Perplexity Plots, Anduril Arms Up

📡 Radar

🤝 Perplexity x Samsung: AI Heads to the Flagship

Perplexity is reportedly close to a major deal with Samsung to integrate its AI into upcoming Galaxy devices. If finalized, it could become the default assistant on Samsung phones—going head-to-head with Google Assistant and Siri. The partnership would put Perplexity in the hands of hundreds of millions of users, cementing its position as a leading AI in consumer hardware. Bloomberg

We made a Perplexity investment in 2024 and are currently working on our second.

🛡️ Anduril Raises a $2.5B Warchest at $30.5B Valuation

Defense tech powerhouse Anduril has raised a massive $2.5B round at a $30.5B valuation, with Founders Fund leading and existing backers doubling down. The raise cements Anduril’s role as the software-defined prime contractor of the future, with momentum across AI-enabled surveillance, autonomous systems, and battlefield infrastructure. Techcrunch

We’ve made two Anduril investments and plan to make another one later this year.

🛰️ SpaceX Hits 50 Starlink Launches in 2025

SpaceX launched 27 more Starlink satellites this week from Vandenberg, marking its 50th Starlink mission of the year and the 500th Falcon orbital flight ever—on the 15th anniversary of Falcon 9’s debut. The launch continues SpaceX’s breakneck cadence as it builds out the world’s most advanced satellite internet network. SpaceFlightNow

✍️ Antrhopic’s Claude Picks Up the Pen

Anthropic launched Claude Explains, a new blog authored by its Claude AI model family—with a light human touch. It’s a move toward greater transparency in frontier AI—and a clever way to showcase Claude’s reasoning, communication, and alignment strengths in the wild. TechCrunch

💸 Strike Launches Bitcoin-Backed Loans for U.S. Customers

Strike has launched a new lending product that lets eligible U.S. customers borrow cash by using their Bitcoin as collateral—without needing to sell it. Loan sizes start at $10,000, with interest rates from 9% to 13%, and no credit checks required. It’s part of Strike’s broader mission to bring traditional financial tools into the Bitcoin economy—and make Bitcoin more usable without forcing holders to part with it. Nasdaq

💬 Prompt

Ready when you are.

You are a renowned scientist. Explain quantum computing in simple terms for a child.

🧠 Wisdom

🔒 Lock In

They’ll clap for you… until you pass them. Stay focused.

👌The Perfect Pitch

A masterclass by Vinod Khosla on how to effectively pitch to VCs, covering what investors look for and how to craft a compelling narrative.

🗣️Think Before You Speak