Darkhive, a defense tech startup based in San Antonio, Texas, has secured $21 million in a Series A investment round led by Ten Eleven Ventures. The company focuses on developing open architecture Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) integrated with a secure software delivery system. Darkhive aims to create an accessible situational awareness system for 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. This platform is designed to securely deploy Department of Defense (DoD) accredited software updates to UAS, enabling comprehensive fleet and device management in the field. Mark Hatfield, General Partner at Ten Eleven Ventures, stated, “Our investment in Darkhive is part of our commitment to cybersecurity-focused companies supporting national security initiatives.
We believe Darkhive’s platform offers a compelling solution for integrating vital secure code delivery and asset management for UAS fleets and other IoT devices used within US and US-allied military units.
The Series A investment will help Darkhive develop its product portfolio, expand resources to support secured DoD contracts, and pursue new business opportunities.
Drone tech funding breakthrough
The funding will also enable the company to distribute its life-saving ecosystem to more teams in the field, ensuring they have access to necessary equipment.
John Goodson, CEO of Darkhive, commented, “The US and our allies require secure, adaptive, and cost-effective autonomous drones for a unified, rapid response to global security threats. The current UAS landscape presents hurdles; Chinese offerings, while intuitive and affordable, have known cybersecurity vulnerabilities. American-made products, though secure, are often expensive and difficult to use effectively.
We owe it to front-line personnel to provide a complete solution that is secure, affordable, reliable, and user-friendly.”
Additional investors in this round included Crosslink Capital, RTX Ventures, and Stellar Ventures. Last year, the company secured a $4 million Seed round led by Crosslink Capital, joined by Stellar Ventures, MVP Ventures, and Capital Factory. Darkhive has previously been awarded multiple contracts, including 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 Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering, and an OTA contract with Defense Innovation Unit National Security Innovation Capital.
