September 10, 2024

Defense Tech Startup DARKHIVE Secures $21 Million Series A Investment Led By Ten Eleven Ventures

Funding will support the company’s open, secure software and hardware ecosystem for the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Community.

 
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Sept. 10, 2024 – Darkhive, Inc., a defense tech startup focused on open architecture Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) integrated with a secure software delivery, system, closed its Series A investment round led by Ten Eleven Ventures.
 

Darkhive’s mission is to create an accessible situational awareness system for all US-allied military and public safety personnel. The company is developing lightweight, short- and mid-range reconnaissance drones supported by a proprietary software continuous delivery platform.​ The company’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.

Ten Eleven Ventures General Partner Mark Hatfield noted: “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.”
 
The Series A investment will help the company develop its product portfolio, expand its resources to support secured DoD contracts, and pursue new business opportunities. 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.
 
“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,” said John Goodson, CEO of Darkhive. “We were excited to lead Darkhive’s seed round in 2023,” shared Matt Bigge, Crosslink Capital Partner and Darkhive Board Member, “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.” Read rest here