Pentagon pressure to move AI faster drives Smack's new funding round, CEO says

Smack Technologies, a defense technology startup specializing in AI decision-making tools for military use, has secured $61 million in Series B funding. The new round of investment aims to expedite the production of its flagship product, Omega, and develop wearable AI hardware designed for battlefield use. This funding comes in the wake of the Defense Department labeling Anthropic as a supply-chain risk in March, prompting military branches to seek alternative AI vendors and elevate startups like Smack to a higher priority.

Co-founder and CEO Andy Markoff informed that both the Marine Corps and Navy expressed interest in the company, urging Smack to accelerate its production. The Pentagon's concern is that future conflicts could be fought in decentralized environments with degraded communication, making it crucial for troops to make tactical decisions on the battlefield before data reaches centralized systems.

Smack's core technology, Omega, significantly reduces the Marine Corps' fires-planning process, allowing for real-time decision-making and adaptability in battle plans. The startup has recently won two prototyping contracts from the Joint Fires Network and the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, with the contracts collectively valued over seven figures.

The Series B funding round involved investors such as Costanoa Ventures, First In, Point72 Ventures, and Geodesic Capital. Smack's workforce has expanded from 19 employees in April to 51, with an anticipated total of around 85 by the end of the year.