US startups

Homeward, a real estate services company that helps homeowners buy and sell homes more quickly, has raised $120 million in new funding, according to a Crunchbase News exclusive. The fundraising comes as the US housing market stalls, with high mortgage rates cooling transactions, and as investors look for companies offering homeowners faster liquidity amid the slowdown.

FedEx has placed an order worth more than $300 million with Harbinger for 2,000 electric delivery trucks. The deal marks a significant commitment to electrifying the company's fleet, and underscores growing demand for commercial electric vehicles from US startups. It is one of the larger electric truck orders in the logistics sector to date.

A Texas startup has been awarded a contract by the US Department of Defense to recover scandium, a rare metal used in aerospace and defense manufacturing. The deal supports US efforts to secure domestic supply chains for critical minerals, most of which are currently sourced abroad. Further details on the contract's value and scope have not been reported.

A drone startup with ties to Donald Trump's sons is planning to bring Ukrainian drone technology to the United States. The venture, which has drawn coverage from multiple US and international outlets, aims to adapt combat-tested Ukrainian drone systems for American use. Ukraine's drones have gained prominence during the war with Russia, and the company's political connections are drawing attention to the deal.

Tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey are set to advise the US government on the future of warfare, according to Engadget. Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Luckey, founder of defense startup Anduril and creator of the Oculus Rift, will bring private-sector perspectives on military technology to government decision-making. The pairing of two prominent figures from the commercial tech and defense industries is drawing attention to the growing role of Silicon Valley in national security policy.

An Austin-based startup specializing in counter-drone technology has won a $500 million contract from the US Army, beating out stiff competition from other defense contractors. The deal underscores growing Pentagon investment in systems designed to detect and neutralize hostile drones, a priority driven by drone threats seen in Ukraine and the Middle East.

LG Energy Solution and US battery startup indiGOtech have agreed to collaborate on the supply of 46-series cylindrical battery cells, according to an announcement reported by Korean industry outlet The Elec. The partnership pairs the world's second-largest EV battery maker with an American newcomer focused on large-format cylindrical cells, a form factor increasingly used in electric vehicles. Details on volumes and timing were not disclosed in the initial report.

A US federal appeals court has ruled in favour of Thomson Reuters in its copyright lawsuit against legal research startup ROSS Intelligence. The Third Circuit's decision marks a significant development in the long-running dispute over whether ROSS unlawfully copied content from Thomson Reuters' Westlaw legal research database to build its competing AI-powered legal search product, with implications for copyright law and AI training data.

The US Department of Defense has invested in a startup that aims to supply metal used in critical magnets, according to the Wall Street Journal. The move reflects growing Pentagon interest in securing domestic supply chains for magnet materials, which are essential for weapons systems, electronics and electric vehicles and currently rely heavily on foreign sources.

AMD has acquired an artificial intelligence startup that generates 3D worlds, in a deal reported at 43 billion reais (roughly 8 billion US dollars). The purchase, covered by the Brazilian tech outlet Tecnoblog, signals AMD's push to expand beyond chips into AI software and generative 3D content technology.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is pushing to let retail investors access private capital markets, a space historically reserved for institutional and accredited investors. Commentators say the move could be a bombshell for the crypto ecosystem and for IPOs, since companies might raise money privately from ordinary investors instead of going public, reshaping how startups and crypto projects secure funding.

Neko Health, the preventive health startup co-founded by Spotify billionaire Daniel Ek, has launched in the United States, prompting debate over whether its full-body scan is worth the price. The service uses advanced imaging to screen for early signs of disease, and commentary so far centres on cost, accessibility and whether the technology offers real medical value.