Arkeus secures A$5 million to accelerate defence AI capabilities

Defence technology company Arkeus has successfully secured A$5 million raise allowing it to accelerate expansion and meet considerable market demand. The oversubscribed round included continued support from existing investors Main Sequence, Salus Ventures, and Beaten Zone Venture Partners, demonstrating strong investor confidence in Arkeus’ ability to accelerate decision making through the employment of edge-based artificial intelligence (AI) exploitation and analysis. Arkeus’s flagship Hyperspectral Optical Radar (HSOR) system fuses software-enabled sensors with advanced optics, AI, and edge processing to see what the human eye can’t in wide-area intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. Simon Olsen, CEO and co-founder of Arkeus, said, “As the recognised leader in autonomous optical systems, Arkeus is seeing a 10x increase in demand for its capabilities. This funding allows Arkeus to rapidly expand manufacturing capacity to get systems into its customers’ hands, faster.” Recognising the nature of the threat environment, Arkeus technology is underscored with robust data encryption technologies that have evolved through successive contracts with the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, and the Royal Australian Air Force, which emphasises a contribution to the joint ISR picture that prioritises interoperability. Arkeus’s systems have been integrated into more than six defence platforms over the past year, including successful operational evaluations of HSOR in Australia and internationally. Arkeus’s disruptive “ARK” data fusion and exploitation engine that resides at the heart of its capabilities is providing a foundation of AI architecture for the Australian Defence Force. Operationally deployed on airborne and surface platforms – both manned and unmanned, Arkeus technology allows more operations to be conducted on the edge – free of attempts to deny or disrupt – and provides a critical component of Australia’s defensive capabilities. Simon Olsen said, “This funding injection reflects renewed confidence in Australian capability. This strength, in conjunction with the welcomed Government modification to the definition of an “Australian” business, provides the foundation necessary for Arkeus to grow its contribution to the success of AUKUS Pillar II.” Alezeia Brown, Investment Manager at Main Sequence, said, “Main Sequence is proud to continue its support for Arkeus as it scales its groundbreaking autonomous optical systems. Arkeus’s fusion of advanced optics, AI, and edge processing is proving invaluable across multiple defence platforms, and Main Sequence is excited to back its expansion as it meets the growing demand for its technology in Australia and internationally.” Dan Bennett, Co-Founder and General Partner at Salus Ventures, said, “Salus Ventures is delighted to support the world-class multidisciplinary team at Arkeus, which continues to demonstrate exceptional customer pull through. With governments and the dual-use sector in AUKUS nations bringing sustained focus to bear on Pillar II, Arkeus is well-positioned to support the accelerated customer demand. Salus Ventures is pleased to support this latest funding round, which will propel Arkeus into new geographies, and looks forward to continuing to activate its deep global network in support of this aim.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]