Anduril building Arsenal-1 hyperscale manufacturing facility in Ohio

TL;DR. Anduril is charging full steam into the new year. They doubled revenue in 2024 and show no signs of slowing down, just unveiled plans for their new manufacturing facility, Arsenal-1 (epic name), and are gearing up for a $100 million employee tender—gotta love that smell of liquidity in the morning.

2024 Power 20 rankings released

Augment has compiled a list of the top 20 pre-IPO companies for 2024 based on proprietary research and trading activity on the Augment platform. Who tops it? #1 SpaceX, #2 Anduril, #3 OpenAI, with Figure AI leading the Companies to Watch.

Anduril building Arsenal-1 hyperscale manufacturing facility in Ohio

Anduril announced plans to build Arsenal-1, a hyperscale manufacturing facility in Columbus, Ohio, with an investment of nearly $1 billion and the creation of 4,000 direct jobs. The facility will produce autonomous systems and weapons using a software-driven manufacturing approach, enhancing U.S. defense capabilities. Spanning 5 million square feet, Arsenal-1 will leverage Ohio’s skilled workforce and robust infrastructure, with production expected to begin by July 2026.

Blue Origin successfully launches New Glenn rocket into space

Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn mega-rocket into orbit for the first time on January 16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket reached orbit despite its first stage failing to land safely. Standing 320 feet tall and powered by seven BE-4 engines, New Glenn represents Blue Origin's step into orbital launches, aiming to compete with SpaceX. The company plans to use the rocket for satellite and spacecraft missions, including potential lunar launches for NASA’s Artemis project. Following delays and legal battles, Blue Origin now targets eight New Glenn launches in 2025 to solidify its position in the space industry.

Point72's new AI fund near $1.5 bln after double-digit returns, sources say

Point72 Asset Management’s new AI-focused fund, Point72 Turion, gained 14% in its first three months, growing to nearly $1.5 billion. Launched in October 2024 under portfolio manager Eric Sanchez, the fund plans to close to new investors by April 2025. Turion outperformed the Nasdaq Composite, reflecting market optimism in AI.

Anysphere raises $105M for AI coding assistant Cursor, reaching $2.5B valuation

Anysphere, maker of AI coding assistant Cursor, raised $105 million in a funding round led by Thrive Capital, boosting its valuation to $2.5 billion. The company reports $100M in annual recurring revenue, with Cursor widely adopted for advanced code completion. The funding highlights growing investor interest in AI development tools and market potential.

Quick Takes

Cheerio! Until next week.
-Noel