NODA AI has raised $25 million in Series A funding, led by Bessemer Venture Partners. The round also includes Booz Allen Ventures, Draper Associates, Bloomberg Beta, and Alumni Ventures. The company develops AI software designed to coordinate autonomous military systems across multiple operational domains.

The Austin-based defense technology company plans to use the capital to accelerate delivery milestones for Department of War and United Kingdom Ministry of Defense programs. It focuses on building orchestration software that connects mixed fleets of unmanned and manned platforms. The company did not disclose valuation details.

Building the Cognitive Layer for Modern Warfare

NODA AI operates in the growing field of defense autonomy, where militaries are increasingly deploying unmanned systems across air, land, sea, space, and subsurface domains. While many contractors focus on building autonomous vehicles, NODA is targeting a different layer: orchestration.

“Mass autonomy in defense demands a new generation of algorithmic warfare – a new market category and technical approach that we are pioneering at NODA AI. The essence of defeating adversaries is making better, faster decisions, and the next frontier will be the ability to harmonize decision making across an ecosystem of independent autonomous systems with diverse capabilities. While much of the defense industrial base is focused on building the best vehicles, we are ruthlessly focused on creating the brains, the best chess player — a system capable of adaptive reasoning, real-time tactics and strategy handling, and the ability to transform a set of independent capabilities into desired effects.”

Philong Duong, Chief Executive Officer.

Rather than building hardware, the company is positioning itself as the reasoning engine that coordinates fleets of autonomous systems from different manufacturers. That distinction defines its market thesis.

Where the Capital Will Go

The new funding will support expansion across more than 30 existing platform integrations and deepen partnerships with government customers. NODA AI says it is already embedded in key Department of War programs and working with UK defense authorities.

The company also plans to extend its orchestration capabilities into additional defense and intelligence markets. That includes further development of its AI reasoning engine and expanding tactical libraries designed for mixed fleets operating across multiple domains.

“NODA AI is building the AI-native connective tissue for defense autonomy, enabling collaboration and interoperability between systems, and we’re proud to partner with their team as they define the future of algorithmic warfare.”

Janelle Teng Wade, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners.

From Veterans to Defense Infrastructure Builder

Founded in 2024 by Global War on Terrorism veterans, NODA AI was created to address what its founders describe as a fragmented and vendor-siloed control environment for unmanned systems. Current architectures, they argue, create operational bottlenecks and increase cognitive burden on military operators.

NODA AI is building what it describes as an open, vendor-agnostic reasoning platform capable of designing and deploying algorithmic warfare strategies across both manned and unmanned systems. The platform functions as an independent cognitive layer, integrating OEM technologies into a broader orchestration framework.

“We’re impressed by their technical depth, speed of execution, and mission-driven focus to deliver real operational advantage.”

Dr. Ray O. Johnson, Operating Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners.

According to the company, it has developed one of the largest technically integrated partner ecosystems in defense autonomy within nine months of its pre-seed round. It has also secured multiple awards in major defense programs and established partnerships with defense primes including Booz Allen Hamilton and Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Government Endorsements and Investor Backing

The company reports strong interest from defense officials. In one program, it was selected over established incumbents to lead orchestration efforts.

“NODA AI has been the fastest growing company in our portfolio and is onto something big,”

Paige Craig, Managing Partner of Outlander.

Investors are signaling strong conviction in NODA AI’s technical direction and market positioning. The participation of established venture firms with experience in enterprise software, defense, and deep technology suggests confidence not only in the company’s current government traction, but also in the broader thesis that orchestration will become a defining layer in autonomous warfare. Backing at this stage reflects belief in both the founding team’s execution speed and the scalability of a vendor-agnostic AI platform designed to sit above increasingly complex defense ecosystems.

Origianl Creator: Paulo Palma
Original Link: https://justainews.com/companies/funding-news/noda-ai-raises-25m-series-a-for-defense-ai/
Originally Posted: Thu, 26 Feb 2026 18:00:36 +0000