Autonomous robotics might be the future of combat. And venture capital funds are starting to pile in.
What’s happening:
- Defense tech startup ARX Robotics has raised €9M in a seed round financing
- The round was led by the NATO Innovation Fund
The big idea:
- ARX Robotics builds fully autonomous mobile robots that are purpose built for combat and military applications
- ARX Robotics has developed multiple military focused robotics, including small autonomous tanks and drone surveillance modular carriers
Why it matters:
- The recent seed round for ARX Robotics represents the largest seed round in European history for a defense tech startup
Going deeper:
- Defense tech is starting to become one of the most exciting areas of venture capital, with a16z recently backing a startup focused on preventing drone attacks and Sequoia Capital previously backing a startup aiming to expand domestic drone manufacturing in the United States
The intrigue:
- The NATO Innovation Fund is a standalone venture capital fund focused on deep tech and defense tech and is aiming to deploy €1B into emerging startups
