Key facts
- Smack Technologies is raising $61 million in Series B funding.
- The funding will accelerate production of its AI decision-making tools and develop wearable AI hardware.
- The Pentagon's designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk has increased demand for diverse AI vendors.
- Smack's Omega technology aids in battlefield decision-making and adapting battle plans.
- The company won two prototyping contracts from the Joint Fires Network and Marine Corps Warfighting Lab.
- Smack is developing Alpha, a forearm AI display for troops.
Smack Technologies, a startup developing artificial intelligence decision-making tools for military applications, is securing $61 million in Series B funding. The investment will accelerate the production of its flagship product, Omega, and fund the development of Alpha, a wearable AI display for soldiers.
The urgency for such technologies has intensified following the Defense Department's March declaration of Anthropic as a "supply-chain risk." This move prompted military branches to seek alternative AI vendors, elevating startups like Smack from lesser-known entities to sought-after partners.
According to Smack CEO Andy Markoff, the company engaged in discussions with the Marine Corps and Navy in the spring, both of which expressed a need for accelerated production. Markoff highlighted the Pentagon's concern about future conflicts occurring in decentralized, communications-degraded environments where tactical decisions must be made rapidly on the battlefield.
Smack's Omega technology is designed to streamline the fires-planning process, enabling quicker decisions on targeting and real-time adaptation when battle plans are disrupted. The company recently secured two undisclosed prototyping contracts from the Joint Fires Network and the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. Investors in the Series B round include Costanoa Ventures, First In, Point72 Ventures, and Geodesic Capital.
The company has expanded significantly, growing from 19 employees in April to 51, with plans to reach approximately 85 employees by the end of the year. The new funding will also support the development of Alpha, a forearm AI display intended to replace improvised whiteboards historically used by troops in the field.