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Startups & Venture·July 22, 2026·1 min read

Sources: Cathedral, launched by ex-DOGE staffers to use AI to expand US military cyber capabilities, raised $160M led by a16z and Sequoia at a $1.4B valuation

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A $160M round at a $1.4B valuation for an AI-first military cyber startup says defense and intelligence are becoming primary AI buyers, not edge cases. If you build security, infra, or model tooling, assume dual-use requirements and classified-environment constraints will shape your roadmap sooner than you think.

Startups & Venture

Genius AI, formerly GlossGenius, which pivoted from a salon management platform to offer AI tools for service SMBs, raised a $44M Series D at a $1.15B valuation

A vertical SaaS player rebranding to Genius AI and raising $44M at a $1.15B valuation is a data point that AI-native workflows for service SMBs are investable, not just features. If you run vertical software, expect investor and customer pressure to turn your operational data into embedded AI copilots, not just dashboards.