AI and Quantum Tech Are Reshaping the Battlefield, Fundings: Westlake Robotics, Ultimatrust, Alterya
15 January 2025 - A Weekly Publication by New North Ventures
Defense Tech and Acquisition News
This edition of Defense Tech and Acquisition is an essential guide to understanding the pressing challenges and exciting opportunities shaping the defense technology landscape in 2025. As the U.S. military continues to prioritize the Indo-Pacific and prepares for a rapidly evolving battlefield, modernization efforts and strategic reforms are at the forefront of national security initiatives.
Whether you’re a defense professional, policymaker, or industry leader, this issue offers critical insights into the transformative role of AI, quantum technologies, and autonomous systems in warfare and the imperative for public-private collaboration to outpace global competitors.
Key topics include:
Why modernizing the defense industrial base and integrating commercial tech is crucial for national security.
How venture capital and innovative contracting are reshaping defense tech investment.
Updates on Project 33 and the Navy’s plans for operational readiness in the Indo-Pacific.
Insights into dual-use technology strategies and their potential to align commercial innovation with defense needs.
With a new Congress and administration poised to address these challenges, this issue highlights actionable recommendations for harnessing the talents of America’s tech sector and building a future-ready defense ecosystem.
A joint investigation by The Insider, Der Spiegel, and other partners has uncovered a covert Russian intelligence program that financed Taliban attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Orchestrated by the GRU’s Unit 29155, the scheme funneled tens of millions of dollars through a sophisticated network involving Afghan couriers, Tajikistan-based intermediaries, and gemstone trading front companies. The investigation linked at least 17 attacks to Russian payments, with the GRU using financial incentives to encourage Taliban fighters to prioritize targeting American troops.
The GRU's objective was to weaken U.S. military influence in Central Asia, culminating in a proxy war aimed at driving American forces out of Afghanistan. The operation's strategic focus aligned with Vladimir Putin's broader hostility toward the West. Despite evidence presented in U.S. intelligence briefings and high-level political discussions, diplomatic caution prevailed, leaving Russia's actions largely unchallenged.
The Taliban’s resurgence and the chaotic U.S. withdrawal in 2021 underscored the broader consequences of this covert war. Meanwhile, Moscow has maintained clandestine ties with the new Taliban-led government, further cementing its influence in the region. This revelation sheds light on the ongoing clandestine rivalry between Russia and the United States, emphasizing the GRU’s role in undermining U.S. objectives through indirect and calculated means.
More links to explore:
Tiny Tech, Big Impact: Advanced Microelectronics in National Security.
Meta abandons fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram in favor of Community Notes.
Founded: 2021
Key People: CEO Haitao Du
Elevator Pitch: Intelligent robots designed for different industries.
Funding: The company raised nearly CNY 100 million of venture funding in a deal led by Jinko Power Technology and Shanghai Benchi Investment on January 9, 2025.
Founded: 2015
Key People: CEO Iwao Ozawa
Elevator Pitch: A distributed processing technology designed to advance modern technologies.
Funding: The company raised an undisclosed amount of venture funding from Daiwa House Ventures on January 10, 2025.
Key People: CEO Elad Fouks
Founded: 2022
Elevator Pitch: AI-powered threat intelligence designed for cross-chain transactions and asset allocation.
Funding: The company was acquired by Chainalysis for $150 million on January 13, 2025.
Look for a new episode of the Securing the Future Podcast wherever you listen. In our most recent episode, general partner Jeremy Hitchcock sits down with journalist Tim Mak for a powerful discussion on national security, his experiences reporting from Ukraine, and insights from his acclaimed work on the NRA and global conflict.