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Defence technology company Arkeus has successfully raised AU$5 million in an oversubscribed funding round, paving the way for accelerated expansion and the ability to meet significant market demand.
The capital injection, which saw continued backing from existing investors Main Sequence, Salus Ventures and Beaten Zone Venture Partners, underscores strong investor confidence in Arkeus’ ability to speed up decision making through its pioneering use of edge-based artificial intelligence (AI) for exploitation and analysis.
At the forefront of Arkeus’ innovations is its flagship Hyperspectral Optical Radar (HSOR) system. The HSOR combines software-enabled sensors with cutting-edge optics, AI and edge processing to reveal what the human eye cannot, enhancing 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 experiencing a tenfold increase in demand for its capabilities. This funding enables us to rapidly expand our manufacturing capacity, ensuring we get our systems into customers’ hands faster.”
Developed in response to an evolving threat landscape, Arkeus’ technology features robust data encryption that has been refined through successive contracts with the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force. The systems, which have been integrated into over six defence platforms in the past year, contribute significantly to a joint ISR capability that prioritises interoperability. Successful operational evaluations of the HSOR have been carried out both in Australia and internationally.
Central to Arkeus’ offering is the disruptive “ARK” data fusion and exploitation engine, which forms the foundation of its AI architecture for the Australian Defence Force. Deployed on both airborne and surface platforms – manned and unmanned – Arkeus’ technology enables operations to be conducted at the edge, free from attempts to deny or disrupt, and provides a vital element of Australia’s defence capabilities.
“This funding injection reflects renewed confidence in Australian capability. Coupled with the recent government modification to the definition of an ‘Australian’ business, it gives us the foundation to further grow our contribution to the success of AUKUS Pillar II,” Olsen added.
Investment manager Alezeia Brown of Main Sequence said, “Main Sequence is proud to continue our support for Arkeus as it scales its groundbreaking autonomous optical systems. Their fusion of advanced optics, AI and edge processing is proving invaluable across multiple defence platforms, and we’re excited to back their expansion both here and internationally.”
Dan Bennett, co-founder and general partner at Salus Ventures, remarked, “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 focusing intently on Pillar II, Arkeus is well-positioned to support accelerated customer demand. We’re pleased to support this latest round, which will propel Arkeus into new geographies, and we look forward to activating our deep global network in support of this aim.”
Arkeus accelerates decision making by fusing advanced optics with autonomy. The company specialises in the rapid design, innovation, manufacture and distribution of autonomous optical capabilities that transform search, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Its wide-area autonomous optical search and surveillance systems are tailored for both airborne and surface platforms, supporting a range of missions, including search, ISR, border protection, city-scale surveillance, force protection, counter-terrorism, illegal activity monitoring, and search and rescue.
Operating across land, sea and space domains, Arkeus’ optical surveillance systems excel at extracting critical intelligence and surveillance data – and disseminating it in challenging or contested environments.
