Startup raises $7 million to build backpack-portable 8.8-ounce drone interceptors — Mara claims 20x cost advantage over other interceptors, priced one-for-one against attack drones
San Francisco defense startup Mara has secured $7 million in a pre-seed round to produce what it calls Spike, a portable counter-drone system housed inside a backpack.
Defense startup Mara has secured $7 million in funding to develop a portable counter-drone system called Spike, housed inside a backpack. The system includes 250g (~8.8 ounces) autonomous interceptors, designed to cost significantly less than the FPV quadcopters they destroy, which are now the leading cause of Ukrainian combat casualties.
Each Spike launcher can hold up to 48 Seeker interceptors and reloads in less than a minute, with each Seeker capable of engaging targets up to one mile away. The Spotter targeting unit fuses electro-optical and acoustic sensors with an optional low-emission W-band radar to detect and track drones in all weather conditions. Mara claims a 20x cost advantage over other interceptors, with the Seekers trading at a one-to-one or a worst-case two-to-one cost ratio against the drones they intercept.
The company has joined NATO's DIANA accelerator 2026 cohort and holds cooperative research agreements with three unnamed U.S. defense organizations.
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