Anduril’s funding has surged. The US-based autonomous defence tech company announced a $2.5B raise at a new $30.5B valuation. This latest Series G round, disclosed on Thursday, more than doubles the company’s previous valuation of $14B. TFN reported this back in August when it secured $1.5B. The fresh capital marks a milestone in Anduril’s ongoing effort. They aim to reshape how modern military systems are built and deployed using autonomous defence and AI-powered technologies.
From border surveillance to underwater drones, the company’s mission resonates with governments seeking faster, more agile defence innovations. As global tensions persist and defence budgets rise, Anduril is positioning itself to serve this demand with scalable, software-defined manufacturing. Its latest funding round is expected to accelerate the deployment of these systems at a scale never previously seen.
Autonomous systems take centre stage with defence investors
Founders Fund [co-founded by Peter Thiel] led the funding round with a $1B investment. All other existing investors increased their commitments. Founders Fund has supported Anduril since its inception in 2017 and Anduril co-founder Trae Stephens also serves as a partner at the firm. Stephens, a former national security adviser and early Palantir employee, helped shape the startup’s initial focus on defence contracting for the US and allied forces.
Other backers of previous rounds include Sands Capital, Baillie Gifford, Counterpoint Global, Altimeter, Franklin Venture Partners, and Fidelity Management & Research Company. They are known for investing in Waymo and Figma. Anduril has now raised over $5.5B across multiple rounds. This marks one of the largest cumulative funding hauls in the defence startup sector..
From VR headsets to military-grade autonomous defence hardware
Palmer Luckey founded Anduril. He created Oculus Rift and co-founded Oculus VR, which Meta (formerly Facebook) acquired in 2014. After leaving Meta in 2017, Luckey launched Anduril. He aimed to disrupt the traditional defence sector through rapid innovation and commercial-grade technology.
Luckey, based in California, teamed up with Trae Stephens, Matt Grimm, Brian Schimpf, and Joseph Chen. They wanted to build a company that could deliver military-grade systems faster and cheaper than legacy contractors. The founding team brings a mix of Silicon Valley engineering, government contracting experience, and entrepreneurial grit. Grimm, a former Palantir executive, and Schimpf, who led engineering at the same company, bring deep technical and strategic expertise to Anduril’s leadership.
Their shared motivation came from witnessing the growing disconnect between the rapid pace of commercial tech and the slow procurement cycles in national defence. By bringing the two worlds together, they aimed to offer militaries new capabilities that could be developed and deployed in months, not years.
Now, in a full-circle moment, Anduril has recently entered a strategic partnership with Meta focused on advancing AI and simulation technologies for its next-generation autonomous systems. The collaboration will see Meta’s AI research and simulation tools integrated into Anduril’s Arsenal software platform — enhancing both design and deployment speed across its defence hardware portfolio.
Taking on the titans: What sets Anduril apart in a competitive field
In an increasingly crowded sector, Anduril faces competition from both traditional defence contractors and tech-forward players like Shield AI, Helsing, and AeroVironment. However, what sets Anduril apart is its vertically integrated approach that blends hardware development with AI-driven software under one agile platform.
The company’s Arsenal software-defined manufacturing framework allows it to simulate, test, and mass-produce systems in a unified cycle. This flexibility lets Anduril shift manufacturing priorities in response to urgent needs without disrupting its supply chain or product timelines.
Further boosting its position, Anduril has entered into a strategic partnership with Palantir Technologies. The two firms have formed a consortium to jointly bid for large government contracts, aiming to provide cost-effective alternatives to the Pentagon as it seeks to modernise its procurement strategies.
Now, with both Meta and Palantir as key strategic partners, Anduril is poised to bring commercial-grade innovation at military scale and redefine how the future of autonomous defence takes shape.
