Applied Intuition, a Silicon Valley company that supplies simulation and software tools for autonomous vehicles, drones and defense systems, has closed a $600 million Series F round co-led by BlackRock and Kleiner Perkins. The financing lifts the seven-year-old firm’s valuation to $15 billion, more than doubling the $6 billion price tag it received in March 2024. Chief executive Qasar Younis said the fresh capital will help the company broaden its product suite across autonomy, vehicle operating systems and defense applications. Applied Intuition counts 18 major automakers, including Volkswagen and Toyota, among its customers, and investors have signaled that the new round may be the startup’s final private financing before a potential initial public offering. In a separate deal, two-year-old defense technology startup Mach Industries confirmed it has raised $100 million in a round led by Khosla Ventures and Bedrock. The funds will support the company’s expansion of its military technology offerings as investor interest in defense-oriented hardware and software accelerates.