Arkeus announces $18M Series A to scale AI sensing systems for autonomous platforms operating in contested military environments

Arkeus, a defence technology company building AI powered sensing systems that serve as the eyes and brains of autonomous platforms, has raised $18 million in Series A funding to accelerate its global expansion and scale manufacturing capability in the United States, Australia, and Europe.

The round, led by QIC Ventures with participation from U.S. and international investors, positions Arkeus to significantly scale its core technology, which is already deployed with the U.S. Department of War and Australian Department of Defence to meet growing global demand. The technology is also integrated with major drone manufacturers including AeroVironment, Textron, Tekever and Boeing subsidiary Insitu.

Arkeus has secured multiple defence contracts for its flagship Hyperspectral Optical Radar, a world-first ISR capability designed for autonomous-enabled operations, as well as for the expedited delivery of its AI-powered hyperspectral sensors in response to growing Pentagon demand for real-time ISR. The contracts followed competitive evaluations against incumbents, in which Arkeus' sensing systems demonstrated it could detect targets up to eight times further than existing optical systems in degraded visual conditions.

"Machines can't act autonomously if they can't truly perceive their environment. In the moments that matter most, systems are still flying blind. Data is collected but not understood in time to act. That's the problem we set out to solve," said Arkeus CEO and co-founder Simon Olsen. "The next generation of autonomy isn't limited by platforms; it's limited by perception. Decision-making is moving closer to the edge, and that requires a completely different approach to sensing and autonomy."

While billions have been invested globally in drones, aircraft and autonomous systems, most still rely heavily on human interpretation and external processing to make decisions. Arkeus' core technology, including hyperspectral optical radar systems, captures multiple layers of visual data simultaneously, allowing AI to detect, classify and track objects across any domain, day and night, and even in degraded or contested environments where traditional sensors struggle.

With a growing pipeline of defence programs and expanding global demand, the company is positioning its systems as foundational infrastructure for the next generation of autonomous operations.

Led by QIC Ventures, the $18M Series A raise saw participation from new investors R+VC, Folklore Ventures and DYNE Ventures, alongside continued support from existing investors Main Sequence Ventures, Salus Ventures and Beaten Zone.