Ukrainian company raises funds for drone autonomy

Ukrainian startup DoD Solution, which develops AURA autonomy modules for drones, has raised investment from the Network.VC Defense fund. The funds will go towards the development of a single-board computer and its operating system, the company’s CEO, Roman Hapachylo, disclosed to Defender Media. DoD Solution is working on modules for FPV drones, interceptors, ‘waiting drones’, and fixed-wing UAVs. Their solution includes single-board computers and a proprietary artificial intelligence stack for navigation, object recognition, tracking, and guidance. The focus of the company’s entire pre-seed round is to develop a computer that meets NDAA requirements. This is a US law that sets requirements for the origin of components. The company previously raised funds for its development from venture fund Angel One. The team will also participate in demo days organised by Network.VC Defense. Network.VC Defense currently has 27 startups in its portfolio, including Swarmer, Bavovna.AI, and Scopa Industries. The fund has two investment models, Network VC founder Oleksandr Soroka has said: “When investing through syndicates, the average cheque today ranges from around $100,000 to $500,000 per startup. If it is an earlier-stage company entering through our acceleration programme, the initial cheque is usually smaller – around $25,000 to $50,000. This allows us to enter at the very beginning and continue supporting the project in future rounds.” The fund’s current key focus in defence is on autonomous systems.