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Hadrianfounder and CEO Chris Power got hackneyed of turning away startup .
Since 2020 , Power has raised $ 220 million for Hadrian , a largely autonomous factory that mass - produces parts for space and defense lawyers companies .
While Hadrian has produced part for major defense company , it had to turn away some defense tech startups because startup have to rapidly iterate on product design , meaning they need one hyper - specific part today and another design tomorrow . Hadrian , which was last valued at around $ 500 million , would have to constantly set up altogether young production line of products , ruining the tip of using its hyper - effective automated manufactory .
But on Wednesday , Hadrian announced they bought Datum Source , a software company founded by SpaceX alums that uses AI to help computer hardware companies detect manufacturing partner . Terms of the deal were not break , but Datum Source has lift $ 5.6 million at a evaluation of $ 30 million , according to PitchBook . With Datum Source , Hadrian can help match a startup with specific manufacturers any time it needs a unexampled part , instead of the founders otherwise searching through hundreds of potential suppliers , Power say .
This allow Hadrian partner with the former - leg defending team tech startup it ’s been missing out on — and hopefully ensures that , as these companies grow , Hadrian is top of judgement . Or , as Power put it , when a inauguration does win a swelled DoD declaration and is ready to surmount up production , he can promise that “ we ’re buy the farm to make all this stuff in an autonomous factory for you . ”
As a fillip , the acquisition brought Hadrian about 30 of Datum ’s existing customer , with the majority being early - stage startups . The company will also get on Datum Source ’s 14 - person squad to help guide early - microscope stage ship’s company through the procurement cognitive operation .
The acquisition is both a savvy move on Power ’s part and a harbinger of things to come . Venture capital letter has pour $ 129.3 billion into defense technical school startups since 2021 , concord to PitchBook , and , in a class where there can be very , very few victor , a rush of accomplishment will have to occur .
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It see like the fourth dimension of consolidation is upon us . Andurilhas bought at least five company since 2021 , and , three months ago , Shield AIbought AI ship’s company Sentient Vision Systems .
Power also said that Datum Source will be the “ first of many ” acquisitions for Hadrian . In the hereafter , he added , Hadrian might acquire startups that also volunteer automated fabrication processes or , perhaps , even buy some that practice legacy manufacturing organisation .
Acquisitions are in defence technical school ’s DNA . To be a “ defense prime ” — basically , to vie with behemoths like Lockheed Martin , Boeing , etc . — a company has to be able to compete for contract after contract , each of which will require a unlike skillset or technology capacity or design specialty .
So , for any defense tech startup to grow that liberal , they must ceaselessly total to their offerings and must make them unspoilt than some of the well - capitalized companies on the major planet .
Most defense technical school startup will likely never be able to bring on one matter well enough to win a declaration , much less multiple areas that gain multiple contracts . So for those that have one or two keen products , the expert hope for an exit will probably be an acquisition by a bigger defense startup , which will scoop them up to vie for a specific contract bridge or role .
“ I think you ’re going to see a mass more acquisitions from the platform companies like Hadrian and Anduril in the next couple of years , ” major power laughed . “ Something is indeed go on . ”
