Auterion secures USD 130 million to scale AI-enabled defense software

Auterion, a provider of autonomous systems software for defense, has raised USD 130 million in Series B funding to expand its AI-powered platform for drone and robotic operations. The company aims to accelerate deployment of its AuterionOS and Nemyx systems, which transform low-cost commercial hardware into coordinated combat forces across air, land, and sea.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the need for mass-produced, cost-efficient defense technologies. Auterion’s software has already been deployed in Ukraine, where it supports large-scale drone operations in active combat. Under a recent Pentagon contract, the company is supplying tens of thousands of AI strike kits—marking the largest Western deployment of autonomous military systems to date.

The financing includes USD 25 million in non-dilutive backing from the U.S. Department of Defense through the Office of Strategic Capital, alongside participation from existing investors. The investment reflects a growing recognition that scalable, AI-enabled autonomy will define future battlefields.

Evolving from its origins in open-source autopilot software, Auterion has become an operating system for autonomous mass operations. Its AuterionOS unifies fleets from different manufacturers into one interoperable network, while Skynode X adds AI-driven autonomy, secure communications, and edge computing. These systems are designed to maintain mission capability even under GPS and communications jamming.

Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with engineering hubs in Zurich and Munich — and ranked among the Top100 Swiss Startups and Scale-Ups — Auterion collaborates with defense contractors including Rheinmetall and Lockheed Martin. By offering open-architecture solutions at costs comparable to consumer electronics, the company seeks to make advanced autonomous capabilities more widely accessible to allied nations.


Auterion Co-Founder & CEO Lorenz Meier