Daily Tech: Hertz rally, BABA MedTech push, Golden dome winners and solar achievements

FutureGate | April 22 2025

Hertz: Ackman’s $500M Bet Signals Confidence in Mobility Transition

Hertz Global Holdings saw a sharp rally after it was disclosed that Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square has taken a 20% equity stake, valued at approximately $500 million. The investment represents not just a strong endorsement of Hertz’s ongoing turnaround but also a strategic wager on the future of mobility services.

Since emerging from bankruptcy in 2021, Hertz has been actively repositioning itself to align with secular shifts — including electrification, fleet optimization, and strategic partnerships in mobility-as-a-service (MaaS). The firm has already signed agreements with Tesla and Polestar to electrify a portion of its rental fleet, and has hinted at deeper collaboration with Uber to offer EV rentals to rideshare drivers.

Ackman’s involvement typically suggests operational influence and a long-term transformation thesis. Investors are viewing the stake as a possible prelude to a broader platform integration strategy, where Hertz could evolve beyond car rentals into a hybrid role as an EV fleet manager or mobility platform operator. From a valuation perspective, this investment signals a belief in substantial upside relative to current multiples, driven by a more capital-efficient, tech-aligned business model.

Alibaba’s AI Cancer Diagnostic Tool Earns FDA Breakthrough Status

In a noteworthy milestone for AI in healthcare, Alibaba Group’s digital health arm has received Breakthrough Device designation from the U.S. FDA for its pancreatic cancer detection tool. This AI-based diagnostic model utilizes advanced machine learning algorithms trained on extensive radiological, pathological, and genomic datasets, capable of identifying early-stage pancreatic cancer with higher sensitivity than conventional diagnostics.

Pancreatic cancer is notorious for late detection and high mortality rates — nearly 90% of cases are diagnosed in advanced stages. Alibaba’s tool, which integrates AI pattern recognition with real-time imaging analytics, could meaningfully shift the diagnostic timeline and improve patient outcomes. The FDA designation fast-tracks the regulatory review and clinical trial process, allowing for more rapid deployment in clinical settings.

For Alibaba, this expands the scope of its AI platform beyond e-commerce and logistics into life sciences — a sector increasingly prioritized in Chinese national policy and global investment circles. This breakthrough enhances its global credibility in medtech and creates optionality for monetization through partnerships with hospitals, device manufacturers, or health insurers. From a thematic investing perspective, this development reinforces the investment case for AI/healthcare convergence, particularly in emerging markets.

SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril: Front-Runners for "Golden Dome" Missile Defense Contract

The U.S. Department of Defense is reportedly evaluating a joint proposal from SpaceX, Palantir Technologies, and Anduril Industries to spearhead the technology architecture behind President Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system — a next-generation security shield designed to protect U.S. airspace and allies from aerial and missile threats.

The initiative aims to replicate and extend Israel’s Iron Dome, incorporating AI-powered threat detection, real-time data fusion, and autonomous countermeasures. SpaceX is expected to lead the launch and satellite deployment infrastructure, leveraging its Starlink constellation for surveillance and communications. Palantir would provide the data integration layer — using its Gotham and Foundry platforms to synthesize satellite imagery, radar input, and human intelligence in a unified battlefield view. Anduril, with its portfolio of autonomous drones and AI-based threat identification, would contribute the system’s front-line tactical layer.

From an investment perspective, this proposed defense tech collaboration is highly significant. If awarded, the contract could be among the most commercially and symbolically important public-private partnerships in U.S. defense modernization. It also affirms a broader trend — the convergence of Silicon Valley-style innovation with national defense priorities. Each of the companies involved stands to benefit from increased defense budgets, first-mover advantage in military AI, and recurring government contracts. For allocators, exposure to these firms offers direct participation in the modernization of national security infrastructure.

University of Queensland Achieves Record Solar Cell Efficiency

The University of Queensland (UQ) has announced a new certified world record in solar cell efficiency, utilizing a next-generation tandem architecture that combines perovskite and silicon layers. This breakthrough achieves significantly higher conversion efficiency than current commercial cells and represents a critical leap forward in renewable energy technology.

The research team’s approach leverages a dual-layer design — with perovskite capturing high-energy photons and silicon absorbing the remainder of the solar spectrum — to overcome the single-junction efficiency limit (the so-called Shockley-Queisser limit). The result is a device capable of converting over 30% of solar energy into electricity under standard conditions, a notable jump from the 22–24% range typical of today’s mass-market panels.

The implications are far-reaching: higher efficiency means less space and material are required to generate the same amount of power, which improves both economics and scalability for solar developers. Environmentally, the use of lead-free, earth-abundant materials in the UQ design aligns with global sustainability goals and reduces reliance on rare or toxic elements.

This innovation positions Australia as a frontrunner in green energy R&D and could attract international investment in local manufacturing and export-oriented clean tech. For long-term investors in climate tech, such breakthroughs underline the case for increased allocation to renewable infrastructure and IP-driven clean energy firms.