Disruptors News – July 10, 2025
Your edge before the bell.
🚀 Welcome to the first issue of Disruptors News—your early radar on the companies rewriting the rules of AI, robotics, defense, and finance.
Each morning, I’ll bring you what matters most before the market opens: sharp news, filtered noise, and zero filler. No recycled hype—just real movement and real upside.
👇 Stick with it to the end, where today’s final pick could be the next Palantir: a Pentagon-aligned innovator that’s been flying under Wall Street’s radar… until now.
🚗 Pony.ai enters mass production of Gen-7 robotaxis
Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai has begun mass production of its seventh-generation (Gen-7) robotaxis, aiming to build 1,000 autonomous vehicles by the end of 2025. The vehicles, developed in partnership with GAC and BAIC, have already begun road testing in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
The Gen-7 system features 100% automotive-grade components, a 70% reduction in hardware costs compared to earlier versions, and a modular design that allows integration into multiple car models. These advancements follow its public debut at the Shanghai Auto Show and mark a shift from closed-track testing to real-world deployment.
📉 PONY shares are still down ~50% from their peak, but this milestone puts the company back in the spotlight.
🔍 Why it matters: Pony.ai’s ability to scale robotaxi production while competitors stall is a turning point. With real deployments underway and cost-efficient systems in place, the company is transitioning from promise to production—reshaping the AV race across Asia.
💱 Ant Group to integrate Circle’s USDC
Ant International, the global arm of Jack Ma’s Ant Group, will integrate Circle’s USDC into its proprietary blockchain infrastructure—pending U.S. regulatory approval. This will allow Ant to support a full spectrum of digital currencies, including stablecoins like USDC, tokenized bank deposits, and CBDCs.
The move comes as Ant deepens its Web3 ambitions and positions itself as a bridge between traditional finance and blockchain-based assets. The company has been quietly investing in infrastructure that would allow for real-time cross-border payments and programmable money—unlocking new efficiencies for e-commerce, supply chains, and digital identity systems.
📉 CRCL stock fell from its peak of $273, but this news gives it new fuel to reclaim and hold the critical $200 level.
🔍 Why it matters: A Chinese fintech giant backing a U.S.-regulated stablecoin shows how crypto rails are going global—despite geopolitics. It also positions Ant as a potential settlement layer between Western and Asian payment systems. This gives Circle (CRCL) a market edge in its competition with Visa and Mastercard as a global payments backbone.
🧠 Palantir price target raised to $160 by Wedbush
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives raised his price target on Palantir (PLTR) to $160, citing 45% year-over-year U.S. commercial revenue growth and confidence in its AI strategy. The upgrade follows recent Palantir partnerships with BlueForge Alliance for U.S. Navy projects and ongoing negotiations with the IRS and Social Security Administration.
The stock has surged 90.3% year-to-date, despite a sky-high forward P/E of 256. Consensus estimates still include some bearish views, with analysts pointing to a possible 9.3% downside, but Ives is firm in his conviction that Palantir is on a "golden path" to become an AI stalwart.
🔍 Why it matters: While the market remains divided on Palantir’s valuation, institutional confidence in its U.S. government pipeline and commercial expansion is growing. With generative AI deployments scaling across defense and healthcare, PLTR is turning long-term contracts into near-term investor momentum. No other company in the AI space has the political access and government footprint Palantir enjoys, thanks to co-founder Peter Thiel.
🛰️ Shopify using Nebius and Toloka for AI infrastructure
Shopify, the e-commerce giant, revealed that it is using Nebius for compute infrastructure and Toloka for training data to power its AI development. Nebius, a lesser-known neo-cloud provider, is gaining traction as companies seek flexible access to GPU clusters beyond traditional cloud giants.
Shopify emphasized its ability to shift between providers like GCP and Nebius to secure cutting-edge compute capacity. On the data side, Toloka—which is part of Nebius’s AI tooling ecosystem and its cloud solution for data and annotation—supports rapid and high-quality data labeling at scale.
🔍 Why it matters: Shopify’s use of Nebius and Toloka shows how non-U.S. cloud players are quietly winning AI contracts. As demand surges for compute and clean datasets, new players are entering the infrastructure race. Nebius, a spinout from Russia’s Yandex, is emerging as a viable alternative to Big Tech clouds.
⚡ Amprius Technologies (AMPX) gets price target boost from B. Riley
B. Riley Securities has reaffirmed a Buy rating on Amprius Technologies (AMPX) and raised its price target from $6 to $10. Shares surged 7.7% to $6.42 on the news. Amprius is a developer of next-generation silicon anode lithium batteries, tailored for unmanned aerial systems (UAS), electric aviation, and other high-performance applications.
The stock is up more than 50% since June 18. Last quarter, Amprius posted a 383% revenue increase to $11.8M, although gross profit remains negative at -$2.3M.
🔍 Why it matters: As the Pentagon ramps up UAS investments, Amprius is positioned at the convergence of defense, aerospace, and battery innovation. With few public players in this niche, AMPX offers rare exposure to a future-critical segment—and Wall Street is starting to notice.
From robotaxis in Shenzhen to stablecoins in Hangzhou, from defense-grade AI to next-gen batteries—disruptors aren't waiting for permission. They're building, scaling, and quietly redefining the edge.
This publication is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Readers are solely responsible for their own investment decisions. The author may hold positions in the securities mentioned.