Auterion, a startup that provides software to military drones, has raised $130 million to expand its operations abroad, including in geopolitical hotspots Ukraine and Taiwan, a further sign that private investors are pouring money into defense. Alex Ferrara, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners who led the financing round, spoke to Bloomberg's Tom Mackenzie on what makes Auterion standout from other drones and defense tech companies. ...

Core Insights - SPARC AI INC. is expanding into the commercial drone sector with an AI-powered product currently in stealth mode, leveraging its expertise in drone software technology [1][3] - The new product will enable users to design, build, optimize, budget, and launch drones efficiently, integrating various engineering tools and SPARC AI's Target Acquisition System [2][3] - The global drone industry is valued at $63 billion, and SPARC AI aims to capture market share in high-growth sectors such as agriculture, logistics, and environmental monitoring [3] Company Developments - SPARC AI is conducting a non-brokered private placement offering of 1,000,000 units at $0.15 per unit, aiming to raise $150,000 to fund product development and market launch [4] - The CEO, Anoosh Manzoori, plans to subscribe to the placement shares, indicating strong confidence in the company's strategic direction [4] - A $225,000 loan agreement has been secured with the CEO to support ongoing operations and product development, with favorable terms including no interest and no fees [5]