Sapient Perception ApS, a Danish startup that builds AI sensor systems for drones, has raised €2M in pre-seed funding. The company was founded by Anthony Garetto, Lau Nørgaard, and Michael Messerschmidt to address a problem that has frustrated drone operators for years: a single camera cannot cover a wide area and capture fine detail at the same time.

The limitation is easy to understand. When a drone zooms out to watch a large area, the image becomes too blurry to identify people, vehicles, or potential threats. When it zooms in for a closer look, operators lose sight of everything happening around that narrow frame. In fast-moving situations, constantly switching between views means things get missed. The drone sensor market is projected to grow from $1.67 billion in 2025 to $2.85 billion by 2030, driven by rising demand for smarter imaging and onboard data processing across defense, security, and emergency response.

The round was co-led by Balnord and FORWARD.one, a European industrial technology venture firm.

Why Drone Imaging Has Hit a Wall

Defense and security operators now rely on drones for some of their most demanding tasks: monitoring large territories, identifying threats in real time, and supporting autonomous decision-making. All of this needs to happen on aircraft with strict limits on size, weight, and power. The amount of raw data drones collect is not the problem. Processing it fast enough to be useful is.

Sapient Perception builds what it calls large area perception systems. Its 10K sensors can cover up to 100 times more ground in a single image than standard drone cameras, without any loss of resolution. Rather than sending video footage back to a ground station for analysis, the system runs AI models directly on the drone using NVIDIA processors. This means operators receive relevant information in real time, without waiting for data to travel back and forth.

“Modern defense and security operations are not taking advantage of the most advanced sensors and the vast data they generate. Sapient Perception addresses this challenge with a highly differentiated edge AI approach that we believe will become foundational to next-generation systems.”

Jarek Pilarczyk, Partner at Balnord

How Sapient Perception Plans to Use the Funding

The new capital will go toward three areas: developing the software-defined camera platform and AI framework further, hiring additional engineers, and supporting early deployments with paying customers. The company is already working with operators in defense, security, and emergency response, which suggests it is closer to commercial activity than many startups at this stage.

Alongside its hardware, Sapient is building the IGNITE AI Framework. This is a software layer, packaged in a self-contained unit, that allows operators to load their own AI models directly onto the sensor system. Customers are not required to use Sapient’s own models. That flexibility matters in defense contexts, where organizations often have proprietary AI tools they need to keep secure and under their own control.

“In the environments Sapient Perception serves, every second matters. Their technology turns high-quality sensor data into real-time insights at the edge, enabling 100× greater coverage than today’s systems. It’s a clear step change — built by a team that knows how to move fast and deliver.”

Cailin Greiner, Investment Manager at FORWARD.one

The Team and Technology Behind Sapient Perception

The three founders bring more than 45 years of combined experience in sensor design, imaging technology, and defense markets. Anthony Garetto is CEO, Lau Nørgaard is CTO, and Michael Messerschmidt serves as CBO. The company is based in Denmark.

The sensor itself weighs under 500 grams, including the optics and onboard processing unit. It connects to standard drone platforms through widely used interfaces such as MAVLink, CAN, and Ethernet, making integration relatively straightforward for drone manufacturers and system builders. The hardware is also NDAA compliant and ITAR-free, two certifications that matter for U.S. and allied procurement processes, confirming the components come from trusted supply chains.

“In mission-critical situations, the ability to make fast, informed decisions determines outcomes. Our perception layer enables persistent situational awareness through a far wider lens, while delivering the important details to operators in real time. Having this whole picture means decisive action can be taken faster and with a higher level of confidence.”

Anthony Garetto, CEO of Sapient Perception

The Investors and Early Deployments

Balnord is an early-stage investor focused on frontier and dual-use technologies, backing founders primarily from Northern Europe, the Nordics, and the Baltic Sea region. FORWARD.one has been investing in European industrial technology since 2017, with its first two funds placing among the top 5% of European VC funds.

Sapient already has active deployments underway. The company is working with Dropla Tech to integrate its wide-area sensors into UAVs built to fly low and ahead of military convoys. These drones feed into Dropla Tech’s Blue Eyes platform, which the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence is currently using to detect ambush drones and landmines along supply routes near the front lines. Sapient’s sensors are also being used on high-altitude platforms, including stratospheric systems designed for large-scale surveillance and reconnaissance across Europe and North America.

Origianl Creator: Paulo Palma
Original Link: https://justainews.com/companies/funding-news/sapient-perception-raises-e2m-to-give-drones-a-wider-view/
Originally Posted: Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:27:25 +0000