Pentagon Pressure to Move AI Faster Drives Smack’s New Funding Round, CEO Says
Smack Technologies is accelerating its military AI development after pressure from the US defence establishment pushed the startup to move faster. The company is raising $61 million to increase production of its flagship software and develop a wearable AI system for battlefield use.
The Series B funding comes months after the US Defense Department declared Anthropic a “supply-chain risk” in March. That decision prompted military branches to diversify their AI suppliers. Consequently, smaller companies such as Smack have gained greater attention.
Military Demand Drives Faster Development
Smack co-founder and CEO Andy Markoff said the Anthropic fallout led the company to hold discussions with the Marine Corps and Navy in the spring. Both branches pressed Smack to accelerate production, he said.
Markoff said the Pentagon faces a broader concern about how future conflicts could unfold. He expects a war with a peer adversary to involve decentralised operations and disrupted communications.
As a result, troops may not be able to rely on continuously sending information to well-connected operations centres. Markoff said many tactical decisions would instead need to happen on the battlefield before data reaches centralised systems.
“The future of war … will be more decentralized than any conflict that we’ve ever fought,” Markoff said.
Smack Expands Its Battlefield AI
Smack’s core technology, Omega, helps shorten the Marine Corps’ fires-planning process. The system helps determine what to target and how to respond when parts of a battle plan change.
In July, Smack announced two prototyping contracts with the Joint Fires Network and the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. The company did not disclose the individual contract values, but said they were worth more than seven figures combined.
Omega uses reinforcement-learning models and real-time computer vision, according to the company. It generates options within minutes and can adjust disrupted battle plans within seconds.
Smack describes the process as addressing a military kill chain that can become vulnerable to disruption and slow to adapt during rapidly changing combat.
New Funding Supports Alpha Development
The $61 million funding round will help Smack increase Omega production. It will also finance Alpha, a wearable AI display designed for battlefield use.
The company intends Alpha to provide a flexible forearm-mounted display. It is designed to replace improvised whiteboards that troops have historically attached to their arms in the field.
Smack has an office in Austin, Texas, dedicated to developing the system. The company aims to produce between 10 and 20 Alpha prototype units over the next six months.
The valuation used for the Series B round was not disclosed. Participants included Costanoa Ventures, First In, Point72 Ventures and Geodesic Capital, among others.
Smack has also expanded its workforce rapidly. The company had 19 employees in April and now has 51. It plans to reach roughly 85 employees by the end of the year.
With inputs from Reuters