space conditions affects their growth. - A Canadian smelter may secure up to C$850 million in investment to expand critical mineral refining, backed by Teck Resources Limited and the Canada Growth Fund. - General Dynamics Land Systems secured a $1.4 billion contract with the Canadian Army to deliver a range of armored ground vehicles for missions including logistics, medical support, and command. - Connor Love has joined Andreessen Horowitz American Dynamism team as a partner. He is a former active-duty U.S. Army captain. - Amentum has been selected to help develop a massive AI infrastructure campus at the Savannah River Site, pairing a 1-gigawatt data center with 2 gigawatts of on-site power. - Agility Robotics, the Oregon-based humanoid robotics firm, is expanding into the Bay Area with a new humanoid R&D facility. - Israel is investing roughly $33 million to establish a national quantum-computing center - Y Combinator and Together AI are launching a dedicated GPU cluster to provide YC startups with AI compute infrastructure. - Armada has deployed North Dakota’s first large modular data center at Grand Forks Air Force Base to support drone testing.

Hard Tech Lecture Series: Contested Autonomy (GPS Jamming) Led by Jesse Hamel, former AC-130 Gunship aviator and CTO of 1000-person Air Force Special Operations Wing, now Founder and CEO of VICTUS Technologies, Inc. Jesse explains how jamming actually works and how it now affects everything from major airlines to the World Cup.

Daily Hard Tech Headlines: - TerraFirma, the Austin, Texas construction technology startup, has secured a $100 million Series A to support the buildout of large-scale infrastructure projects. By the end of October 2026, the company plans to operate the world’s three largest robotic construction fleets, each on a different continent. The round was led by Kleiner Perkins. - Monumental, the Dutch construction robotics startup, has secured a $32 million Series B led by Khosla Ventures. The company provides autonomous bricklaying services for construction projects. - Mithril Mining Corp. completed a 500-ton bulk sample at Montana’s Calvert Tungsten Mine, marking the first material moved from a U.S. tungsten mine in a decade. - Machina Labs secured a Lockheed Martin qualification contract for a robotically formed component used in cruise missile production, with future manufacturing planned at a factory housing up to 50 robotic cells. - Intel is deploying $5.7 billion to build out semiconductor manufacturing in eastern Ireland. - Saronic Technologies plans to deploy $3.2 billion to build a next-generation shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, where it will scale production of autonomous vessels. - Singularity Defense emerged from stealth with an $80 million Series A led by Khosla Ventures and Felicis. The Los Angeles startup is building lower-cost systems for drone and munition defense. - DoW signs a new framework with Anduril Industries to buy Barracuda-500 cruise missiles at scale, under a program targeting up to 8,000 missiles per year. - Ursa Major secured a $10 million US Navy contract to further develop its MK 104 solid rocket motor. - Deterrence, the manufacturing autonomy startup, is partnering with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems to deploy factory automation solutions. - REK has announced a humanoid combat league where human pilots can control full-size robots in live fights. - Hyperion Robotics, the Finnish construction robotics company, secured a $7.4 million funding round. The startup builds robotic microfactories that manufacture critical infrastructure components for bridges, substations, and water systems. - Gallatin AI, Inc. secured a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) contract to deploy its Navigator software for contested logistics planning with U.S. Army Europe and Africa. - Ten companies have each secured €100,000 from NATO DIANA to integrate their software with the Palantir Technologies Maven Smart System. They include Picogrid, Matrix Pro Sims, Hadean, Watchtower Labs, Flai, Grist Mill Exchange, Decent Cybersecurity, ETE Technology, Onebrief and Levato AS. - Salamanca High School, a high school in rural New York, is deploying a humanoid robot to serve as a teaching assistant. - Pronto, the autonomous mining haulage startup, signed an MoU with Hitachi Construction Machinery to develop autonomous systems that can retrofit existing mining trucks across mixed-manufacturer fleets.

EXCLUSIVE: An American Tungsten Mine is Moving Material Again. The First Time in a Decade. America has a tungsten problem. The metal, which has the highest melting and boiling point of all elements, is critical across every major American industry. Tungsten is a key input in end products such as aircraft and rocket engines, missile systems, tanks, 5G hardware, nuclear radiation shielding, drilling equipment, and semiconductor interconnects. Today, in a small Montana county, America may have just gotten its tungsten edge back. Mithril Mining Corp., an American-owned and -operated mining firm, completed a 500-ton bulk sample of historical surface material from the Calvert Tungsten Mine, a mine that has not been active since the 1960s, marking the revival of the American tungsten industry. Since 2016, the American tungsten industry has had no active mines, a major national security issue. The material moved was historical material that was stockpiled at the site. Due to metal prices in the 1960s, the material was never processed and was left at the site. Through the first stage of this program, Mithril is looking to validate the tungsten potential in this surface material to bring online domestic tungsten supply in an expedited fashion. China dominates the tungsten industry with just under 80% of global supply and the largest known reserves in the world. China is well aware of this global tungsten competition, enacting state-controlled export restrictions that let Beijing decide who gets this critical mineral. The Department of War also understands how important tungsten supply is. Beginning in 2027, Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) restrictions will prohibit Chinese tungsten in US defense applications entirely. The bulk sample is a critical proving point for the American tungsten industry, the first test of whether this can be done end to end on American soil. The next major steps include confirming the tungsten grades, ore concentration testing, permitting, and financing the mine build-out. Currently, Mithril Mining has secured an LOI for an offtake agreement with Tungsten Parts Wyoming, which manufactures high-density tungsten components for critical American end-markets. Some of the bulk sample will be transported to Tungsten Parts Wyoming for evaluation. "Completing this 500-ton bulk sample is a significant milestone both for Mithril Mining as well as the American tungsten industry. The United States has had no domestic tungsten production since 2016. This work is the first step in the development of an entirely U.S.-based tungsten supply chain. As one of the only 100% American-owned and -operated tungsten exploration companies, I couldn't be prouder of our team and partners in accomplishing this work," said Taylor Sulik, CEO of Mithril Mining.