Defense Tech Startup Vermeer Secures $10M Series A Funding for GPS-Independent Navigation Technology

Vermeer, an American-Ukrainian startup specializing in vision navigation and autonomy technologies for defense applications, has announced the close of a $10 million Series A funding round. The investment was led by Draper Associates and backed by co-investors including Los Angeles-based AeroX Ventures, Boscolo Intervest, High Point Ventures, Rockaway Ventures, and the U.S. Air Force Techstars accelerator program. This capital infusion will support the expansion of Vermeer's partnerships with U.S. military forces, NATO allies, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine while scaling its optical navigation technology for both defense and commercial sectors.

The company's Visual Positioning System technology offers a GPS-independent navigation solution critical for drones and other aerial vehicles operating in contested or GPS-denied environments. The VPS system employs multiple electro-optical or infrared cameras to interpret the surrounding environment by comparing live visuals against a database of landmarks and pre-existing maps, enhanced by AI processing via Nvidia chips. This approach allows drones to maintain precise location awareness even when GPS signals are jammed or spoofed, a vulnerability commonly exploited in modern conflicts.

Vermeer's growth from a small team of 10 employees to 40 within a year demonstrates its scaling trajectory, with ongoing operations maintained in both New York and Kyiv. The startup's over 30 customers include the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, with active deployment by Ukrainian forces to maintain drone efficacy against adversarial electronic warfare. The company credits its early development phase to the U.S. Air Force's Techstars accelerator and significant non-dilutive Small Business Innovation Research funding through the AFWERX program, which have bolstered its R&D efforts.

CEO Brian Streem, featured in Inc. magazine's 30 Under 30 in 2017, emphasized the unique advantages of developing technology in challenging environments. Building advanced technology in a war zone is not easy but it's the only way to make it real. Operating alongside our partners on the front lines has forced us to iterate faster, build smarter, and focus on what actually works in combat. Our goal isn't just to give drones mass it's to give them precision, intelligence, and purpose. We're proud to have earned the trust of over 30 customers, and with the support of Draper, and our other venture partners, we're ready to scale that mission.

The $10 million funding round is intended to further accelerate product innovation and meet increasing demand from defense and commercial clients worldwide. In the context of the broader defense tech landscape, Vermeer's raise is modest compared to those of other startups such as Auterion and Mach Industries. However, Vermeer's focus on navigation resilience addresses a specific and critical capability that complements broader autonomous system developments. As geopolitical tensions and cyber-electronic warfare continue to intensify, navigation solutions resistant to jamming and spoofing represent a vital niche within drone and autonomous platform sectors, potentially reshaping how military and commercial entities approach navigation security in contested environments.