Heaviside Raises $28M for Autonomous Precision Munitions

Heaviside Raises $28M for Autonomous Precision Munitions

🔦 Spotlight

Hey Los Angeles,

For years, Southern California’s defense tech story has largely been told through satellites, rockets, drones and software. This week, another category stepped into the frame: autonomous precision munitions.

Los Angeles-based Heaviside Industries emerged from stealth with a $28M Series A led by Interlagos, with participation from Menlo Ventures, Flume Ventures, Cantos, Anorak Ventures and several individual defense and technology investors. The company, founded in 2024, is building autonomous precision munitions for U.S. and allied special operations and conventional forces.

The round will help Heaviside accelerate development, production and delivery of its multi-domain munitions platforms, including its first aerial and underwater systems. According to the company, its products are designed to operate in jammed and GPS-denied environments, where legacy systems can degrade or fail.

That detail matters. Modern warfare has been reshaped by unmanned systems, contested communications and the growing need for weapons that are not only precise, but affordable enough to be produced and deployed at scale. In other words, the defense tech race is not just about building more advanced systems. It is about building systems that can actually survive the battlefield they are designed for.

Heaviside has been operating in stealth for more than two years and says it has built a team of more than 50 engineers and operators across Los Angeles and Oslo, Norway. The company also says it already has a roster of U.S. and allied customers, with the new funding going toward expanding production and accelerating deliveries domestically and abroad.

For LA’s hard tech ecosystem, Heaviside adds to a growing defense-tech cluster that is less about splashy software and more about applied engineering. The company’s work sits at the intersection of autonomy, manufacturing and national security, where Southern California’s aerospace and robotics talent has become increasingly relevant.

Now onto this week’s LA venture deals and fund announcements.


🤝 Venture Deals

    LA Companies

    • Furientis emerged from stealth with a $5M pre-seed led by Silent Ventures, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, SV Angel and other investors. Founded in 2025, the defense technology startup is developing cost-effective, ship-based interceptor systems designed for scalable production, with the funding going toward initial production, expanded testing and hiring across engineering, manufacturing and operations. - learn more
    • Rogue raised a $2.5M pre-seed led by Science Inc., with participation from Uncommon VC, Simple Food Ventures and strategic investors, to accelerate its national retail and digital commerce strategy. Built by the team behind Dollar Shave Club and Liquid Death, Rogue makes high-protein chips and puffs with active probiotics, no seed oils and no artificial ingredients, and will launch in 2,800 Walmart stores nationwide in July. - learn more
    • Develo raised $14M led by Blueprint Equity, with participation from Villain Capital, Z21 Ventures and Bienville Capital, to grow its AI-native operating system for pediatric practices. The platform unifies clinical, billing and family engagement workflows beyond the traditional EMR, with the new capital going toward R&D and customer success as Develo expands across pediatric providers nationwide. - learn more
    LA Venture Funds
    • Kinship Ventures participated in Nectar Social’s $30M Series A, which was led by Menlo Ventures and its Anthology Fund, with participation from True Ventures and GV. Nectar Social is building an agentic social operating system for modern marketing, helping brands manage social intelligence, community engagement, creator workflows and conversational commerce across platforms like Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit and X. The new funding will support engineering and applied AI hiring, deepen platform partnerships and expand Nectar Agent into more brand workflows. - learn more
    • Alexandria Venture Investments participated in CREATE Medicines’ $122M Series B, which was co-led by existing investors Newpath Partners, ARCH Venture Partners and Hatteras Venture Partners. The Cambridge-based biotech is developing in vivo CAR therapies for autoimmune disease and oncology using an mRNA-LNP platform that engineers immune cells directly inside the body, with the funding going toward advancing its CD19-targeted autoimmune program into the clinic, expanding its dual CAR CD19 x BCMA program and continuing work across its oncology pipeline. - learn more
    • Overture Ventures participated in GridCARE’s $64M Series A, which was led by Sutter Hill Ventures with backing from John Doerr, National Grid Partners, Future Energy Ventures, Emerson Collective, Stanford University and other existing investors. Redwood City-based GridCARE is building a physics-based AI platform that helps identify underused grid capacity and accelerate power delivery for AI data centers, compressing interconnection timelines from years to months. The company says it is already engaged in projects across more than a dozen markets representing more than 2 GW of new AI compute capacity. - learn more
    • Taste Tomorrow Ventures invested in Harken Sweets’ seed round, joining Selva and GRTSHT as the early-stage VC firm continues backing better-for-you snack brands. Founded by Katie Lefkowitz, Harken Sweets makes cleaner-label chocolate bars sweetened with whole-food dates instead of refined sugar or synthetic alternatives, and is already sold through retailers including Sprouts, Whole Foods, Kroger, Costco, Walmart, Albertsons and Wegmans. - learn more
    • Bonfire Ventures led Ranger AI’s $8.4M seed round, with participation from 25madison, Inovia Capital and Panache Ventures. Ranger AI is building an agentic revenue operations platform for industrial tendering, helping industrial, manufacturing and supply chain companies automate complex RFP, bid and project workflows. The company says its platform is already being used across more than 1,000 projects and can cut industrial tendering time by up to 50%. - learn more
    • Fika Ventures participated in Outmarket AI’s $17M Series A, which was led by Permanent Capital Ventures, with participation from SignalFire, TTV Capital, Dash Fund and senior insurance industry executives. Outmarket AI builds AI workflow software for insurance agencies and brokers, helping teams automate policy reviews, quote comparisons, renewals, coverage gap analysis, proposal building and other core workflows. The round brings the company’s total funding to $21.7M. - learn more
    • Wedbush Ventures participated in Secludy’s $4M seed round, which was led by Impression Ventures and also included LAUNCH, The Syndicate, Precursor Ventures, Hustle Fund, Script Capital, Mana Ventures and Chispa VC. San Francisco-based Secludy helps banks, payments firms and fintech companies safely use proprietary customer data to train and evaluate GenAI models by generating privacy-protected synthetic data, with the funding going toward hiring, go-to-market growth and expanding its platform across more enterprise AI workflows. - learn more
    • Sound Ventures led a new $17M funding round for Anomaly Insights, joined by Alumni Ventures and existing investors Link Ventures, Redesign Health and RRE Ventures. The New York-based company uses AI to help health systems analyze payer behavior, identify denials, underpayments and contract issues, and strengthen how providers engage with insurers across claims management and managed care negotiations. The new funding brings Anomaly’s total raised to $34M. - learn more
    • B Capital and UP.Partners participated in Havoc’s $100M Series A, backing the company’s push to scale its all-domain autonomous systems for defense operations. Havoc’s autonomy stack is designed to operate across air, sea and land platforms, and the new funding brings its total capital raised to nearly $200M as it expands deployment capacity, engineering and partnerships with defense manufacturers. - learn more
    • B Capital led Star Catcher’s oversubscribed $65M Series A, with the round co-led by Shield Capital and Cerberus Ventures. The Florida-based company is building what it calls the first power grid in space, using optical power beaming to deliver electricity on demand to satellites and other spacecraft, with the funding going toward orbital demonstrations, engineering and commercial expansion. The round brings Star Catcher’s total funding to $88M. - learn more
    • Interlagos participated in Cowboy Space Corporation’s $275M Series B, which was led by Index Ventures and valued the company at $2B. Formerly known as Aetherflux, the San Carlos-based company is building vertically integrated orbital infrastructure for the AI era, including low-Earth orbit satellites, purpose-built launch vehicles and in-orbit data centers designed to help meet rising demand for AI compute. - learn more

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      How to Navigate LA Tech Week 2026

      🔦 Spotlight

      Happy Friday, Los Angeles.

      Next week, hundreds of tech events will take over the city, bringing founders, investors, engineers and creators together from October 12 through 18.

      Calling LA Tech Week a conference does not quite capture the experience.

      Presented by Andreessen Horowitz, Tech Week is a decentralized collection of panels, workshops, demonstrations and gatherings hosted independently by startups, venture firms and technology companies. There is no convention center or central stage. The programming stretches from Santa Monica and Venice to Culver City, Downtown, El Segundo and beyond.

      In other words, the city is the venue.

      AI remains the dominant theme for 2026, appearing across enterprise software, healthcare, finance, media and the creator economy. The schedule also reflects industries where Los Angeles has built a particular advantage, including aerospace, defense, robotics, advanced manufacturing, entertainment and consumer technology.

      That range is what makes LA Tech Week distinct. It brings together the software companies shaping what comes next with the industries that already define Southern California.

      The challenge is deciding where to show up.

      Our advice: apply early and organize your schedule by neighborhood. Crossing from Santa Monica to Downtown may look manageable on a calendar created by someone who has never driven in Los Angeles.

      To help you spend more time meeting people and less time crossing the city, we have organized each day’s events by location:

      You can also browse the complete official LA Tech Week calendar.

      Plan carefully, but do not fill every minute. The best conversation of the week may be the one that was never on your calendar.

      More from this week’s LA startup and venture scene below.

      🤝 Venture Deals

        LA Companies

        • El Segundo-based Gallatin AI raised a $50M Series A from new and existing investors including 8VC and Silent Ventures, bringing its total funding to $70M. The defense technology startup will expand its engineering team and advance Navigator, an AI platform that helps U.S. military units coordinate vehicle readiness, supplies, medical logistics and other mission-support operations. - learn more
        • Pasadena-based quantum computing startup Oratomic raised a $475M Series B at a $5.4B valuation, just three months after its Series A. ARCH Venture Partners, Spark Capital, Khosla Ventures, Index Ventures, General Catalyst and Bezos Expeditions co-led the round, bringing Oratomic’s total funding to $775M as it works toward a commercially viable, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2030. - learn more
        • Torrance-based Fortastra raised a $30M Series A led by First In, with participation from Upfront Ventures, Space Capital, Rsquared, Side Door Ventures, ATX Ventures and existing investors. The company will use the capital to develop its next-generation maneuverable spacecraft, expand its engineering and operations teams and scale production of systems designed to protect critical assets in orbit. - learn more
        • Parallel Systems raised a $100M Series C led by AVP, with participation from Hillspire, Agility Global, Cobalt Capital, Anthos Capital, Congruent Ventures, Riot Ventures and Collaborative Fund. Founded by former SpaceX engineers, the company will use the funding to scale production and commercial deployment of its autonomous, battery-electric Panther rail vehicles, which are designed to make short-haul freight more competitive with trucking. - learn more
        • Gaming studio Gardens Interactive secured more than $35M in a Series B led by Lightspeed, with participation from Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures, Accel, Innovation Endeavors, Zenith Capital and other investors. The company will use the funding to launch and operate its debut social role-playing “strandbox” game, an evolving multiplayer world shaped by players’ actions and interactions. - learn more
        • Outer Spaces raised an $8M pre-seed round led by Upfront Ventures, with participation from Unlock Venture Partners, Mucker Capital and Genius Ventures. The startup is developing outdoor furnishings with integrated solar panels and batteries, turning backyards into sources of clean energy and backup power. - learn more
        • Furientis raised a $25M seed round led by Benchmark at a reported $125M valuation, following a $5M pre-seed announced in May. The defense startup will use the capital to scale production of lower-cost missile interceptors designed to be assembled quickly with readily available components, with a long-term goal of producing 1,000 systems annually at each factory. - learn more
        • Hiyo raised a $20.8M Series B led by Constellation Brands, with returning investor Live Nation also participating. The nonalcoholic beverage company will use the funding to expand its adaptogen- and nootropic-infused social tonics across more than 13,000 retail locations while growing its presence at hospitality venues and live events. - learn more
        LA Venture Funds
        • Navitas Capital participated in Vesta’s $30M Series B, which was led by Conversion Capital and included backing from several major mortgage lenders and financial institutions. The company will use the funding to scale its AI agents across mortgage origination, automating tasks such as application reviews, underwriting decisions and closing-document checks. - learn more
        • MTech Capital led Nettle’s oversubscribed $4.8M seed round, with participation from Project A Ventures, Sure Valley Ventures, Portfolio Ventures and Ventures Together. The insurtech startup will use the funding to expand across the U.S. and Europe while growing its AI platform, which helps commercial insurers identify property risks, accelerate inspections and generate reports. - learn more
        • Bonfire Ventures doubled down on Santé by participating in the company’s $15M Series A, which was led by FINTOP and included other returning investors. The New York startup will use the funding to expand its AI-powered operating system for independent wine and liquor stores, which combines point-of-sale, e-commerce, payments, inventory and marketing tools in one platform. - learn more

        LA Exits

        • Winnow Solutions was acquired by Marina del Rey-based Spring Labs, with financial terms undisclosed. Winnow’s attorney-built library of more than 100,000 state and federal regulatory requirements will become a core part of SpringGRC, helping financial institutions connect changing laws directly to their compliance policies, controls and workflows. - learn more

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          LA Tech Week 2026: Sunday’s Event Lineup

          🔦 Spotlight

          LA Tech Week 2026 closes Sunday with one final day of events across Los Angeles. We have organized the remaining lineup by neighborhood so you can finish the week with a few last conversations before everyone returns to their regularly scheduled inboxes.

          ARTS DISTRICT

          12:00 PM

          CARSON

          12:00 PM

          CULVER CITY

          9:00 AM

          • Women in Cleantech & Sustainability Hike and Network: See Details Here
            Women in Cleantech & Sustainability

          6:00 PM

          • Founders pitch competition: See Details Here
            Biomorphix solutions, Nightingale regenerative

          HOLLYWOOD

          10:00 AM

          4:00 PM

          • AI International: Film, Music Video & Micro-Drama: See Details Here
            AI International Film Festivals

          MID CITY

          1:00 PM

          OTHER

          12:00 PM

          • ORGANIC LIFE LABS™ PRESENTS THE ALIGNMENT LAB: The Science of human performance: See Details Here
            The Blue Room Collective

          SANTA MONICA

          8:00 AM

          1:00 PM

          6:00 PM

          SOUTH LA

          2:00 PM

          • Future Builders : Family STEM Day: See Details Here
            Black L.A. Tech Week (Community Collective)

          VENICE

          10:00 AM

          12:00 PM

          • How to Raise Funds to Fund Any Business Using Digital Products.: See Details Here
            DN Events

          VIRTUAL

          5:00 PM

          WEST HOLLYWOOD

          3:00 PM

          Each session provides unique opportunities to gain insights, network, and explore various fields of tech innovation. For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

          Download the dot.LA App

          LA Tech Week 2026: Saturday’s Event Lineup

          🔦 Spotlight

          LA Tech Week 2026 heads into the weekend Saturday with more opportunities to learn, meet fellow builders and explore what is being created across the region. Browse the day’s events by neighborhood below and find the gatherings worth leaving the house for.

          ARTS DISTRICT

          5:30 PM

          BEL AIR

          5:00 PM

          CULVER CITY

          10:00 AM

          1:00 PM

          4:00 PM

          DOWNTOWN

          11:00 AM

          2:00 PM

          • South Asians in Space, Physical AI: See Details Here
            american south asian network

          5:00 PM

          7:00 PM

          HOLLYWOOD

          8:00 PM

          INGLEWOOD

          10:00 PM

          LONG BEACH

          10:00 AM

          12:00 PM

          LOS FELIZ

          8:30 AM

          • Griffith Observatory Hike with Longevity Cities & Don't Die LA: See Details Here
            Longevity Cities

          MALIBU

          5:00 PM

          MARINA DEL RAY

          9:30 AM

          • The Brazen Capital Walk: Connecting Women, Capital & Opportunity: See Details Here
            BrazenEra

          6:00 PM

          • Build an AI workflow editor, natively in Angular: See Details Here
            Workflow Builder

          SANTA MONICA

          7:00 AM

          • Founders Running Club Run in Santa Monica: See Details Here
            Founders Running Club, MongoDb

          9:00 AM

          • MOLTEN - Spatial hackathon (ElevenLabs, AssemblyAI, Rokoko, Datafeel...): See Details Here
            Field Lab

          2:00 PM

          3:30 PM

          6:00 PM

          7:00 PM

          SOUTH LA

          7:00 PM

          THE VALLEY

          7:30 PM

          UCLA

          11:00 AM

          USC

          9:00 AM

          10:00 AM

          10:30 AM

          VENICE

          8:00 AM

          • Open Air Health Tech: See Details Here
            Open Air Health Tech, Bowshock, Govitamins App

          10:00 AM

          10:30 AM

          11:00 AM

          12:00 PM

          6:00 PM

          • Bots, Bytes & Bubbles Benefit: See Details Here
            Distinguished Minds Institute dba thinqueBytes®

          VIRTUAL

          9:00 AM

          • Ask a VP of Sales: Live GTM Office Hours for Early-Stage B2B Founders: See Details Here
            Kat Rucker Consulting Group

          11:00 AM

          WEST HOLLYWOOD

          11:00 AM

          • The 10x Engineer Showed Up. The 10x Organization Didn't.: See Details Here
            Workflow Builder, Tentaro

          3:00 PM

          WESTSIDE

          11:00 AM

          2:00 PM

          • Graphic Design & Digital Printing Meetup: See Details Here
            Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More of West LA

          7:00 PM

          WESTWOOD

          12:00 PM

          Each session provides unique opportunities to gain insights, network, and explore various fields of tech innovation. For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

          Download the dot.LA App

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