Insider Brief
- Aitan emerged from stealth with $41 million in new financing co-led by Deep33 and Dell Technologies Capital, bringing total funding to $54 million to expand its AI-powered robotic defense systems internationally.
- The company said its technology has accumulated more than 500,000 combat hours with the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli national security agencies and recently secured work on the IDF’s next-generation attack-drone command-and-control platform.
- Aitan is developing what it calls Robotic Sovereignty-as-a-Service, combining edge AI autonomy command-and-control software and robotics to help allied governments build and operate coordinated robotic defense capabilities.
American and Israeli startup Aitan has emerged from stealth with $41 million in new financing to expand development and international deployment of AI-powered robotic defense systems, bringing its total funding to $54 million.
Deep33 and Dell Technologies Capital co-led the round, with participation from Gokul Rajaram, Benjamin Ling of Bling Capital and Kevin Weil of Scribble Ventures. According to the company, the funding will support product development, international expansion and growth of its team.
The company said its technology has been used in combat since 2023 and has accumulated more than 500,000 combat hours across deployments with the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli national security agencies. Aitan noted its team includes military reservists and veterans and that its systems are continuously updated using feedback from operational deployments.
“We’re excited to invest in Aitan alongside Dell Technologies Capital because robotic warfare is becoming a sovereign capability, and we believe Aitan’s team has turned unmatched real-world experience into a platform allied nations can build on,” Deep33 partner Lior Prosor said in the announcement. “Israel is one of the only places in the world with the combat experience and flight hours to develop robotic weapon systems at scale, giving Aitan a difficult-to-replicate advantage and a significant opportunity to bring that capability to allied nations.”
Robotic Sovereignty-as-a-Service
Aitan is developing what it calls “Robotic Sovereignty-as-a-Service,” a model intended to help allied governments build and operate their own robotic defense capabilities. Its systems combine edge AI, autonomy, command-and-control software and robotics designed for ground-combat environments.
Rather than treating individual robots as standalone systems, Aitan is focused on coordinating different autonomous platforms as a connected force. The company indicated its technology is also designed to let militaries update software and hardware as battlefield conditions and supply chains change.
Aitan reported it has recently secured a joint contract to develop the command-and-control platform for the IDF’s next-generation attack-drone fleet and has also received design contracts covering additional robotic weapon systems.
Aitan’s Origins
The company was founded by Udi Oster and Daniel Almog, Israeli and American entrepreneurs who previously served as officers in the IDF’s Unit 8200. The pair later built online ordering company Tapingo, which was acquired by Grubhub.
Aitan said the company was formed following the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and subsequent fighting, during which people close to the founders were killed or kidnapped. The company was named in honor of Oster’s younger brother, Eitan, who was killed while serving in the Egoz commando unit during Israel’s ground operation in Lebanon.
“We built Aitan because we had no choice, noted Almong, who serves as co-CEO. “Our friends and family went to war, and we were determined to build what would bring them home. Three years later, we’ve developed decisive battlefield technology, proven in combat — and we’re on a mission to put these capabilities in the hands of the allies that need them.”
