Auterion Raises $130M Series B for AI-Enabled Software

• Auterion, a provider of autonomous systems software for defense, has announced that it has raised $130 million in Series B funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners. Auterion’s Series B funding will accelerate its mission to “build swarms, not individual drones” by scaling production of its AuterionOS platform and Nemyx defense system, which turns autonomous drones into coordinated combat forces operating across air, land, and sea domains.

As part of this investment round Bessemer Partner Alex Ferrara will join Auterion’s board.

The fundraise underpins the conviction from investors that Auterion’s AI-enabled software will transform the battlefield by powering commercial low-cost hardware at scale. This demonstrates that Auterion is taking a pioneering leadership role in providing this defense software to the US and her allies. The round also includes participation of existing investor Lakestar, which led Auterion’s first institutional round (and has invested in every round since) as well as existing investors Mosaic Ventures and Costanoa Ventures. Out of the $130M round, $25M is backed by the US Department of War (non-dilutive capital backed by the Office of Strategic Capital of the Department of War and provided by Rochefort).

The Seismic Shift to Battlefield Software

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced the allied defense industry to switch from peacetime artisan hardware to wartime mass production. A seismic shift has emerged in terms of awareness of what is required to protect America and her allies. Combatants on the battlefield, now and into the future, will gain advantage by combining winning AI with commercial technology to deploy drone swarms at massive scale, overwhelming defenses. This transition has been accelerated by lower costs meaning that drones can meet wartime execution manufacturing demands. Auterion is the leading provider of open platform software to enable this shift, and has already been deployed in Ukraine.

Lorenz Meier, Founder and CEO of Auterion, said:

“The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that advancements in AI combined with commercially available hardware has changed the nature and economics of warfare, enabling new defensive and offensive capabilities at lower cost,” explained Alex Ferrara, Partner at Bessemer. “Auterion is at the forefront of this seismic shift, as the defense industry switches from peace time artisan hardware to war time mass production to defend democratic allies from foreign aggressors.“

Transforming Individual Drones into Coordinated Swarms

Auterion has evolved from its open-platform autopilot origins to become the operating system for autonomous mass operations. The company’s AuterionOS provides an interoperable platform that unifies fleets from multiple manufacturers into a single, coordinated fabric, allowing one operator to control many autonomous vehicles simultaneously.

Auterion’s all-in-one Skynode X – a fully integrated autopilot and mission computer to enable any drone with the Auterion software platform – adds AI-powered autonomy, secure communications, and edge computing capabilities to existing platforms. The battle-proven technology enables vehicles to lock onto targets and complete missions even when GPS and video links are jammed – capabilities that have been tested in real combat conditions.

Battle-Tested in Ukraine, Scaling Globally

The company’s technology is currently deployed in Ukraine, where it powers autonomous drone operations in active combat. Under a recent Pentagon contract, Auterion is delivering tens of thousands of AI “strike kits” to Ukrainian forces – representing the largest deployment of autonomous technology in the West to date, and an unprecedented scale-up from previous thousands of units.

With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and significant engineering operations in Zurich and Munich, Auterion maintains a global presence that includes personnel on the ground in Kyiv supporting Ukrainian defense efforts.

Open Architecture Drives Adoption

Unlike proprietary systems that lock customers into single-vendor solutions, Auterion’s open architecture enables interoperability across multiple manufacturers and platforms. This approach has attracted partnerships with major defense contractors including Rheinmetall, Lockheed Martin, and aerospace manufacturers across the US, Europe, and allied nations.

Democratizing Advanced Autonomy

Central to Auterion’s mission is making sophisticated autonomous capabilities accessible and affordable. The company’s Skynode systems are priced comparably to consumer electronics while delivering defense-grade performance, enabling even smaller nations and organizations to deploy capable autonomous fleets.

“We have a moral obligation to support democratic nations,” said Meier. “Our technology ensures humans remain in control of targeting decisions while providing the autonomous capabilities needed to defend against – and deter – authoritarian threats.“

Source: Auterion