From Twitter to Neuralink and Solar City: A Rundown of Elon Musk's Many Businesses

Samson Amore

Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to samsonamore@dot.la and find him on Twitter @Samsonamore.

​Elon Musk
Image by Maryna Linchevska/ Shutterstock

Even as Elon Musk’s attention seems to be drawn more towards his latest pet project, Twitter, his various other companies continue to charge full steam ahead, and some – like Hawthorne-based hyperloop tunnel startup Boring Co. – have had major developments in recent weeks.

There’s a lot to keep track of in the Musk-iverse, so here’s a rundown of all the magnate’s current ventures and most recent updates.


Twitter

Starting with the big bird, briefly: The billionaire’s $44 billion-buyout of the social network hasn't gone exactly seamlessly since he took the reins Oct. 28.

So far Musk has reportedly asked Twitter staff to work 12-hour days and initiated mass layoffs, including firing the C-Suite and sacking 15% of Twitter’s Trust & Safety team, which handles content moderation. Some disgruntled ex-Twitter employees have sued Musk for not providing proper notice to state regulators about layoffs.

The new “Chief Twit” has also proposed allowing users to pay for verification, with an $8/month subscription tier of Twitter Blue expected to launch after the midterm elections this week.

SpaceX

Hawthorne-based SpaceX continues to chug along, delivering both private and public government mission payloads to orbit at a pace that dwarfs all competitors.

SpaceX’s crafts have completed over 50 launches for commercial operators so far this year – averaging about one launch per week – and has several more scheduled before the end of the year. But this week, a Falcon 9 launch for telecommunications firm Intelsat was postponed because of subtropical storms.

Looking forward: Starship, the company’s forthcoming reusable rocket for crew and cargo, is undergoing tests and could launch shortly after NASA’s upcoming Artemis mission. SpaceX is already selling seats on Starship for wealthy space tourists, and one mission, nicknamed “#dearmoon,” will see Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and up to eight others fly around the moon by 2023. In addition, SpaceX hopes to use the Starship to land NASA astronauts on the moon.

SpaceX Rocket Photo by ANIRUDH on Unsplash

Starlink

The broadband internet service that’s a division of SpaceX, is rapidly expanding across the globe. Starlink expanded to Australia Nov. 6. Currently, SpaceX launches Starlink’s satellites on its Falcon 9 rockets and completed a launch of 43 more spacecraft – part of Musk’s larger plan to create a network of some 42,000 Starlink satellites – on Oct. 28.

But it’s not all smooth sailing for Starlink’s early adopters. Starlink added a new policy this week that will put data caps on users to throttle speeds. From now on, people who use one terabyte or more of Starlink’s unlimited data per month will experience “slower speeds” during “peak hours,” which is curently between 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Starlink’s also accelerating adoption in other non-residential markets, including internet for cellular, moving vehicles and airplanes. In September we covered Starlink’s expansion into in-flight internet. On the ground, the company launched an internet for stationary RVs service in May and is now accepting orders for moving vehicle internet.

Tesla

The EV car company continues to produce its vehicles at a rapid clip to meet surging demand.

As it noted in this year’s third quarter earnings report, Tesla delivered 343,830 vehicles and reported its revenue grew 56% annually to $21.5 billion. This was a bit shy of analyst estimates of 371,000 cars. But still far more than any of its local electric vehicle competitors like Lucid, Fisker (which begins deliveries this month), or Amazon-backed Rivian. With over 908,000 cars delivered this year, it’s possible Tesla could hit 1 million before 2023.

There’s also legal proceedings to watch: Tesla is facing a suit from state regulators over its alleged racist treatment of employees and discriminatory policies. That lawsuit, filed in February by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, is still pending after Tesla lost a petition to have the suit dismissed.

And a lawsuit about Musk’s pay package at Tesla is set to begin trial on Nov. 14. It was filed by Tesla shareholder Richard Tornetta in 2019, who alleged that Musk’s 2018 payout worth $56 billion was excessive and undeserved.

In addition to EVs, Tesla is also trying to develop a robot. This September, the company showed off Optimus, a humanoid bot that was y capable of stiffly walking and waving at a crowd and seemed to be far behind other robotics competitors like Boston Dynamics’ back-flipping bots. Tesla is far from mass production. But Musk claimed that the robots could one day sell to consumers for “probably” less than $20,000.

SolarCity

One of Musk’s less-discussed ventures, SolarCity is a Fremont-based renewable energy firm that Tesla bought in 2016 for $2.6 billion.

SolarCity installs solar panels on residential and commercial properties and Musk was keen to acquire it because of his ambitions to sell Tesla-branded solar panels. In March 2021, Tesla sharply hiked up the price of its Solar Roof tiles by more than 50%, a decision that led some angry customers to sue. Though by September of last year, Tesla decided to honor some buyers’ original pricing to appease them.

To that end, GM is looking to compete with SolarCity directly; last month it launched a division called GM Energy focused specifically on selling batteries, charging equipment, and solar panels to consumers and businesses.

The boring companyAutomative luxury freeway cars in tunnel Boring Company 3d rendering. Image by Volodimir Zozulinskyi/ Shutterstock

The Boring Company

It seems Musk is getting bored of Boring Co. After all, he hasn’t tweeted about it since April.

The ambitious project, which would have seen the company build lengthy underground hyperloop transportation tunnels in an attempt to beat traffic, seems to be winding down operations in LA.

Boring Co. was founded in 2016. In 2018, Musk unveiled a Boring Co. test tunnel in Hawthorne to much fanfare. But by November of that same year, a proposed tunnel under the 405 freeway on Los Angeles’ Westside was out of the question, and so was a planned tunnel network connecting the Vermont Ave. metro station and Dodger Stadium.

In recent weeks, more signs have emerged that Boring Co. might not be around for long. Last month, Musk abandoned plans for a tunnel at California’s Ontario Airport. The company’s first test tunnel, which sat above ground adjacent to SpaceX’s Hawthorne headquarters, was dismantled and the site was turned into a parking lot last week. In Kyle, Texas, a plan for a Boring Co. pedestrian tunnel was scrapped this week.

For the record, Musk once admitted that Boring Co. was just an expensive, glitzy ruse to disrupt California’s attempt at building a functional high-speed rail system, which he felt was “outdated and expensive.” So perhaps his full passion isn’t behind this particular piece of his portfolio.

Still, several projects in Nevada are listed as under construction on Boring Co.’s website. These include a hyperloop tunnel at the Las Vegas Convention Center and a loop underneath Las Vegas that will connect to the existing LVCC loop completed in 2021. Nonetheless, according to Boring Co.’s website, it’s still “working with various local governments and private stakeholders to consult, advise, and perform research, development, and testing on the viability in their cities for Hyperloop, the high speed transportation of passengers and goods in tubes.”

In August, Boring Co. tweeted that “full-scale testing” of the Hyperloop will begin “later this year,” but it didn’t clarify where, or when that might occur.

Neuralink

One of Musk’s more controversial projects, Neuralink, is working to realize the billionaire’s vision of implanting chips directly into human brains to allow us to interact directly with computers via thought. In the past, Musk has referred to the concept as a “Fitbit in your skull.”

Neuralink was launched in 2018 and unveiled its brain-chip technology in 2020. In July 2021, Neuralink raised a $205 million Series C round led by Vy Capital and including Google Ventures.

A demonstration event was originally planned for Oct. 31, but Musk recently tweeted that it was rescheduled for Nov. 30.

As of this writing, it’s unclear what we’ll see at this upcoming “show and tell” event. Back in July 2020 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Neuralink approval for “breakthrough testing” which made the company eligible to begin trials on animals. As a result, last April the company made headlines after showcasing a nine year-old monkey with a Neuralink chip playing the game “Pong” with its brain. Though we're still far from human trials and the technology has been called “outdated” by experts, in January however, reporters noticed job postings for a clinical trials director at Neuralink. The implication? Musk is looking for human volunteers sooner than expected.

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The $260M Robot Revolution Happening in Torrance

🔦 Spotlight

Hello Los Angeles,

Forget rockets. This week, the loudest move in the defense tech scene came from a factory floor in Torrance, where Hadrian secured $260 million to fuel its robot-run revolution.

The company, which builds AI-powered, robot-run factories for America’s aerospace and defense industries, announced the massive Series C raise, led by existing investors like Lux Capital and Founders Fund, along with a factory expansion loan facility arranged by Morgan Stanley. The funding will power Hadrian’s third factory (in Arizona), unlock full product manufacturing, and accelerate its mission to bring American manufacturing roaring back faster, smarter, and more automated than ever.

And here’s what makes them fascinating: Hadrian isn’t just churning out parts. They’re reinventing what a factory is. Their facilities look more like giant humming circuit boards than the smokestacks of old, packed with robots, AI, and ambition to move at the speed of software.

It’s the kind of vision you’d expect from a founder who speaks about reshoring U.S. manufacturing as if it were a moral obligation and then backs it up with billion-dollar contracts and steel-and-silicon proof.

We’ll be watching closely to see what Hadrian assembles next. One thing’s certain: the robots are already working overtime, and if you’re smart (or a robot whisperer), you might want to join them.

🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Boulevard, a SaaS startup that helps salons and self-care businesses manage scheduling and operations, has raised an $80M Series D led by JMI Equity at a valuation near $800M. The funding will fuel enhancements to its AI-powered scheduling tools and support continued product innovation and market expansion. - learn more
  • Rwazi has raised $12M in Series A funding to expand its AI-powered decision-making platform, which helps businesses replace gut-based decisions with real-time insights and simulations based on consumer behavior. The round was led by Bonfire Ventures and will support the growth of Rwazi’s simulation engine and data infrastructure to help companies make more precise, data-driven decisions across marketing, product, and operations. - learn more
  • Lexington Bakes, an artisan bakery known for its gluten-free, organic oat bars and luxury brownies, has raised $1M in a seed round. The investment was led by Rainfall Ventures. The funding will help the company transition to co-manufacturing, expand its retail reach from about 100 to a projected 1,000 doors in the next year, and scale up its team and operations. - learn more

LA Venture Funds

  • TCG (The Chernin Group) participated in Substack’s latest $100M funding round, joining Andreessen Horowitz, and other investors. Their investment underscores confidence in Substack’s vision to grow its subscription publishing platform and expand its tools for independent writers and creators. - learn more
  • Acre Venture Partners participated in Zucca’s $5M funding round to help the Seattle startup scale its platform, which uses AI to design and develop plant-based food products faster and more efficiently. Their investment will support Zucca’s mission to create sustainable, health-focused foods and expand its operations. - learn more
  • Sound Ventures joined XMTP’s $80M Series B to back its vision of redefining how people communicate in the web3 world. With this funding, XMTP plans to scale its decentralized, privacy-focused messaging protocol, enabling secure, wallet-to-wallet conversations across the blockchain ecosystem. - learn more
  • Morpheus Ventures and Sage Venture Partners participated in Datavations’ $17M Series A funding round, with Morpheus joining as a new investor and Sage returning as an existing backer. Datavations, an AI-driven analytics platform for the building materials and home improvement industries, uses machine learning to deliver actionable insights on pricing, inventory, assortment, and supply chains. The funds will be used to grow the team, accelerate development of its Commerce Alert Hub, and expand its presence across North America. - learn more
  • Mucker Capital led the $3.3M seed round for Bidbus, an AI-powered consumer-to-dealer used car marketplace in the U.S. The platform enables car owners to auction their vehicles online and receive competing offers from dealers, while dealers gain access to high-quality inventory more efficiently. The funding will help Bidbus enhance its AI capabilities and expand into new markets. - learn more
  • Creative Artists Agency (CAA) participated as a strategic investor in Moonvalley’s $84M funding round, signaling strong industry confidence in the company’s development of a fully licensed, AI-powered video generation platform tailored for professional filmmakers and studios. CAA’s investment reinforces Moonvalley’s commitment to ethical AI practices and provides it with a direct pipeline to top-tier creative talent and entertainment partners. - learn more
  • MANTIS Venture Capital joined Zip Security’s $13.5M Series A funding round, backing the company's mission to deliver automated, AI-driven cybersecurity and compliance solutions. Their participation supports Zip’s efforts to expand its engineering team, build deeper platform integrations, and scale into regulated industry verticals like defense, finance, and healthcare. - learn more
  • Rebel Fund participated in Apolink’s oversubscribed $4.3M seed round, joining other notable backers such as Y Combinator and 468 Capital. By investing in this 19‑year‑old–led space tech startup, Rebel Fund is supporting Apolink’s mission to deliver continuous LEO satellite connectivity and facilitate its planned demo missions and constellation build‑out. - learn more

    LA Exits
    • Retina AI is to be acquired by Onar in a deal that will enhance Onar’s AI-powered customer analytics and personalization offerings. By integrating Retina’s predictive customer lifetime value technology, Onar aims to provide businesses with deeper insights into customer behavior and more precise targeting. The acquisition highlights Onar’s commitment to delivering data-driven solutions for optimizing customer relationships. - learn more
    • Nearsure, a U.S.-based tech services company with over 600 professionals across 18 Latin American countries, has been acquired by Nortal to bolster its AI and enterprise solutions in the Americas. Known for its AI-driven transformation, custom software, and partnerships with major platforms, Nearsure will merge into Nortal’s U.S. operations and rebrand later this year. The acquisition allows Nearsure to expand into U.S. and European markets while enhancing its AI, cybersecurity, and enterprise offerings. - learn more
    • InsideOut Sports & Entertainment, the event production company behind high‑profile sports events like The Pickleball Slam, Pro Padel League, and Major League Pickleball, has been acquired by GSE Worldwide, marking GSE’s first foray into live event production. Founded by tennis legend Jim Courier and Jon Venison, who will now serve as EVP and head of the new GSE Productions division, InsideOut’s team will integrate into GSE to help scale its live-event operations into new markets. - learn more

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      From Sunset Boulevard to Outer Space: LA’s Latest

      🔦 Spotlight

      Good Morning Beliebers and Los Angeles!

      While Justin Bieber’s new album dropped last night, here’s what else is making headlines in Los Angeles this week.

      Luma has opened its Dream Lab on Sunset Boulevard, boldly positioning itself at the forefront of AI-powered creativity. Known for transforming ordinary photos into cinematic 3D scenes, Luma is combining cutting-edge research with practical tools to build a playground for artists, engineers, and anyone ready to push the boundaries of visual storytelling. In their words: “From Hollywood blockbusters to the next generation of immersive media, this is where the magic happens.”

      Meanwhile, well beyond our skyline, SpaceX reportedly hit an eye-popping $400 billion valuation in a recent share sale, making it one of the most valuable private companies ever. The milestone reflects both investors’ fervor for the commercial space race and LA’s unrivaled role as the launchpad of aerospace innovation.

      LA continues to prove it can deliver on the ground, in the cloud, and far beyond the stars. See you next week.

      🤝 Venture Deals

      LA Companies

         
      • Varda Space Industries, the El Segundo–based company manufacturing pharmaceuticals in microgravity, has raised $187M in a Series C round led by Natural Capital and Shrug Capital, bringing its total funding to approximately $329M. The funds will support an increased launch cadence of robotic drug-production capsules, expansion of its El Segundo lab for biologic drug crystallization, and broader efforts to scale commercial microgravity-driven drug formulation and hypersonic reentry testing. - learn more

      LA Venture Funds

      • Rebel Fund participated in Vellum’s $20M Series A round, which was led by Leaders Fund. The company helps businesses build and optimize LLM-powered applications. Vellum plans to grow its team and speed up product development with the new funding. - learn more
      • Bold Capital participated in a $31M Series B funding round for Aqtual, a Hayward, California based precision medicine startup developing a cutting edge cell free DNA (cfDNA) multiomics platform. The capital will help commercialize Aqtual’s flagship rheumatoid arthritis diagnostic, currently being tested in a 1,300 patient trial, and support expansion into other chronic and autoimmune diseases. - learn more
      • Strong Ventures invested in VERAMORE, a skincare brand focused on addressing early signs of aging in women. Since launching in March 2022, VERAMORE has grown over 300% annually, expanded to more than 16 products, and entered markets including Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, Europe, and Korea. The funding will support its D2C growth, product-driven marketing, and planned global expansion starting with Japan in 2025 and the U.S. and Europe in 2026. - learn more
      • Mucker Capital joined a $3.7M seed funding round for Velvet Capital aimed at launching its DeFAI operating system and $VELVET governance token. Velvet’s vertically integrated DeFi toolkit combines AI-powered trading, portfolio management, APIs, and a native token to streamline on-chain investment for funds, DAOs, and individual traders. The funding will accelerate platform development, the rollout of its tokenomics, and broader adoption of its intent-based DeFi suite. - learn more
      • Btech Consortium Fund participated in a $8.5M Series A funding round for Castellum.AI, a New York based financial crime compliance platform that uses in‑house risk data, AI, and screening tools to help financial institutions manage AML/KYC compliance. The funds will be used to expand their team, enhance integrations with financial institutions, and accelerate adoption of their AI‑powered compliance solutions. - learn more
      • Bold Capital Partners joined the oversubscribed $45M Series A round for Centivax, a South San Francisco biotech company dedicated to developing a universal flu vaccine using a proprietary mRNA-based immune-engineering platform. Led by Future Ventures, the funding will help Centivax advance its lead candidate into Phase I clinical trials and expand its broader universal immunity pipeline targeting pathogens like RSV, HIV, and malaria. - learn more
      • Alpha Edison participated in Honor Education’s $38M Series A funding round for the San Francisco–based learning platform. Honor uses AI‑enhanced, mobile-first courses and credentialed programs to improve engagement and leadership development. The funding will be used to scale AI capabilities, personalize learning experiences, and expand the company’s operations and customer‑success teams to meet rising demand. - learn more
      • Wasserman Ventures participated in a $7M seed round for Fantasy Life, the fantasy sports platform founded by Matthew Berry. The funding will support the launch of Fantasy Life’s revamped platform, featuring new “Guillotine Leagues,” a modernized app experience, and enhanced content and tools to scale its audience and technology offerings. - learn more

      LA Exits
      • El Segundo based Kaye Capital Management, a fee only RIA with approximately $700M in assets under management and $300M in assets under advisement, was acquired by Modern Wealth Management, marking its 17th acquisition and pushing its total AUM over $8.5B. The deal strengthens Modern Wealth’s presence in California and adds Kaye’s institutional retirement plan expertise to its suite of financial and retirement solutions for clients. - learn more
      • NIRx Medical Technologies was acquired by Gilde Healthcare’s private equity fund and combined with Artinis Medical Systems to form a world-leading neuroimaging group. Both companies will retain their brands and locations while collaborating on R&D, product development, and global expansion of their functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) tools to advance research in mental health, neurodegenerative diseases, and stroke rehabilitation. - learn more
      • Emotive, a conversational SMS marketing platform, has been acquired by Privy to create a unified solution for e-commerce brands that combines email, SMS, pop-ups, and real-time customer conversations. The integrated platform will help over 10,000 merchants simplify their marketing, personalize customer interactions, and strengthen relationships with dedicated strategists and transparent pricing. - learn more

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      Tinder, Starlink, and Apple’s New Studio: This Week in LA

      🔦 Spotlight

      Happy Independence Day, Los Angeles! 🇺🇸

      While you're celebrating freedom, here are some electrifying updates lighting up LA’s tech, satellite, and music scenes:

      🔥 Tinder mandates Face Recognition in California

        Image Source: Tinder

      Tinder is now requiring all new users in California to complete a biometric face check, a brief video selfie processed via FaceTec, to verify profiles are genuine. The video is deleted post-verification, though an encrypted face map remains while the account is active. This West Hollywood based move could redefine trust, safety, and privacy in mainstream consumer apps.

      🌐 Starlink clears hurdle to launch in India

      Elon Musk’s SpaceX backed Starlink has cleared most regulatory and licensing hurdles with India’s Department of Telecommunications, marking a key step toward launching satellite broadband in one of the world’s fastest growing markets. Final approvals from the national space regulator are pending, and services, expected to deliver high speed connectivity to underserved regions, could launch in the coming months. This is a major milestone for Starlink’s global expansion.

      🎧 Apple Music opens Culver City creative hub

        Image Source: Apple

      Apple Music is celebrating its anniversary by launching a brand new 15,000 square foot, three story studio in Culver City. The facility, featuring a 4,000 square foot soundstage, spatial audio suites, podcast booths, and more, is designed by Eric Owen Moss and slated to open mid August. It solidifies LA’s reputation as a creative powerhouse and reaffirms Apple’s commitment to investing in and nurturing our city's cultural ecosystem.

      From dating apps to deep space to sound stages, LA isn’t just watching the future unfold, we’re building it.

      Here’s to independence, imagination, and everything this city dares to launch next. Happy Fourth, Los Angeles.

      🤝 Venture Deals

      LA Companies

      • Castelion has raised a $350M Series B round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners alongside Altimeter Capital to scale its hypersonic missile production capabilities. The El Segundo-based defense startup plans to use the funds to expand manufacturing, accelerate testing through its SpaceX-inspired rapid development model, and position itself as a cost-effective supplier of hypersonic weapons to the U.S. military and its allies. - learn more
      • Earth Sama, a Calabasas, California–based climate-tech platform that helps rural farming and Indigenous communities generate and manage carbon credits, secured investment from Omtse Ventures. The funding will support the rollout of Earth Sama’s blockchain-powered field app, climate-creator platform, and smart-contract tools to scale community-led carbon credit projects globally under the Paris Agreement’s Article 6.4 framework. - learn more

                LA Venture Funds

                • Plassa Capital participated in Metafide’s $3.275M funding round. Miami based Metafide, the creator of SURGE, a gamified trading platform that combines AI neural networks and human insight, will use the funds to scale and launch SURGE into the market. - learn more
                • BOLD Capital Partners participated as a founding investor in Syntis Bio’s $33M Series A round, with an additional $5M in NIH grants. The Boston-based biotech is developing oral therapies for obesity and rare diseases, and the funding will help advance its SYNT platform, moving its lead obesity treatment, SYNT-101, into Phase 1 trials and supporting development of SYNT-202 for homocystinuria. - learn more
                • BAM Ventures participated in Cred’s $15M seed round for its predictive intelligence startup. San Francisco based Cred uses AI to unify company data with real time market signals and deliver actionable insights for sales and operations. The funding, led by defy.vc, will be used to scale Cred’s platform, expand its customer base, and grow team and product capabilities. - learn more
                • BOLD Capital Partners participated in Gallant’s $18M Series B round to advance its ready-to-use stem cell therapies for pets. The funding, led by Digitalis Ventures with additional support from NovaQuest Capital, will help Gallant bring its off-the-shelf regenerative treatments to market. - learn more
                • Rebel Fund joined the seed round for Rocketable, contributing to the $6.5M raised to build a portfolio of fully automated SaaS companies. San Francisco-based Rocketable, backed by True Ventures and others, uses AI agents to operate acquired software products, and Rebel’s support will help scale both the platform and acquisitions. - learn more 
                        LA Exits
                        • Leasepath, a cloud-first provider of equipment lease and loan management software, has been acquired by Solifi to enhance its mid-market offerings. The deal allows Solifi to expand Leasepath’s Microsoft Dynamics-based platform into new global markets while keeping Leasepath’s team and leadership in place. - learn more

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