Hadrian Secures $260M to Establish AI-Powered Mega Factory in Arizona.

Hadrian, a defense manufacturing startup backed by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and Lux Capital, has raised $260 million in a Series C funding round. The funding will be used to establish a new factory in Arizona and expand its Torrance, California location to strengthen its shipbuilding and naval defense capabilities. The company aims to disrupt the traditional defense contracting industry and enhance U.S. defense production.

Title: Hadrian Secures $260 Million in Series C Funding to Expand Shipbuilding and Naval Defense Capabilities

Hadrian, a defense manufacturing startup backed by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and Lux Capital, has closed a $260 million Series C funding round. The funding will be used to establish a new production facility in Mesa, Arizona, and expand its existing location in Torrance, California. This move aims to bolster the company's shipbuilding and naval defense capabilities, disrupting the traditional defense contracting industry and enhancing U.S. defense production.

The new Arizona facility, which will be four times the size of the current California location, is set to start operations by Christmas and create 350 local jobs. Hadrian plans to build additional facilities to support production over the next year to meet the growing needs of the Department of Defense (DoD).

The company leverages robotics and artificial intelligence to automate its factories, aiming to "supercharge" American workers. CEO Chris Power stated, "What we really need in this country is this quantum leap above China's manufacturing model. It's about supercharging the worker versus replacing them."

Hadrian's latest funding round includes investments from Andreessen Horowitz and new stakeholders such as Brad Gerstner's Altimeter Capital. The company previously closed a $92 million funding round in late 2023.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has been actively investing in AI and AI-driven technologies. In July 2025, the DoD awarded contracts totaling up to $800 million to four leading AI firms: Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and xAI (Elon Musk’s company). This move signals a "commercial-first" pivot for Pentagon technology acquisition, reflecting the growing importance of AI in military operations.

Hadrian's expansion comes at a time when global military expenditure is at an unprecedented high, with a record of $2.46 trillion in 2024. The weaponization of AI is well underway, and the future of AI supremacy in warfare and national defense remains a critical area of focus.

References
[1] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/17/hadrian-funding-round-thiel-founders-fund.html
[2] https://www.ai-supremacy.com/p/the-pentagon-just-went-all-in-on-ai