Smack Technologies raises $61M to strap military AI to operators' wrists
What's the deal? Smack Technologies, a California-based defense tech startup, has raised $61 million in a Series B round to build Alpha, a wrist-worn device that connects field operators to real-time data. The device runs on the company's Omega AI software, which processes battlefield information.
What's the endgame? Military AI typically runs on computers and servers miles from the battlefield, forcing troops to receive analysis through radios or tablets. Smack wants to close that gap by putting intelligence directly on an operator's wrist.
Why the wrist? Co-founder and chief executive Andy Markoff, a former Marine Raider, said his team of former military personnel sees the wrist as a more convenient place to access intelligence in the field. Some rivals are exploring helmets with heads-up displays; Smack is betting on a simpler form factor.
What's the hard part? The company started with software before hardware for a reason. "Alpha tackles a much harder problem because you have to make the model work in the field with hardware and little to no connectivity, but we've always known this is what has to happen to enable decision dominance," Markoff said.
The signal: The round sits in the top 8% of all US Series B rounds in the security sector by size. That places Smack among the better-funded defense tech startups as investors chase companies putting AI closer to the front line.
Read more: airforcetimes.com
Image credit: USASOC News Service
