Aperture Regions › United States › Defense & Public Safety AI
US Defense & Public Safety AI startup funding
US Defense & Public Safety AI startups raised $14.2B across 59 funding rounds at 54 companies in the 12 months to Nov 14, 2026, against $5.6B across 56 rounds in the 12 months before (+155% in capital, +5% in rounds).
Companies headquartered in the United States, all funding stages, by announcement date. Data as of Nov 15, 2026; the last 12 months run Nov 15, 2025 – Nov 14, 2026. Capital counts disclosed amounts only (55 of 59 rounds in the last 12 months).
How much did US Defense & Public Safety AI startups raise in the last 12 months?
| Last 12 months | 12 months before | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital raised (disclosed) | $14.2B | $5.6B | +155% |
| Rounds | 59 | 56 | +5% |
| Companies funded | 54 | 52 | +4% |
How much have US Defense & Public Safety AI startups raised in 2026?
In 2026 through Nov 14, 2026, US Defense & Public Safety AI startups raised $14.1B across 54 rounds, against $5.6B across 55 rounds in the same period of 2025.
Which US Defense & Public Safety AI startups raised the most?
Anduril Industries raised the most in the last 12 months, 35% of the capital; the three largest companies together took 65%.
| Company | City | Capital raised | Rounds | Latest round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anduril Industries | Costa Mesa | $5B | 1 | Series F+ · May 2026 |
| Shield AI | San Diego | $2.5B | 2 | Series F+ · Nov 2026 |
| Saronic | Austin | $1.8B | 1 | Series D · Mar 2026 |
| CesiumAstro | Austin | $1B | 2 | Series D · Nov 2026 |
| Mach Industries | Huntington Beach | $900M | 2 | Series C · Sep 2026 |
| Flock Safety | Atlanta | $500M | 1 | Stage not stated · Aug 2026 |
| Neros Technologies | Torrance | $250M | 1 | Series C · Aug 2026 |
| Peregrine Technologies | San Francisco | $250M | 1 | Series D · Jun 2026 |
| Allen Control Systems | Austin | $200M | 1 | Series B · Jun 2026 |
| Hermeus | El Segundo | $200M | 1 | Series C · Apr 2026 |
Which Defense & Public Safety AI sub-sectors are growing in the US?
No sub-sector added more companies than the year before.
| Sub-sector | Companies funded (year before → last 12 months) | Rounds | Capital raised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence & mission planning | 4 → 13 | 15 | $481M |
| Autonomous air systems | 9 → 8 | 9 | $8.1B |
| Emergency response & public safety | 6 → 5 | 5 | $385M |
| Space & ISR | 2 → 4 | 5 | $1B |
| Surveillance & physical security | 9 → 4 | 4 | $548M |
| Counter-drone & air defense | 4 → 4 | 4 | $252M |
| Autonomous ground systems | 3 → 4 | 4 | $135M |
| Autonomous maritime systems | 5 → 3 | 3 | $1.9B |
| Multi-domain autonomy & uncrewed systems | 4 → 3 | 4 | $906M |
| Defense manufacturing & logistics | 5 → 2 | 2 | $174M |
4 companies are not yet tagged with a sub-sector (Other / unclear).
How large is a typical US Defense & Public Safety AI round?
In the last 12 months, the median disclosed Seed round was $6.3M, Series A round was $28M.
| Stage | Rounds | With a disclosed amount | Median disclosed round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Seed | 4 | 4 | — |
| Seed | 16 | 14 | $6.3M |
| Series A | 14 | 14 | $28M |
| Series B | 4 | 4 | — |
| Series C | 6 | 6 | — |
| Series D | 5 | 4 | — |
| Series F+ | 4 | 4 | — |
| Growth | 1 | 1 | — |
| Stage not stated | 5 | 4 | — |
Medians are shown where at least 10 amounts are disclosed.
US Defense & Public Safety AI funding by quarter
| Quarter | Rounds | Capital raised |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q1 | 12 | $1.4B |
| 2025 Q2 | 14 | $2.8B |
| 2025 Q3 | 19 | $945M |
| 2025 Q4 | 15 | $520M |
| 2026 Q1 | 17 | $4B |
| 2026 Q2 | 17 | $6.4B |
| 2026 Q3 | 13 | $1.8B |
| 2026 Q4 (to date) | 7 | $1.9B |
Other US sectors: AI Models & Research · AI Infrastructure · Robotics & Physical AI · Industry AI · AI Hardware & Chips · Healthcare & Life Sciences · Fintech AI · Enterprise & Vertical AI · AI Agents · AI Developer Tools · Cybersecurity AI · Consumer & Media AI.
Definitions are in the methodology. Report a missing or misreported deal from the link in the footer.