Helicon, a Los Angeles company that makes composite structures, has raised $16.5 million to expand composite manufacturing in the US. The startup plans to use software, particularly AI, and automation to make composites more accessible, so that the field is no longer the preserve of physics experts. It says it is vertically integrated for fast iteration cycles. Helicon says lead times run from two to six weeks, with minimum orders of 10 to 100 units. It focuses on parts for the aerospace and defence industries, particularly unmanned systems such as drones, humanoid robots, and underwater vehicles. Investors include AlleyCorp, Josh Buckley, Mike Chalfen, Gokul Rajaram, Eileen Tanghal, Fredrik Hjelm, Charlie Songhurst, and Lucas Vaz.

Spanish aerospace engineer Edmundo Sanz-Gadea has raised €14 million (US$16 million) for Helicon, an AI and robotics startup automating industrial manufacturing. The funding round was led by New York-based venture capital firm AlleyCorp. Helicon, co-founded with Alex Nieahaus in California, focuses on automating production of composite materials like carbon fibre. The company will use the capital to build a factory in Los Angeles and purchase industrial equipment. Sanz-Gadea explains that conventional production processes are highly manual and slow. With growing demand from manufacturers of drones and unmanned aerospace systems, more automated plants using AI and robotics are needed to speed up production. The Los Angeles facility should be operational within a year. Helicon plans to replicate this automated factory model in Europe, helping reduce dependence on Chinese manufacturers and supporting sovereign supply chains.