Arkeus has raised $25 million in Series A funding to accelerate its global expansion. The company will establish advanced manufacturing capabilities in both Queensland and the United States, supporting sovereign defence capability while enabling faster delivery of systems into operational use.
“The next generation of autonomy isn’t limited by platforms; it’s limited by perception. Machines can’t act autonomously if they can’t truly perceive their environment. In the moments that matter most, systems are still flying blind. Data is collected but not understood in time to act. That’s the problem we set out to solve,” Arkeus CEO and co-founder, Simon Olsen stated.
“Decision-making is moving closer to the edge, and that requires a completely different approach to sensing and autonomy.”
Led by QIC Ventures, the raise saw participation from new investors R+VC, Folklore Ventures and Dyne Ventures, with continued support from existing investors Main Sequence Ventures, Salus Ventures and Beaten Zone.
“Our ambition is simple,” Olsen said. “To ensure that any autonomous system operating in complex environments has the ability to see, understand and act with certainty.”
Arkeus secured the Australian Army Wide Area Airborne Surveillance Program in November 2025 to enhance the sensing capabilities of its Tactical UAS fleet.
The company has also won contracts with the US Department of War following competitive evaluations against US incumbents. Its technology is also integrated with major drone manufacturers including AeroVironment, Textron, Tekever and Boeing subsidiary Insitu.
While billions have been invested globally in drones, aircraft and autonomous systems, most still rely heavily on human interpretation and external processing to make decisions. Founded in 2020 in a one-car garage in Melbourne, Arkeus founders Olsen and Jonathan Nebauer saw first-hand the perception limitations of drones when operating at the edge.
According to the company, Arkeus’ core technology, including hyperspectral optical radar systems, captures multiple layers of visual data simultaneously, allowing AI to detect, classify and track objects across any domain, day and night, and even in degraded or contested environments where traditional sensors struggle.
With a growing pipeline of defence programs and expanding global demand, the company is positioning its systems as foundational infrastructure for the next generation of autonomous operations.