Shield announced a definitive agreement to acquire Echodyne for $5.3 billion, funded by a $2.5 billion raise that includes $1 billion Series H at a $28.8 billion valuation. The deal adds Echodyne’s software-defined, metamaterials-based radars and manufacturing capacity to Shield’s Mission Systems business.
Key points
Acquisition value: $5.3 billion, with $4.8 billion payable at closing and up to $500 million contingent on performance.
Funding: $2.5 billion raise comprising $1 billion Series H, $1 billion structured equity from Blackstone, and $500 million debt led by JPMorgan Chase.
Sources
Shield AI valuation $28.8B and Echodyne acquisition $5.3B
Shield AI is valued at $28.8 billion and is buying radar maker Echodyne for $5.3 billion. The company is raising $2.5 billion, including $1 billion in Series H funding, to finance the deal.
Key points
Valuation: $28.8 billion
Acquisition price: $5.3 billion for Echodyne
Funding raise: $2.5 billion total
Series H contribution: $1 billion
Sources
Moonshot seeks Nvidia Blackwell access in Europe, 8,000+ GPUs
Moonshot, the Chinese AI lab behind Kimi, held talks to rent clusters of over 8,000 Nvidia Blackwell GPUs from European neoclouds for inference and possibly training. A proposed deal would have Moonshot pay 30%-50% more upfront than non-Chinese customers.
Key points
Rental target: clusters of 8,000+ Nvidia Blackwell GPUs in Europe.
Proposed pricing: 30%-50% higher upfront payment than non-Chinese customers.
Sources
Uber Eats on Amazon $0 delivery for Prime over $25
Uber Eats on Amazon offers $0 delivery fee for U.S. Prime members on restaurant orders over $25. No new app or Uber account is required.
Key points
$0 Delivery Fee for Prime members on orders over $25
No new app or Uber account needed
Sources
Zipline raised $1.5 billion funding for drone network
Zipline raised $1.5 billion in new funding. The money will be used to build a nationwide drone delivery network. The post expresses optimism about a greener future.
Key points
Funding amount: $1.5 billion
Purpose: building a nationwide drone delivery network
Sources
Viceroy prototype flight testing multiple times weekly
Viceroy prototype is undergoing flight testing at Regentcraft with multiple flights per week. The team is expanding the operational envelope and tuning digital flight controls.
Key points
Flight testing is on at Regentcraft.
High cadence flight testing, multiple times per week.
Sources
Tesla Cybercab live from Austin shows no pedals or steering wheel
Tesla Cybercab live from Austin shows a vehicle with no pedals, no steering wheel, and no manual controls. Host @GBrulte rides inside to give a firsthand look at the autonomous design.
Key points
No pedals. No steering wheel. No manual controls.
Host @GBrulte rides inside a Tesla Cybercab for a live look.
