Stoke Space secures a **$150 million conditional loan** from the U.S. Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital to build a second launch pad at Cape Canaveral for its **Nova Block 2 rocket**, targeting a **2029 debut** and capable of carrying **15 metric tons to low Earth orbit**. The company, backed by **$2.3 billion in total funding**, also competes for military launch contracts under Space Force’s Lane 1 program and collaborates with NASA on upper-stage reentry technology. Stoke’s fully reusable rocket design—with both stages returning for reuse—mirrors SpaceX’s Starship approach but remains untested in orbit.
Oct 2026GeekWireNews article
Watchtower Labs, co-founded by Shield Capital’s Raj Shah and led by CEO Akhil Iyer, launches a $35M-funded AI-driven logistics software suite for defense planners. The tool uses natural language queries and discrete-event simulations to model supply chain risks—such as anti-air missile shortages or cyber disruptions—returning actionable contingencies via a custom dashboard. Backed by Shield, Conviction, In-Q-Tel, and Founders Fund, Watchtower already supports early contracts with major U.S. operational commands and aims to replace manual Excel-based planning in high-stakes scenarios.
Oct 2026Upstarts MediaNews article
Petra Power sells solid oxide fuel cells that convert fuels such as natural gas into electricity without burning them, targeting data centers and large vehicles. The company is working with neoclouds and infrastructure providers, with first customer deployments targeted for 2028 and full-scale production hoped for in 2029. Its cells are also being tested for auxiliary power in defense vehicles, and Petra has received nearly $9 million in Defense Department contracts.
Oct 2026TechCrunchNews article
Anthropic is setting up a “presidential engagement” program ahead of the 2028 elections. The company is building an in-house team for the effort.
Oct 2026FortuneNews article
