U.S. Air Force

Selected Anduril for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program to build autonomous fighter jets alongside manned aircraft. - Major customer via CCA program

Anduril Industries is seeking $8 billion in new funding at a valuation exceeding $60 billion—nearly double its $30.5 billion valuation from eight months ago. The defense technology firm, founded by Oculus creator Palmer Luckey in 2017, has become the fastest-growing challenger to legacy contractors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing, winning Pentagon contracts for autonomous fighter jets and drone defense systems.

Updated Feb 15

Awarded JetZero $235 million to demonstrate BWB technology for potential tanker and cargo aircraft applications. - Primary funder via Defense Innovation Unit contract

The tube-and-wing aircraft design has dominated commercial aviation since the Boeing 707 entered service in 1958. JetZero, a Long Beach startup, just raised $175 million to challenge that 67-year-old paradigm with a blended-wing body aircraft that merges fuselage and wings into a single lifting surface—promising 50% fuel savings over conventional jets.

Updated Jan 13