Emerging Tech Investment Opportunities

China just bent the rules of electronics — literally. Facinating? Chinese and global researchers are advancing Metal-Polymer Conductors (MPCs) — circuits made from liquid metals like gallium–indium embedded in elastic polymers — that defy traditional rigid wiring by remaining conductive even when stretched up to 500% or more. Why this is a big deal: 🔹 High Stretchability: Certain liquid-metal conductors maintain electrical conductivity even when stretched 5× their original length. 🔹 Durability: Printable metal-polymer conductors can withstand over 10,000 cycles of stretching with minimal resistance change (<3%). 🔹 Conductivity: Hybrid conductors based on indium alloys can achieve extremely high conductivity (~2.98 × 10⁶ S/m) with minimal resistance change under extreme strain. 🔹 Fine Feature Sizes: Advanced techniques can pattern circuits as small as 5 micrometers, rivaling conventional PCBs. Market Insight: The global market for wearable and flexible devices is expected to surge into the hundreds of billions of dollars, with advanced stretchable materials at the core of the next wave of innovation. (Wearable tech projected >US$150B by 2026 in soft electronics growth — wearable industry data) Where AI Fits In: AI is not just hype — it’s accelerating how we design and discover materials like MPCs. AI/ML models help predict material properties — like conductivity and mechanical resilience — before physical prototypes are made. Computational simulations can evaluate thousands of polymer + metal combinations far faster than physical testing alone. AI-assisted optimization reduces lab iterations, cutting time and cost in early-stage development. In other words: AI + materials science = faster discovery of smarter, stretchable electronics. Potential Applications: Soft robotics that mimic human motion Wearables that feel like fabric Artificial skin with embedded sensing Health monitoring devices that conform to the body On-skin motion recognition and bioelectronics. The era of electronics you can twist, stretch, and wear is here — and AI is helping make it a reality. #FlexibleElectronics #MaterialsScience #AIinInnovation #SoftRobotics #WearableTech #DeepTech #FutureOfElectronics #Innovation

Urban Company today faces the same Innovator’s Dilemma which Zomato faced 2.5 years ago: Zomato acquired Blinkit in June ‘22 to take on Zepto & Instamart in Quick Commerce - it was considered a fad then; today Blinkit is larger (NOV basis) as compared to the Zomato by a large margin. UC’s Q2 FY26 tell a similar story: The overall loss is driven by investment into Insta Help (UC’s quick home services arm in India) UC has NO choice but to do this because of how hot the Quick Home Services market is - Snabbit has raised $50M+, Pronto has raised $14M+ and there is a new clone popping up every fortnight. Simple thesis for this: (1) Quick Home Services (InstaHelp) is a bi-weekly frequency service v/s slotted home services (UC) which is a bi-monthly service. (2) There is a clear consumer behavior shift from slotted commerce to on-demand commerce. The same will apply in home services too (slotted to on-demand) (3) Furthermore, like how on-demand commerce is capturing wallet share from slotted commerce - the same will happen in home services. (4) It is absolutely necessary that UC incubates Instahelp - similar to how Zomato incubated Blinkit - else, Snabbit and Pronto will capture a large amount of wallet share in Quick Home Services (5) Wallet/Market share = Mind share. The winner in on-demand home services might also capture a sizeable chunk of the slotted home services market. 🤯 InstaHelp is scaling rapidly - 4.68 Lakh orders in Oct ‘25 alone (less than 8 months from launch) - it is already ~8% of total UC orders but only 1% of net transacted value i.e. high volume but low ticket size. It is admirable to see UC’s management team tackle the Innovator’s Dilemma head on - despite being a month old public company - not all investors will reward this decision in the short term, but it might just work in the long term. 👍 #startups #india

The Gulf crisis just created the biggest startup opportunity in a decade. Five things Silicon Valley leaders need to understand right now: 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀. Iranian drones hit three AWS facilities. The Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea both data chokepoints are closed. The security frameworks behind the Gulf’s AI partnerships were built for chip export control, not for protecting buildings during a war. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲-𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. The Pentagon set a $13.4B AI budget for FY2026 which is the largest in U.S. defense history. $130B+ in VC has flowed into defense-tech startups since 2021. → Palantir’s Maven system ran intelligence across five combatant commands → Anduril ($30.5B valuation) — Lattice OS selected as the Army’s fire control platform, Arsenal-1 factory producing autonomous systems at scale, OpenAI partnership for counter-drone AI → Shield AI ($5.3B) — Hivemind autonomous piloting completed AI vs. manned F-16 combat maneuvers → Epirus ($1.5B) — directed-energy counter-drone systems integrated with Anduril’s Lattice, directly relevant to Gulf drone defense → Saronic ($1.5B) — autonomous naval vessels applicable to Strait of Hormuz patrol → Hermeus ($1B+) — hypersonic aircraft for ISR and rapid strike → Ares Industries — Y Combinator’s first weapons company, building low-cost anti-ship missiles → Ursa Major ($2.5B) — rocket propulsion for supply chain independence Early-stage investors in this space are looking at generational returns. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. Every hyperscaler is now rethinking geographic risk. That creates massive demand for: → Sovereign cloud infrastructure (hardened, government-grade, physically defensible) → Multi-region failover and edge computing platforms → Satellite backup connectivity (Aetherflux, Astranis) → Underground and modular data center designs → Cybersecurity for critical infrastructure against nation-state actors → Alternative compute capacity for displaced AI workloads (CoreWeave, Vultr) Startups solving resilience at the infrastructure layer will command premium pricing from both governments and hyperscalers. This is the next $100B+ category. 𝗚𝘂𝗹𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. Sovereign wealth funds holding $2T+ in U.S. assets are reviewing commitments. The Stargate UAE mega-campus, Amazon’s $5.3B Saudi cloud all in limbo. But post-conflict, these governments will double down on tech diversification away from oil. Startups that maintain Gulf relationships now while diversifying their own risk will be first in line when capital flows resume. The Gulf’s structural advantages with sovereign capital, energy, ambition haven’t disappeared. But the risk has permanently shifted. Rapid de-risking without full retreat.

🚀 Southern California has quietly become the most important rocket, missile, and defense technology ecosystem on Earth. 🇺🇸 Innovation. 🇺🇸 Industrial strength. 🇺🇸 Technical excellence. That’s a combination worth paying attention to. From Hawthorne to El Segundo, Long Beach to Costa Mesa, and Pasadena to Irvine, a dense cluster of companies is building the future of American aerospace, missile defense, autonomous systems, space launch, and national security. What makes this region unique isn’t just the concentration of companies—it’s the concentration of talent, capital, experience, and ambition. Companies like SpaceX⁠, Anduril⁠, Rocket Lab⁠, Relativity Space⁠, Northrop Grumman⁠, Lockheed Martin⁠, Boeing Defense⁠, Vast⁠, Impulse Space⁠, and dozens more aren’t just competing for contracts—they’re collectively creating an industrial flywheel that becomes harder for any nation to replicate with every passing year. And then there is the eventual SpaceX IPO. The financial impact alone would be enormous, but the second-order effects may be even more significant: • Thousands of employees gaining life-changing wealth and reinvesting it into the next generation of aerospace and defense startups. • A new wave of founders, executives, engineers, and operators carrying lessons learned from one of the most ambitious engineering organizations in history. • Increased venture investment flowing into hard-tech, defense-tech, and advanced manufacturing. • Greater ability to attract world-class STEM talent from across America and around the globe. • Accelerated technology transfer between commercial space, autonomous systems, AI, advanced manufacturing, and defense applications. The tangible benefits are obvious: more factories, more launch vehicles, more satellites, more interceptors, more jobs, and more investment. The intangible benefits may be even more important: • A culture that rewards technical excellence. • A belief that difficult problems can actually be solved. • The normalization of ambitious engineering goals. • A generation of leaders who have firsthand experience executing at extraordinary speed and scale. America’s greatest strategic advantage has never been any single company, platform, or weapon system. It has been our ability to attract talent, take risks, build institutions, and continuously reinvent ourselves. Southern California is becoming a modern arsenal of innovation—where aerospace, defense, AI, robotics, and advanced manufacturing converge. If this ecosystem continues to compound, the next decade may not just strengthen American leadership in space and missile technology—it may redefine it. #Aerospace #DefenseTech #SpaceX #Anduril #RocketLab #MissileDefense #NationalSecurity #SpaceEconomy #AdvancedManufacturing #Engineering #Innovation #AmericanManufacturing #DefenseIndustry #SpaceIndustry SpaceX NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The salon sector is facing new competition from tech-enabled home beauty services, and specialised dermatology clinics, Vaeshnavi Kasthuril reports for Mint. Platforms such as Urban Company, Yes Madam, and GetLooks are gaining ground by offering convenience and affordability, while chains like Lakmé and YLG focus on expertise and experience, the report says. Urban Company’s India consumer services vertical — covering salon, beauty, and home cleaning — recorded a Net Transaction Value (NTV) of ₹762 crore, growing 19% year-on-year, with revenue rising 24% to ₹262 crore, as per its Q2 FY26 results. Meanwhile, Lakmé Lever reported ₹366.9 crore in revenue for FY25. Platforms like Yes Madam also saw an 80% year-on-year increase in festive bookings in October 2025, while GetLooks reported 25–30% growth during the same period. “Festivals have become a strong customer acquisition funnel,” says Mayank Arya, co-Founder of Yes Madam. The market will segment by convenience, experience, and expertise, note salon experts. “Convenience is more important for low-end, hygiene-type services that are frequent and need-based — you don’t want to waste time travelling or waiting. For these, on-demand and at-home services work better,” adds Pushkaraj Shenai, former CEO of Lakmé Salons. Dermatology clinics are also emerging as the fastest-growing premium beauty segment, the report says further. Kaya Skin Clinic, which operates 80 clinics, reported ₹106.8 crore in revenue, and ₹5.7 crore in net profit in Q1 FY26, with 85% of business from repeat customers. “Everything will co-exist… but those who adapt smartly will take away opportunities from those who don’t,” adds Shenai. Despite online penetration still below 1%, the overall beauty and wellness services market was valued at ₹56,500–₹58,500 crore in 2024, according to Redseer. How do you think this trend will impact the segment? Share your thoughts in the comments section. ✍: Nakul Ghai 📷: Getty Images Source: Mint: https://lnkd.in/dWs6FeYp

🎉 New Investment: Icarus 🎉 As someone who's watched countless hardware startups burn through capital on impossible physics, I'm usually skeptical of "flying for weeks" promises. But Icarus isn't another drone company - they're solving a massive gap in our defense infrastructure that I didn't fully appreciate until now. The problem hit me during a conversation with a DoD contact: satellites are predictable (enemies know exactly when they pass overhead), balloons drift wherever wind takes them, and traditional aircraft burn fuel every minute they're airborne. Meanwhile, threats require persistent, controllable eyes in the sky that can stay exactly where you need them, for weeks, without breaking the budget. That's the strategic insight behind Icarus - autonomous, solar-powered aircraft operating at 60,000 feet in the stratosphere. Think of them as "cell towers in the sky" that deliver real-time intelligence, communications, and surveillance at around $100K per aircraft versus millions for traditional platforms. Unlike satellites constrained by orbital mechanics, these systems stay fixed over target areas, leverage stable stratospheric conditions, and can be deployed in large numbers. What convinced me to invest? Three things: the tech fundamentals finally work (component costs dropped, solar/battery tech improved, autonomy enables scalable ops), the timing is perfect (geopolitical events have highlighted the stratosphere as contested space), and the execution is real (successful DoD demos, ongoing flights at altitude, strong government traction). Behind this is Henry Kwan, an aerospace engineer from Georgia Tech who built drones for NASA and satellites at Orbital. His team brings experience from SpaceX, Tesla, Honda, and the Army - exactly the credibility needed to execute in defense. Previous attempts like Google Loon or Facebook Aquila couldn't crack the reliability equation. Icarus is built specifically for defense mission requirements: controllable, persistent, cost-effective, and manufacturable at scale. Super excited to back Henry Kwan and the team as they secure the strategic high ground along side with Y Combinator and Pioneer Fund! Let's gooo!

The Functional Evolution of Digital Assets — Key Insights Ripple Ripple’s paper outlines a structural shift in digital assets, moving from standalone instruments to embedded components of financial infrastructure. Shift from asset definition to functional utility Digital assets are increasingly defined by their role within financial systems rather than their classification as instruments. The paper highlights four primary functional categories: ▪️Store of value (e.g., Bitcoin) ▪️Medium of exchange (e.g., stablecoins) ▪️Settlement instruments (tokenised fiat, CBDCs) ▪️Programmable financial assets (smart-contract enabled instruments) The emphasis is shifting from “what the asset is” to “what the asset enables.” ------------ Three-stage evolution framework The report identifies a progression in market maturity: Stage 1: Digitisation ▪️Representation of value on blockchain rails ▪️Early experimentation with digital-native money Stage 2: Financialisation ▪️Development of liquid markets and derivatives ▪️Growth of stablecoins as transactional instruments ▪️Institutional participation increases Stage 3: Functional integration (emerging) ▪️Digital assets embedded within core financial workflows ▪️Use in settlement, liquidity management, FX, and treasury operations ▪️Infrastructure convergence with traditional financial systems --------- 3. Convergence of TradFi and digital asset infrastructure A central theme is the gradual convergence between traditional financial systems and blockchain-based infrastructure: ▪️Financial institutions increasingly explore tokenised settlement layers ▪️Stablecoins are being evaluated as operational liquidity tools rather than speculative instruments ▪️Tokenisation enables real-time transfer of value across systems This reflects a transition from siloed systems to interoperable financial networks. 4. Role of stablecoins in system transformation Stablecoins are positioned as a key transitional mechanism in the evolution of digital finance: ▪️Reduction of friction in cross-border payments ▪️24/7 settlement capability ▪️Enhanced liquidity efficiency for institutions ▪️Programmable use in automated financial workflows They function as a bridge between fiat systems and tokenised infrastructure. 5. Infrastructure layer as the primary value driver The report emphasises that value creation is shifting toward underlying infrastructure: ▪️Compliance-enabled transaction rails ▪️Cross-border interoperability ▪️Institutional-grade settlement systems ▪️Integration with regulatory frameworks and CBDC ecosystems The competitive focus is increasingly on infrastructure capability rather than asset performance. #Payments #Stablecoins #DigitaAssets #CBDC

The next $1 trillion company won't be AI — it'll be cybersecurity. Rubrik founder Bipul Sinha predicts that this will happen by 2029, and the data supports his claim. Here's why elite operators in cybersecurity are positioned to win big: Cybercrime costs are projected to hit $10.5 trillion annually by 2026 — up from $3 trillion in 2015. Each attack costs companies an average of $4.35 million in damages. The cybersecurity market is growing at a rate of 14.3% annually, three times faster than the overall software industry. But here's the fundamental flaw in today's approach. Most solutions focus on prevention while overlooking what happens after a breach, which is inevitable. Sinha's insight is dead-on: Security isn't about perfect defense — it's about surviving when your walls fail. His execution-focused approach at Rubrik prioritizes resilience and recovery: • Cloud-native architecture that scales without friction • Immutable backups attackers can't touch • Near-zero recovery time post-attack Microsoft validated this vision with a $100M investment at a $4B valuation. Three market forces are making the trillion-dollar prediction real: 1. The talent crisis creates a massive opportunity With 3.4M unfilled cybersecurity positions globally, companies that automate security will dominate their markets. 2. Security has shifted from a cost center to a business enabler 73% of boards now run dedicated cybersecurity committees. Critical infrastructure protection alone has scaled to a $153B market. 3. Industry consolidation is accelerating Current leaders: • Palo Alto Networks: ~$113B valuation • CrowdStrike: ~$87B • Fortinet: ~$74B The winner will be a platform that delivers end-to-end security without compromise. Is $1T realistic? When digital defense becomes as essential as electricity, this prediction will look conservative. It's not a question of if, but when. Follow me for more software, cybersecurity insights, and execution strategies that work.

So Zoom is just that crazy outlier in SaaS. Covid fueled it to insane growth like we'd never seen before, going from $1B ARR to ~$4B ARR ... in one year. Yes, one year. But it wasn't a gift. As the world reopened, we didn't need quite as much Zoom. And the enterprise business, while starting to taking off, couldn't overcome the gravity from so many small customers that didn't need quite as much Zoom as they did during lockdown. Fast forward to today it's a different, more enterprise Zoom. But one that is highly mature, growing 3% today, but with almost 40% operating margins. And now at $4.6 Billion in ARR. Not so much bigger than after the Covid boom, that warped time for Zoom. What a crazy story. 5 Interesting Learnings: #1. SMB Churn coming down, but still at SMB-Like Levels Zoom for years defied what we knew about SMB churn. It had 110%+ NRR from SMBs! But in the end, today, at scale, their small customers churn at the same high rates as other "grab and go" SMB products. Still, they've brought churn down from 3.6% to 3%, which is material. #2. Enterprise Growing Faster Than Consumer, But Only So Much Faster Zoom's gone more enterprise, but it's only helped so much in absolute growth. Enterprise revenue is up 5%, vs. total revenue up 3%. #3. 101% NRR in Enterprise. But Growth Still Tough There. Zoom's gone more enterprise, but while NRR is higher there at 101%, growth is still tough. $100k+ customers are up 10%, but overall enterprise customers are up just 3%. #4. Americas Still Growing, But Rest of the World Isn't. Zoom is growing 4% in the Americas, but is seeing 0% growth in EMEA and -3% growth in APAC. #5. Wildly Efficient, With Almost 40% Non-GAAP Operating Margins and $7 Billion in Cash on Balance Sheet Zoom's has 39% operating margins, going up, which leads to massive free cash flow. Today, they are generating $1.2B+ of cash a year and sitting on $7 Billion in cash in the bank. Growth may be highly mature, but Zoom is generating massive cash at this state. So that's Zoom today. It did almost everything right, including investing in a "second act" in voice and contact center. It went more enterprise over time. But the crazy growth of Covid in many ways ended up a bit of ... a curse. For now at least.

The Pentagon Just Handed American Drone Startups a $1 Billion Golden Ticket On July 10, SECDEF dropped a memo that changes everything for drone manufacturers. Combined with Trump's June 6 executive order, we're witnessing the most radical shift in defense procurement since World War II. Here's what just happened:  The Pentagon ripped up years of red tape that kept innovative companies out of defense contracts. Now they're treating small drones (under 55 pounds) like ammunition - expendable, mass-produced, and urgently needed. The numbers are staggering: • Every Army squad gets attack drones by FY2026 • Production target: Millions of units annually • Weaponization approvals: Cut from years to 30 days • Battery certifications: Down to one week For companies eyeing this opportunity, here's your roadmap: Step 1: Compliance First (Immediate) Ensure NDAA compliance - zero Chinese components. Review the Blue UAS Framework. This isn't negotiable. One foreign chip kills your entire opportunity. Step 2: Prototype Fast (12-18 months) Build modular systems under 55 pounds. Think swappable payloads for ISR or strike missions. The 18 prototypes showcased on July 17 averaged 18 months of development vs. the traditional 6 years. Step 3: Get Certified (Ongoing) Apply to DIU's Blue UAS program. This is your fastest path to approved vendor status. The memo expands this list with AI-managed updates coming in 2026. Step 4: Find Your Entry Point (30-90 days) • Respond to the Army's July 8 solicitation for low-cost systems • Partner with established primes as a subcontractor • Target frontline units are now empowered to buy directly Step 5: Scale Smart (By 2026) Secure private funding. Explore DoD purchase commitments. Participate in the new drone test zones launching in 90 days. The brutal reality? We're playing catch-up. China produces 90% of commercial drones globally. But that's precisely why this opportunity exists. The Pentagon needs American manufacturers desperately. Watch for these challenges: • Supply chain constraints for non-Chinese components • Fierce competition from AeroVironment and Kratos • Higher production costs vs. Chinese competitors • Maintaining cybersecurity while moving fast Stock prices tell the story - drone companies surged 15-40% after the announcement. Private capital is flooding in. America is building a new arsenal, and drones are the foundation. If you have manufacturing capability, AI expertise, or can build at scale, this is your Manhattan Project moment. The difference? This time, we know exactly what we're building and why. The window is open. But it won't stay that way.