Ukrainian-Estonian developers raise $2.1 million for drone AI
Drone Industry
Estonian-Ukrainian defense technology company DoD Solution has raised $2.1 million in a pre-seed round (an initial stage of fundraising).
Forbes Ukraine reported this, citing a company statement.
Investors from Ukraine, European Union countries, the United States and Canada participated in the funding round.
How the funds will be used
The funding will be used to expand production and develop new technologies.
Specifically, the funds will go toward:
- launching production of the next generation of the AURA SBC onboard computer;
- developing AURA OS software and onboard artificial intelligence (AI);
- integration with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturers in Ukraine and abroad.
The next generation of AURA SBC is being developed with scalability and the requirements of the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in mind.
To enter European and North American markets, the company is building a component supply chain that meets these requirements.
AURA AI technology
AURA AI is an onboard autonomy platform that combines the AURA SBC computer and AURA OS software.
It provides autonomous navigation, target recognition and tracking, as well as terminal guidance in the absence of GPS and communications.
The platform is being integrated into FPV drones, interceptor drones and fixed-wing drones. It has already been used in combat.
The company’s technology partners include Lantronix, Axelera AI and Defsecintel Solutions.
What is known about DoD Solution
DoD Solution was founded in 2023 by Lviv natives Ivan Oleksii and Nazar Kravchuk. CEO Roman Hapachylo, who holds a 42.5% stake, is also listed as a co-founder.
The company develops onboard computers and autonomy systems for unmanned platforms.
Previously, DoD Solution and German-Ukrainian drone manufacturer United Unmanned Systems (UUS) agreed to scale up the integration of onboard autonomy technologies into UUS attack drones.
In particular, the UK government gave British companies access to Ukrainian combat data to develop artificial intelligence for drone swarms.
In addition, Ukrainian military technology company Wild Hornets developed an innovative solution that will increase the effective operating range of Ukrainian drones by up to 50% and improve communications stability under enemy electronic warfare interference.
Previously, maritime security company BlueShadow, which operates in Copenhagen and Kyiv, signed a letter of intent with investment fund Resist.UA. The company plans to raise €2 million in a pre-seed round.
As a reminder, defense company Wild Hornets delivered 200 interceptor drones worth UAH 17.6 million to Ukraine’s Defense Forces as part of the "150%" fundraising campaign. This represents 10% of the campaign’s total proceeds of UAH 174 million.
As previously reported, U.S.-Ukrainian company Swarmer announced a definitive agreement to acquire Ukrainian unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) manufacturer Ratel Robotics. The deal could be worth up to $224 million if all specified performance targets are met, with payment consisting of cash and shares.
