Aaron T

HIMERA Raises $2.5M+ Seed for Secure Military Communications The Ukrainian defense tech firm said the round will fund production growth, wider coverage and expansion in Ukraine and overseas.

HIMERA, a Ukrainian defense tech company building secure communications systems, raised $2.5M+ in seed funding to scale production for Ukraine and abroad.

The company’s radios are designed for electronic warfare conditions and are used by Ukrainian units.

www.uatechjournal.com/himera-raise...

Axon Invests in Ukraine’s The Fourth Law for Drone AI The undisclosed investment will fund new autonomy capabilities, including edge AI for counter-Shahed interceptor drones.

The Fourth Law has secured a strategic investment from Axon to scale R&D on drone autonomy.

The Kyiv-based company says its AI modules are used by 50+ Ukrainian military units and improve FPV mission success 2–4x.

www.uatechjournal.com/ukraines-the...

Farsight Vision Raises €7.2M for AI Battlefield Maps Axon and Estonia’s SmartCap lead seed round as Ukrainian-Estonian startup expands from frontline mapping to autonomous combat systems

Farsight Vision has raised €7.2M in a Seed round led by Axon Enterprise and SmartCap.

The Ukrainian-Estonian startup builds AI tools that convert drone footage into 3D battlefield maps and support autonomous UAV and UGV coordination.

www.uatechjournal.com/farsight-vis...

Aeromotors Raises $550K to Scale Ukrainian Drone Motors The funding will help the Ukrainian manufacturer triple production capacity for non-Chinese drone motors as demand for locally manufactured defense components grows.

AeroMotors has raised $550,000 from Sweden-based Front Ventures to scale production of electric motors for military drones and expand manufacturing in Europe.

The Ukrainian company supplies motors for FPV quadcopters and fixed-wing reconnaissance drones.

www.uatechjournal.com/ukrainian-dr...

Reface Secures $18M Revenue-Share Deal for User Acquisition The PvX Partners financing uses a revenue-share model to fund marketing without equity dilution, highlighting a growing shift in how mature consumer apps finance growth.

Reface, a Kyiv-based AI consumer app studio behind popular face-swap and image animation tools, has secured $18M from Singapore-based PvX Partners to support user growth.

According to the company, its apps have surpassed 300M downloads worldwide.

Full story: www.uatechjournal.com/reface-secur...

Sky Spy raises $1.6M for battle-tested SIGINT payload Sky Spy’s Agent 001 module turns small drones into autonomous spectrum hunters, tackling the signal overload that has crippled traditional battlefield intelligence.

Sky Spy has raised $1.6M to scale Agent 001, its drone-mounted SIGINT payload tested in frontline missions in Ukraine. The 500g module detects and geolocates hostile emitters in congested electromagnetic environments where legacy systems struggle.

www.uatechjournal.com/sky-spy-rais...

M-Fly raises $1.4M for drone imaging and targeting tech The investment strengthens Ukraine’s growing defense-tech sector as M-Fly expands production of high-precision gimbals and autonomous guidance modules.

M-Fly has raised $1.4M from Brave1 to expand production of its high-precision drone gimbals and autonomous guidance systems. Founded by CEO Vladyslav Myhovych, the tech is already used on Ukrainian reconnaissance drones.

Full story: www.uatechjournal.com/m-fly-raises...

Haiqu advances quantum anomaly detection on IBM Heron The startup encoded more than 500 features on 128 qubits, advancing anomaly detection and strengthening its position as one of Ukraine’s most globally connected deep-tech companies.

Haiqu has reached a notable quantum milestone on IBM’s Heron processor, loading 500+ features into 128 qubits and boosting anomaly detection performance. The US–Ukrainian startup was founded by CTO Mykola Maksymenko and CEO Richard Givhan.

Full story: www.uatechjournal.com/ukrainian-am...

Y Combinator Opens Remote Access to Ukraine Defense Startups The Silicon Valley accelerator will allow Ukrainian founders to join its next batch remotely — a landmark exception granting $500,000 investments and global mentorship to defense-tech innovators unabl...

Y Combinator says it’s ready to make exceptions for Ukrainian defense-tech founders accepted into its Winter 2026 batch.

The statement came after Ukrainian entrepreneur Oleg Kostour noted that founders can’t leave the country under martial law.

Full story: www.uatechjournal.com/y-combinator...

Oppenheimer Acceleration invests $500K in Swarmer The Silicon Valley-based fund opens a new gateway for defense-tech investors, launching its first syndicate with a $500,000 deal in AI drone startup Swarmer.

Oppenheimer Acceleration, a Silicon Valley venture fund led by Oleksandr Soroka and Valeriy Omelchenko, made its first investment: $500K in Ukrainian defense-tech startup Swarmer.

uatechjournal.com/oppenheimer-acceleration-launches-syndicate-with-first-500k-investment-in-ukraines-swarmer

American-Ukrainian Startup Vermeer Raises $10M The startup will scale its GPS-free visual navigation platform as deployments expand across defense and dual-use applications.

U.S.-Ukrainian startup Vermeer raised $10M Series A led by Draper Associates.

Its GPS-free Visual Positioning System (VPS) keeps drones flying when GPS is jammed — tech now used by U.S. and Ukrainian defense forces.

Full story: www.uatechjournal.com/american-ukr...

I used to receive admiration — and the occasional scorn — for my writing. Now I receive mostly accusations that I used ChatGPT.

We’ve entered a new epoch in human history when the authenticity of nearly all content will be in doubt.

That’s unfortunate.

China, AI Immigration, Rare Earths & Chips, Tariffs, Market Check | BG2 w/ Bill Gurley & Brad Gerstner Podcast Episode · BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley · 06/05/2025 · 1h 1m

Brad & Bill provide a good assessment of the current challenges facing the U.S. as it pertains to its strategic economic and technological position in wrt China.

Though they seem to pull punches — indicative of their slight partisan lean & insider associations.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

Would love to hear how others are thinking about the implications — for fairness, transparency, and the future of retail with AI on both sides of the aisle.

AI setting prices for AI, each feeding off the logic of the other.

What does it mean for a retailer’s bottom line? For customers who aren’t using agents? For price perception as a reflection of human value?

It’s not just redesigning how prices are set but redefining who they’re set for.

Today’s contextual AI models reflect how humans shop: their sensitivity to promotions, basket behavior, perceptions of fairness. But when the “shopper” is a machine optimizing for utility, and the seller is an AI optimizing for margin, pricing becomes an ouroboros…

If an AI agent is doing the shopping, who is the price really for?

That’s what I kept wondering after reading this latest in the WSJ, where she explores how Walmart and others are preparing for a future of AI-powered shopping agents.

It’s a fascinating shift — and a troubling one for pricing.

Alternate Realities: A Strange Bet : Embedded Episode 1: Reporter Zach Mack thinks his dad has gone all in on conspiracy theories, while his father thinks that Zach is the one being brainwashed. In 2024, after the latest round of circular argumen...

Alternate Realities hit home. My dad is also deep in far-right conspiracies. It’s changed how he sees the world, impacts his daily life, & strains his relationships. This podcast captures that experience with honesty & care. Powerful work from @zachmack.bsky.social

www.npr.org/2026/01/01/1...

I appreciate your work on this topic. Listening to your ‘Alternate Realities’ series, I couldn’t help but see in it my own relationship with my father. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to put your family under the spotlight like that, but I helped me to feel like I’m not alone in this experience.

If the information shared in the Signal chat had reached the Houthi’s prior to the attack, would it have impeded it or risked the lives of the pilots carrying out the mission? If yes, then the information was confidential. That’s the only question that matters.

Listen and read the summary here: hubs.ly/Q03dDXtf0

Also available on:
Apple Podcast: hubs.ly/Q03dDW0-0
Spotify: hubs.ly/Q03dDZqM0

From Shakespearean actor to retail pricing expert—my latest #PricingHeroes guest Joshua Pollack shares provocative insights on how aggressive pricing and 'shrinkflation' erode brand equity.

Could Trader Joe's authentic approach win as consumers revolt against price manipulation?

Link below 👇

Retailers and Tariffs: Adapting to a New Trade Reality Tariffs Are Here to Stay—Are You Ready? For retailers, tariffs are no longer an occasional inconvenience; they are a persistent reality shaping sourcing strategies, pricing models, and consumer demand...

www.linkedin.com/pulse/retail...

Just read Joshua Pollack's analysis on tariffs reshaping retail. His blueprint for building resilience through cross-functional coordination is brilliant.

We touch on this in our upcoming Pricing Heroes episode, but his blog gives you the full strategic playbook now. Worth your time! 👇

I'd love an inbox that uses AI to sort emails based on priority. For example, if an email chain for a project requires a reply by a certain date, or if an event registration or call for speakers relevant to my role, it would take the top-most spot. Perhaps an AI assistant could prompt me with CTAs.

This is cool concept. I'd love an inbox that uses AI to sort emails based on priority. For example, if an email chain for a project requires a reply by a certain date, or if an event registration or call for speakers relevant to my role, it would take the top-most spot.

Here are the WSJ tech journalists whose jobs were eliminated - Talking Biz News Here are The Wall Street Journal journalists whose jobs were eliminated on Tuesday: Reporters: Asa Fitch — a reporter covering the semiconductor companies, including Intel, Nvidia and Qualcomm. Prior ...

I just learned of layoffs a week ago at @wsj.com impacting phenomenal journalists. Just a reminder for PR folks and business leaders to be kind to journalists and prioritize bringing value to your relationships.

talkingbiznews.com/media-news/h...

The Threat of Trump’s Tariffs Trump initiated tariffs with major U.S.

Check out this excellent assessment by Tim J. smith on the impact tariffs will have on pricing throughout the supply chain and how executives might respond.

www.linkedin.com/pulse/threat...

I just want an app with no ads, bots, AI-generated content, and requires some type of verification.

But really, this isn’t just about retail. As the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer shows, trust is eroding across industries & institutions. Leaders need to prioritize transparency & communication to rebuild trust—not just in pricing, but across society.