Data analytics company Palantir Technologies and defense technology firm Anduril Industries are in talks with competitors to create a consortium for joint participation in government contract tenders in the U.S., reports Financial Times.
The list of companies agreeing to join the group will be announced in January 2025. It is expected that the consortium will include SpaceX, OpenAI, autonomous vessel manufacturer Saronic, and artificial intelligence development company Scale AI.
According to information from an anonymous source, the consortium will bring together leading companies from Silicon Valley to more effectively supply the U.S. government with advanced defense and weapon technologies.
This year, startups in the defense technology sector have raised record investments. Investors anticipate that with the new Trump administration, the U.S. will increase funding for national security, immigration policies, and space programs.
Over the past year, Palantir’s stock has risen by 300%, boosting the company’s market capitalization to $169 billion. Co-founded by renowned technology investor Peter Thiel, Palantir has also provided initial support to Anduril, which was founded in 2017 and has now reached a valuation of $14 billion.
This month, SpaceX was valued at $350 billion, making it the largest private startup in the world. Meanwhile, OpenAI, which recently updated its terms of service to allow the use of its AI tools for military purposes, received a valuation of $157 billion.