Anduril PreStocks (ANDURIL) on Solana

Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf pushed back on common criticism of AI in military systems during an interview on CNBC's "The Tech Download," arguing that fully autonomous weapons — such as torpedoes and anti-radiation missiles that engage target signatures without real-time human input — have existed for decades. Schimpf's position is that AI should make weapons more precise, predictable, and discriminating, with humans retaining accountability for high-consequence decisions. "The alternative is dumber weapons," he said, framing AI adoption as a quality improvement rather than an abdication of human control.

Schimpf also outlined Anduril's manufacturing ambitions, describing a thesis in which defense companies should own more of the design process, draw on commercial supply chains, and produce hardware at the pace of the technology industry. The remarks underscore Anduril's broader positioning as a new-model defense prime competing with established contractors through software-driven development and faster production cycles.

Defense tech company Anduril Industries is in talks to raise a new funding round at a valuation of approximately $100 billion, according to Reuters. The discussions represent a steep jump from Anduril's $61 billion valuation set just two months earlier in a $5 billion round led by Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. The reported structure is unusual: investors would reportedly need to commit upfront to participating in a second round at an even higher valuation within a year, contingent on Anduril hitting certain financial benchmarks. Talks are described as fluid with no final decisions made.

The potential $100 billion valuation would put Anduril in the same tier as established defense primes such as Northrop Grumman and close to Lockheed Martin's market cap of roughly $130 billion. The company posted $2.2 billion in revenue in 2025 and has rapidly grown its workforce, with booming military sales driven in part by ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. Anduril recently unveiled the Thunder vertical-takeoff-and-landing attack drone developed in partnership with Archer Aviation, signaling continued product expansion as it seeks fresh capital.

Anduril Industries has unveiled Thunder, a hybrid-electric, autonomous attack drone developed in partnership with electric air taxi startup Archer Aviation. Anduril — which initiated the concept two years ago — provides the autonomy software, while San José-based Archer contributes its aircraft design expertise, powertrain engineering, and manufacturing know-how accumulated through its commercial air taxi program. Thunder is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft capable of operating above 18,000 feet and carrying missiles, rockets, or cargo; Anduril describes it as "purpose-built for the new geometry of battlefield maneuver" and designed to operate alongside crewed military vehicles.

The collaboration deepens Anduril's push into autonomous strike platforms, adding an air-launched and loitering-capable asset to a portfolio already spanning autonomous surface vessels, counter-drone systems, and AI command infrastructure. Multiple full-scale surrogate aircraft test flights have already taken place, with a first flight of the full system targeted for 2027. Archer separately plans to announce commercial air taxi customers, illustrating how the partnership lets both companies leverage the same airframe technology across defense and civilian markets.

Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf said at the Allen & Co. Sun Valley Conference that the defense startup is not in a rush to go public, cautioning that "a bad time" to IPO is "in the middle of a hype cycle." Schimpf defined a successful public offering as one where investors still earn a strong return three years after the listing, and warned that many private companies are currently priced on "optimistic growth expectations rather than fundamentals," with some "dangerously leading into overvalued territory in a way that could backfire." Anduril itself doubled its own private valuation to $61 billion in May 2026.

Despite the cautious tone on timing, founder Palmer Luckey has previously confirmed the company "definitely" plans to go public eventually. Schimpf framed the delay as a deliberate focus on long-term shareholder returns rather than capitalizing on near-term enthusiasm around AI-powered defense systems — a market benefiting from rising military budgets and demand driven by the Trump administration's reindustrialization push.