Insider Brief
- EdgeRunner AI raised $17.5M in total funding, closing a $12M Series A led by Madrona Ventures, with participation from Four Rivers Ventures, HP Tech Ventures, and Alumni Ventures.
- The startup develops air-gapped, on-device AI agents tailored for military and enterprise use, optimized to run without internet in high-security, low-connectivity environments.
- EdgeRunner has signed a CRADA with the U.S. Air Force and was added to the DoD’s Tradewinds Marketplace; it was also named to CB Insights’ AI 100 list of top AI startups for 2025.
PRESS RELEASE — EdgeRunner AI, the leader in domain-specific, air-gapped, on-device AI agents for military and enterprise, has announced the closing of its $12M Series A fundraise. The round was led by Madrona Ventures with participation from seed lead Four Rivers Ventures and joined by new investors HP Tech Ventures and Alumni Ventures. This brings EdgeRunner AI’s total funding to $17.5M. The company will use the new capital to grow its team and invest in product development.
Matt McIlwain, Managing Director at Madrona Ventures, will be joining EdgeRunner AI’s board of directors. EdgeRunner AI completed its $5.5M seed round led by Four Rivers Ventures in June 2024, reflecting the company’s rapid progress in less than a year.
“Our mission is to build domain-specific AI agents that increase the probability of our warfighters winning the fight and bringing them home,” said Tyler Saltsman, Co-Founder & CEO at EdgeRunner AI. “With this new funding, we will grow our team, invest in product development, and execute on our vision.”
“Madrona has been a partner to us since day one and we’re thrilled they are leading our Series A,” said Colton Malkerson, Co-Founder & COO at EdgeRunner AI. “We’re fortunate to have Matt McIlwain join our board as he brings deep industry experience that will help take EdgeRunner to the next level.”
“Tyler and Colton bring an incredible combination of experience — deep service within the U.S. military and federal government — paired with talent, demonstrated by years of building and applying world class AI technology at AWS and beyond,” said Matt McIlwain, Managing Director at Madrona. “That gives them unmatched insight into what the warfighter needs today, and what the absolute cutting edge of technology can provide. EdgeRunner’s mission — delivering secure, intelligent, air-gapped AI to support those who serve — is one we’re honored to back.”
EdgeRunner AI offers a state-of-the-art Generative AI platform that delivers occupation and mission-specific AI agents air-gapped on-device. Specifically developed for the warfighter, this technology offers both defense and enterprise users a hyper-personalized assistant powered by AI agents that functions independent of internet connectivity.
The platform is powered by multiple open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) optimized for running locally on-device, such as AI PCs or edge computing devices, and offers users several features, including chat, Q&A, summarization, language translation, transcription, code generation, multi-document RAG (PDF, Word, PowerPoint), text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and tool function calling integrations (Microsoft Outlook, Google Workspace, Slack, and more). Occupation-specific adapters for various military personas, such as logistics, maintenance, and acquisitions, provide users more accurate and relevant responses.
By running locally on-device, the platform is more energy efficient, cost effective, and provides increased data privacy, security, and reliability in Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) environments.
EdgeRunner AI has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance cutting-edge, agentic on-device AI technology for the warfighter. Through the CRADA, AFRL and EdgeRunner AI will develop AI agents customized for the Air Force, specifically targeting unique occupational specialties (AFSCs).
Last week, the company was designated as an “Awardable” vendor for the Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office’s (CDAO) Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace. EdgeRunner AI’s platform has been added to the Marketplace and is available to support critical missions across the DoD.
Most recently, EdgeRunner AI was named to CB Insights’ AI 100, a ranking of the 100 most promising artificial intelligence startups of 2025. The list is designed to cut through this noise and highlight the next wave of AI winners, with a focus on early-stage players that are showing strength in terms of market traction, investor quality, and talent.
About EdgeRunner AI
EdgeRunner AI is the leader in domain-specific, air-gapped, on-device AI agents for military and enterprise. The company specializes in creating hyper-personalized AI assistants that function independently of internet connectivity, transforming workflows in secure and private environments. For more information, visit: https://www.edgerunnerai.com
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Stephen Francy
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