Gambit Emerges from Stealth with Adaptive Intelligence Layer for Autonomous Military Systems

Former Virgin Hyperloop CEO/CTO and DoW Critical Technologies Director deploy physical AI operating system for U.S. Department of War; contract vehicles worth $500M+ as demand for multi-system coordination surges

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gambit, the dual-use defense company building adaptive intelligence for autonomous systems, emerged from stealth today, announcing contract delivery within two major U.S. Department of War programs valued at more than $500 million combined, and commercial partnerships with AWS' public sector defense autonomy division, and Sierra Nevada Corporation, L3Harris, and RTX to scale delivery.

Gambit's technology enables capabilities previously impossible: autonomous teaming, real-time adaptation across changing conditions, multi-sensor fusion, and seamless handoff between assets. By operating as the cross-platform intelligence layer, Gambit integrates across unmanned systems from multiple manufacturers, giving military operators smarter, more coordinated mission capabilities.

Gambit's founding and executive team includes Josh Giegel, CEO, who helped architect the reusable rocket at SpaceX before founding and leading of Virgin Hyperloop; Ben Richardson, Chief Commercial Officer, former DIU Portfolio Director, senior Pentagon official, Marine Corps Veteran; and Andrew Kemendo, Head of AI, former Head of AI at Unity, CTO at Kessel Run, and Air Force Veteran.

Gambit's announcements today include delivery against >$500M counter-unmanned and unmanned aerial system contract vehicles, with more than $300M in qualified pipeline across Department of War agencies, primes, integrators, and commercial robotic partners.

"Gambit delivers true platform-agnostic physical AI for national defense," said former Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who is an advisor to the company, "Gambit's technology provides a critical, and currently unmet required capability for the U.S. joint force and other agencies with national security responsibilities."

Demonstrating how AI-native technology can radically outpace even recently-architected platforms, Gambit has outperformed incumbents and neo-primes at multiple DoW-sponsored military exercises like Army T-REX and SOCOM's Technical Exercises.

"Self-learning intelligence woven across robotic fleets is the future of defense," said Aidan Madigan-Curtis, partner at Eclipse and Gambit board member. "Gambit's approach to collaborative robotics and physical AI in communications-denied environments seemed impossible - until they demonstrated it."

Gambit is financially backed by Eclipse, Marlinspike and other investors.

To learn more about Gambit, visit gambit.us.

About Gambit

Gambit is a dual-use defense company building adaptive intelligence for autonomous systems. The company's technology operates as a cross-platform intelligence layer, enabling autonomous teaming, real-time adaptation, multi-sensor fusion, and seamless handoff between assets from multiple manufacturers. The company is led by CEO Josh Giegel (former Virgin Hyperloop cofounder/CEO/CTO, SpaceX), CCO Ben Richardson (former DIU Portfolio Director, Marine Corps Veteran), and CTO Andrew Kemendo (former Unity Head of AI, Air Force Veteran). Gambit has won major DoW contract vehicles and is partnering with AWS, Sierra Nevada Corporation, L3Harris, and RTX. The company is backed by Eclipse, Marlinspike, and other investors.

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SOURCE Gambit