Vermeer technology is already used by the US Army, US Air Force, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and other defense partners. In the Armed Forces of Ukraine, VPS is used to navigate drones in a non-GPS environment, making them resistant to Russian electronic warfare.
Vermeer technology is already used by the US Army, US Air Force, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and other defense partners. In the Armed Forces of Ukraine, VPS is used to navigate drones in a non-GPS environment, making them resistant to Russian electronic warfare.
Defense startup Vermeer, which develops autonomy and optical navigation technologies for drones and robotic systems, has attracted $10 million in investment.
The company, headquartered in New York and with an operations team in Kyiv, plans to use the raised funds to scale its optical navigation platform for defense and commercial applications, as well as to expand cooperation with the US Army, NATO allies, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Dual-use technologies are driving technological advancements in both the defense and commercial sectors. And much of this innovation is already being implemented with great success,” said Andy Tang, a partner at Draper Associates.
“One of the reasons we supported Vermeer is the incredible success they have had, particularly in helping Ukraine strengthen its drone fleet,” Tang was quoted as saying by Yahoo.
Vermeer’s Visual Positioning System (VPS) allows drones to navigate without GPS by using a camera and artificial intelligence to analyze the environment and determine coordinates based on visual landmarks, stars or infrared signals. This makes the system resistant to jamming and spoofing.
“Building high-tech solutions in a combat zone is difficult — but it’s the only way to create true innovation. We work side by side with partners on the front lines, which allows us to adapt solutions faster to the real challenges of war,” said Vermeer CEO Brian Stream.
Vermeer technology is already used by the US Army, US Air Force, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and other defense partners. In the Armed Forces of Ukraine, VPS is used to navigate drones in a non-GPS environment, making them resistant to Russian electronic warfare.
The company grew from 10 to 40 employees in just one year, eight of whom work in Ukraine. Vermeer previously received over $7 million in grants from the US Air Force Techstars and AFWERX programs.
“Unlike GPS, Vermeer’s technology works without radio signals and remains functional even where satellite communication is unavailable. We believe this will become the new standard for drones and autonomous systems,” added Petr Schmid, partner at Rockaway Ventures.
Co-investors also include: AeroX Ventures, Boscolo Intervest, High Point Ventures, Rockaway Ventures, and US Air Force Techstars.
Vermeer is an American-Ukrainian company that creates solutions based on computer vision and AI for autonomous navigation in difficult conditions.
Draper Associates is a venture capital fund that has invested in Tesla, SpaceX, Robinhood, Webflow, and other technology companies.
