Defense technology startup Smack Technologies has secured $61 million in Series B funding to accelerate the production of artificial intelligence decision-making tools and battlefield hardware. The capital influx comes as military planners emphasize the need for decentralized computing solutions capable of operating in communications-degraded environments where continuous data relay to centralized command posts is compromised.
According to Reuters, the fundraising follows increased engagement between the startup and U.S. military branches, including the Marine Corps and Navy, after the Department of Defense designated Anthropic a supply-chain risk in March. That policy shift prompted armed services to diversify their supplier base for autonomous capabilities. Smack’s chief executive officer, Andy Markoff, noted that future conflicts against peer adversaries will require tactical decisions to be made directly on the battlefield before data can reach central operations hubs.
The company’s primary software platform, Omega, utilizes reinforcement-learning models and real-time computer vision to streamline target selection, fires planning, and dynamic mission adaptation when friendly sensors or platforms are disrupted. Supported by recent prototyping contracts with the Joint Fires Network and the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, the startup is also developing Alpha, a tactical forearm AI display intended for field personnel. Production of prototype units is underway at an Austin, Texas facility, alongside a personnel expansion aimed at reaching 85 employees by the end of the year.
