Brains, Bots, & Battlefields

📡 Radar

🥽 Anduril’s EagleEye Integrates AI into Battlefield Helmets

Anduril just unveiled EagleEye, a mixed-reality helmet system that layers mission command, sensor fusion, and real-time maps directly in a soldier’s view. It uses the Lattice network to combine data from drones, vehicles, and ground units into a unified battlefield picture. The modular design supports helmets, visors, and glasses form factors. This shows Anduril pushing hard into hardware that closes the loop between software and the warfighter. Verge

🏦 Erebor Gets Conditional OCC Approval

Erebor Bank, the tech-first banking startup founded by Palmer Luckey and Joe Lonsdale, just received conditional approval from the OCC. This is the fastest conditional approval for a bank in over two decades. It puts them one step closer to becoming a fully chartered national bank. In a space where regulatory hurdles often outweigh technical ones, this is a major milestone. For those of you who invested with us, we will send you an official closing note once we receive formal communication from the lead. Bullish. BankingDive

🚀 Starship Pivots to V3 

SpaceX recently wrapped up its V2 chapter and shifted focus to building the next-gen V3 Starship. The final V2 launch tested reentry, payload handling, and layered engine relights. V3 is expected to enable long-duration missions, orbital docking, and in-space fuel transfers. This pivot signals SpaceX’s readiness to push beyond suborbital demos. TechCrunch

🛒 Walmart Adds ChatGPT Checkout

Walmart is partnering with OpenAI to let customers shop directly within ChatGPT using a new Instant Checkout feature. No more bouncing between apps, users can now search, discover, and buy straight from a conversation. This builds on earlier integrations with Shopify and Etsy and positions ChatGPT as a new front door for commerce. The move shows how fast AI assistants are evolving from helpful sidekicks into full-blown retail channels. AP

🤝 Salesforce Leans Into AI with Anthropic & OpenAI

Salesforce expanded its partnership with Anthropic and OpenAI to embed their LLMs across its Agentforce 360 platform. The goal: let users run AI agents, build data dashboards, and activate commerce flows inside enterprise workflows. The new “Agentforce Commerce” lets merchants sell via ChatGPT while keeping control of orders and data. This deal accelerates AI from hype into operations. Reuters

🧠 Neuralink Connects Mind to Motion

Neuralink shared a live example of a patient moving a robotic limb using neural signals. It’s not full telepathy yet, but this is a critical proof point: the brain-machine interface is advancing from lab curiosity into practical utility. As Neuralink nails control and safety, neural control could become core infrastructure across medtech and human augmentation. Bullish on the future of BCI’s. InterestingEngineering

🦾 Figure Introduces “03”

While not a portfolio company, we follow Figure closely and expect to invest in several humanoid robotics plays soon. Last week, Figure introduced version 03 of its humanoid robot: a stronger, faster, more agile design built for field deployment. The update includes major improvements to mobility, perception, and modularity, with an eye toward real-world applications in logistics, manufacturing, and beyond. The leap from demo to deployment is coming fast, and Figure is near the front of that pack. The robots are coming. Figure

💬 Prompt

What can I help you with?

What’s the best low-maintenance system for remembering birthdays and anniversaries without using Facebook? Include tools, calendar integration, and a reminder cadence that actually works year after year.

💡 Updates

🤖 Apollo in Austin

Rob spent the start of the week in Austin catching up with LFG investors and visiting the Apptronik team. Like Figure, Apptronik is pulling the future forward with Apollo, their humanoid robot built for the real world. The tech on display felt straight out of William Gibson’s quote: the future is here, just not evenly distributed. We already have some exposure to Apptronik and are working on another tranche. Big thanks to Capital Factory and LFG investor Chris Camillo for hosting a great event.

📊 Kalshi vs Polymarket

When you can price in the likelihood of wars, elections, rate hikes, and even Taylor Swift concert cancellations, you’re not gambling, you’re “forecasting” in a “prediction market.” With the NYSE backing Polymarket and Kalshi hitting a $5B valuation, it’s clear that real money is flowing into markets that trade probability instead of opinion. The smartest investors might soon be trading sentiment, not stocks. We don’t know who will win this race, but we plan to invest in one or both, and will share more once we lock in allocations.

🧠 Palmer Luckey on JRE

Palmer Luckey sat down with Joe Rogan this week and dropped some serious insight. He argued that America should stop policing the world and instead become its gun store, powered by AI and autonomy. Anduril is not just a defense contractor, it’s designing the next era of national security. Worth listening at 1x speed.

🧠 Wisdom

💬 Tiny Thoughts from Farnam Street

Here are important reminders from one of our favorite newsletters - Farnam Street:

🤝 Get in the Room

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