Defense tech company Darkhive—which is focused on open architecture Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) integrated with a secure software delivery system—announced it closed a Series A investment round of $21 million led by Ten Eleven Ventures. Additional investors in this funding round included Crosslink Capital, RTX Ventures, and Stellar Ventures.
Last year, the company closed a $4 million Seed round led by Crosslink Capital and joined by Stellar Ventures, MVP Ventures, and Capital Factory. And Darkhive has previously been awarded an SBIR Phase III IDIQ with AFWERX Autonomy Prime, three SBIR Phase IIs, an STTR Phase II with the University of Alaska, an RDT&E contract with the OUSD RE, and an OTA contract with DIU NSIC.
Darkhive aims to create an accessible situational awareness system for all US-allied military and public safety personnel. And the company is developing lightweight, short- and mid-range reconnaissance drones supported by a proprietary software continuous delivery platform. Darkhive’s software platform is designed to build, scan, test, and securely deploy Department of Defense (DoD) accredited software to UAS including secure updates, and will ultimately enable comprehensive fleet and device management in the field.
The Series A funding round will help the company develop its product portfolio, expand its resources to support secured DoD contracts, and pursue new business opportunities. And the funding will also enable the company to distribute its life-saving ecosystem to more teams in the field, ensuring they obtain the equipment needed to properly support their crews.
KEY QUOTES:
“Ten Eleven’s investment in Darkhive is part of our commitment to cybersecurity-focused companies supporting national security initiatives. We believe Darkhive’s platform offers the most compelling way to integrate vital secure code delivery and asset management for UAS fleets and, ultimately, other IoT devices used within US and US-allied military units.”
– Ten Eleven Ventures General Partner Mark Hatfield
“The US and our allies around the world require secure, adaptive, and cost-effective autonomous drones to enable unified, rapid response to global security threats. The current UAS landscape is full of hurdles that leave users in the field at an extreme disadvantage; Chinese offerings are intuitive to use and affordable, but have known cyber security vulnerabilities. While American-made products are secure, they’re expensive and difficult to use effectively. We owe it to the men and women on the front line to provide a complete solution that is secure, affordable, reliable, and can be used by anyone in the field.”
– John Goodson, CEO of Darkhive
“We were excited to lead Darkhive’s seed round in 2023 and everything we’ve seen since that partnership has reinforced our belief in the team, their growth, and the impact they are set to make on the UAS industry and the future of US National Security.”
– Matt Bigge, Crosslink Capital Partner and Darkhive Board Member
