TL;DR

Prepared raises $80M for AI emergency response; Meta-Anduril bid $100M Army XR helmet; Synopsys halts China sales.

Highlights

• Prepared raises $80M Series C led by General Catalyst (total funding $135.2M) to expand AI-powered emergency response tools; a16z re-ups 1.
• Meta and Anduril jointly bid on $100M U.S. Army XR helmet contract (SBMC Next), aiming for $22B program; project privately funded 2.
• DreamPark secures $1.1M seed to expand mixed reality theme parks and IP partnerships; sector projected at $15.3B by 2029 3.
• Starlink to launch in India with $10/month plans, targeting 10M users; revenue to support SpaceX Mars missions 4.
• SpaceX targets 1,000 Starships/year for Mars colonization, with first Mars launches planned for 2026–2029 and potential Optimus robot deployment 5.
• SakanaAILabs and UBC introduce Darwin Gödel Machine, an AI framework that self-improves via code rewriting, boosting SWE-bench to 50% 6.
• Canary Funds files S-1 for first U.S. staked CRO ETF, acting as custodian and liquidity provider 7.
• Yuga Labs sells Moonbirds, Mythics, and Oddities NFT IP to Orange Cap Games; Moonbirds floor price nearly doubles post-sale 8.
• Palantir expands $795M DoD contract; Foundry now deployed across multiple federal agencies, market cap exceeds $300B 9.
• Synopsys halts all China sales and suspends guidance after new U.S. export curbs; EDA market impact 10.
• DOJ seeks Google Chrome divestiture and end to $20B Apple payments in antitrust case; ruling expected by August 11.
• U.S. to expand China tech sanctions with “50% subsidiary rule,” affecting Huawei, YMTC, and others; Nvidia , AMD , TSMC shares fall 15.
• SEC drops Binance lawsuit, ending two-year case; signals regulatory shift for U.S. crypto 14.
• Dai-ichi Life to acquire 15% of M&G for $1B, forming a strategic asset management partnership in Europe and Asia 12.
• Non-alcoholic beer projected to surpass ale globally by volume in 2025; Athletic Brewing tops $100M revenue 13.

Commentary

AI and defense remain strong venture magnets, with Prepared’s $80M Series C 1 and Meta-Anduril’s $100M Army XR helmet bid 2 highlighting sustained private capital deployment into applied AI and dual-use technologies. Prepared’s continued backing from a16z and new lead from General Catalyst underscores investor appetite for AI startups with clear public sector traction 1. The Meta-Anduril partnership, targeting a $22B Army program, signals that commercial-military crossover is increasingly viable for well-capitalized private tech 2.

Frontier tech and infrastructure are scaling globally: Starlink’s India entry with low-cost plans targets mass adoption and supports SpaceX’s Mars ambitions 4, while SpaceX’s Starship production ramp and Mars timeline reinforce the growing relevance of space and satellite startups to the broader venture ecosystem 5. DreamPark’s seed round and SakanaAILabs’ self-improving AI framework show continued early-stage activity in XR and foundational AI, with measurable technical progress (e.g., SWE-bench improvements) attracting investor attention 36.

Regulatory actions are reshaping exit and deal dynamics. The SEC’s dismissal of the Binance lawsuit 14 and Canary’s new staked CRO ETF filing 7 suggest a more constructive U.S. crypto regulatory environment, which may boost institutional flows and exit options for blockchain ventures. In contrast, new U.S. export controls have forced Synopsys to halt China sales 10, and the “50% subsidiary rule” will further restrict China-facing tech deals, impacting semiconductor and EDA startups and shifting focus to domestic alternatives 15.

Strategic M&A and asset realignment continue: Yuga Labs’ NFT IP sale to Orange Cap Games 8, Palantir ’s expanded federal footprint 9, and Dai-ichi Life ’s $1B M&G stake all reflect shifting priorities and cross-border partnerships in both digital assets and traditional finance 12. Meanwhile, the DOJ’s push for Google Chrome divestiture could catalyze new opportunities for browser and search challengers if enforced 11.

VCs should closely monitor AI adoption in regulated sectors, defense-commercial tech convergence, U.S.-China tech decoupling, and evolving crypto regulation—all of which are influencing valuations, exit paths, and sector focus across early- and growth-stage deals.