AI Accelerates In Seasonally Weak Tape

Godspeed Godspeed

3 weeks ago

6 MIN READ

Happy Sunday to the Godspeed family!

I hope you enjoyed the much-needed rest.

We’re in the heart of earnings season. The Fed held rates steady. And the President threw another tariff tantrum.

It can be easy to get lost in the noise. Let’s search for signal…

Stocks fell from highs to finish the week, but the tech giants are still all-in on AI.

Autonomous driving is growing exponentially, pioneers are pushing the edge of innovation in aviation, humanoid robots will soon be a reality, and the space economy is taking off.

These trends remain intact despite fluctuations in the market.

Rate cuts will come in due time. And the cheaper capital will likely accelerate today’s trends.

It’s important to remember that we’re amidst the seasonally “weakest” time of year in the market.

I’d suggest — Turn off the TV. Get outside. Follow price. Now is not the time to add leverage // stress.

Palantir, Shopify, Uber, NuScale Power, Rocket Lab and many others will report earnings this week. It’s likely that an “easy money” opportunity will present itself when the dust settles.

Onward.

AI Accelerates In Seasonally Weak Tape

Tech giants — Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta reported earnings late last week.

Apple grew revenue and earnings per share and is finally fighting for AI. Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees it “must win AI.” $AAPL fell -2.5% Friday following its release.

Amazon grew revenue, led by AWS. Despite beating expectations, the company shared cautious guidance due to tariffs. $AMZN dropped -8% Friday.

Microsoft reported double-digit revenue and profit growth, with Azure up 31% YoY. $MSFT shed the majority of its gains from Thursday’s gap.

Meta delivered a blowout quarter. Revenue grew +22%, EPS +38%. Zuckerberg says AI “superintelligence” will define the company’s future. $META closed at an all-time weekly high.

What do these results mean for the AI trade?

All systems go… Every CEO (even Tim Apple!) made it clear, AI is the play.

Big Tech has committed hundreds of billions in CAPEX in the AI arms race.

This isn’t a fast fad. Patients will pay.

Joby Flies To New Heights

Wall Street has rewarded Joby for its innovative efforts in aviation. The stock is up 108% so far in 2025 and continues to make strategic moves.

This week, the company partnered with L3Harris Technologies ($LHX) to develop an optionally piloted VTOL aircraft designed for defense applications.

Joby is also in talks to acquire Blade Air Mobility ($BLDE) to accelerate its air taxi operations. The potential deal would provide immediate access to Blade’s established vertiport infrastructure and customer network.

True innovation in transportation requires decades to deploy. It’s early for eVTOLs: all eyes remain on Dubai…

Here’s the $JOBY weekly chart.

The Robotaxi Race Accelerates

Tesla and Waymo’s battle for autonomous ride-share is one for the ages…

Last week, Waymo announced its fully autonomous robotaxi service will launch in Dallas in 2026 in partnership with rental car provider Avis Budget. The company also plans to deploy in Miami and Washington D.C. It’s mapping nearly a dozen additional cities and building infrastructure to scale.

Meanwhile, Tesla charges ahead. Its Austin geofence doubled to ~80 square miles, nearly twice the prior service area. Validation vehicles were spotted beyond the fence, indicating a potential 10-fold expansion. The company also soft-launched a pilot program in SF, laying the groundwork for a full rollout pending regulatory approval.

Here’s the current robotaxi service area in Austin.

Aurora Drives At Night

Aurora’s autonomous trucks are now driving at night, unlocking a new frontier for driverless freight.

The company’s lidar-powered trucks have logged over 20,000 miles between Dallas and Houston, completing night operations to boost efficiency beyond what human drivers can legally do.

Aurora’s CEO says the next challenge is rain. The current system can handle wet weather in tests, but trucks still pull over in real storms while operating.

Today, Aurora operates routes between Dallas and Houston and piloting trips between Fort Worth and Phoenix.

US Space Force Seeks Jam-Proof SATCOM

The U.S. Space Force is allocating $4B to overhaul its satellite communications, and for the first time, commercial startups are invited to compete alongside defense giants.

Five companies have already secured design contracts: Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Viasat, Intelsat, and venture-backed Astranis. Each received ~$37M to develop prototypes, with final contract awards expected in 2026.

The Pentagon’s top priority: a jam-resistant, secure network that can withstand modern electronic warfare. Future military SATCOM must operate in contested environments, with real-time adaptability and multi-orbit redundancy.

It’s a clear shift toward speed, modularity, and commercial-grade innovation. If successful, this could mark a broader pivot away from sole-source legacy contracts and toward a faster, leaner defense-industrial base. The new age space race is taking flight.

The Boring Company Heads To Nashville

Elon’s Boring Company seeks to burrow below Nashville. The company partnered with Tennessee officials to propose a privately funded, 10-mile “loop” connecting downtown Nashville and the convention center to the airport. The company touts that its transportation system is less disruptive than a monorail and won’t cost local taxpayers a dime.

The public approval process is just getting started, but ambitious plans have construction slated to begin as early as Fall 2026.

If approved, Nashville would be the second city to host a Boring Company tunnel system. The first loop in Las Vegas has already delivered 3M rides, although drivers are still piloting the vehicles.

We all know Elon is ambitious — time will tell if he executes.