Motorola Denied Appeal Permission in UK Emergency Services Network Case

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Motorola has been denied permission to appeal a ruling by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which found that the company was making “supernormal” profits on its contract to provide communication services to Britain’s emergency services. The Court of Appeal rejected Motorola’s application for an appeal on Friday, effectively upholding the CMA’s decision.

In July 2023, the CMA imposed a price cap on Motorola’s Airwave network, reducing its charges to a level the regulator deemed appropriate for a competitive market. The cap was expected to save approximately £200 million ($248 million) annually in charges to emergency services. Motorola had previously contested this decision in a 2023 tribunal but was unsuccessful.

George Lusty, CMA Executive Director, expressed satisfaction with the Court’s ruling, stating that the decision maintained the price cap, which limits how much Motorola can charge emergency services for the use of its Airwave network. He declared that the ruling marked the conclusion of the matter.

A Motorola Solutions spokesperson responded by asserting that Airwave continues to provide mission-critical communications for UK communities and emergency services. The spokesperson also stated that while the company strongly disagrees with the CMA’s decision, it remains focused on delivering top-tier emergency communications services for public safety users in the UK.

Founders Fund in Talks to Back Anduril Industries at $28 Billion Valuation

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AI-powered defense startup Anduril Industries is negotiating a new funding round that could elevate the company’s valuation to $28 billion, sources revealed on Friday. Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund is expected to lead this funding round, which could raise as much as $2.5 billion. This follows Anduril’s last funding round in August, where the company raised $1.5 billion at a $14 billion valuation.

Founders Fund has supported Anduril since its inception in 2017, and one of Anduril’s co-founders, Trae Stephens, is a partner at the firm. Despite the significant backing, Founders Fund declined to comment on the details of the latest round, which was first reported by CNBC.

Based in Costa Mesa, California, Anduril develops autonomous weapons and sensors, including drones, for military applications. The company has also announced plans to build a large-scale weapons manufacturing facility in Ohio to enhance its production capabilities. Additionally, Anduril launched the Lattice for Mission Autonomy in 2023, an AI-driven software for coordinating autonomous systems in human-supervised missions.

Anduril’s founder, Palmer Luckey, is well-known for creating Oculus VR, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $2.3 billion. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who previously worked as a venture capitalist, has invested in Anduril and holds stakes in the company. Thiel, a long-time Republican donor and co-founder of Palantir Technologies, has backed multiple conservative political figures, including President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Vance’s 2022 Senate bid.

Musk Speaks at JPMorgan Event on Government Reshaping Efforts

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke at a JPMorgan Chase conference on Thursday, discussing his efforts to reshape the federal government, a task he was assigned by President Donald Trump. The conference, held in Miami, was attended by JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and hosted by Mary Erdoes, CEO of JPMorgan’s asset and wealth management division. Around 200 of JPMorgan’s largest clients were present at the event.

Musk’s conversation, moderated by David Rubenstein, co-founder of private equity firm Carlyle Group, featured a wide range of topics. Among the key points was Musk’s work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he leads. DOGE’s ambitious goals include eliminating entire federal agencies and cutting three-quarters of federal government jobs.

JPMorgan declined to comment on the event, and neither Musk nor Carlyle responded to requests for comment.

The event marked a shift in the relationship between Musk and Dimon, who had previously been involved in a prolonged legal battle. The two business leaders, who were once adversaries due to Tesla’s 2021 lawsuit over Musk’s controversial “funding secured” tweet, resolved their differences in November 2023 when both companies dropped their claims against each other.