Drone Startup AITAN, Born From War, Raises $41 Million

Drone company AITAN, formerly eyesAtop, has secured $41 million in its first significant funding round, co-led by Deep33 and Dell Technologies Capital. The investment, which brings the company's total funding to $54 million, also saw participation from notable tech investors like Gokul Rajaram, a board member at Pinterest and Coinbase, and Benjamin Ling from Bling Capital.

AITAN develops AI-powered combat systems that have been in operational use since the October 7th attacks, designed to enable robotic forces to perform complex missions while minimizing risk to human soldiers. The company was founded by former Israeli intelligence unit 8200 members Udi Auster and Daniel Almog, who acquired the technology of an older startup, eyesAtop, to capitalize on the increased demand for drone technology following the war. The company, employing around 50 people in Ramat Gan, was renamed AITAN in memory of Auster's younger brother, Eitan, an officer in the Egoz unit who was killed in Lebanon in September 2024.

The company's core product is an operating system for drones that allows militaries to deploy and manage large-scale robotic combat systems and maintain operational continuity even when supply chains are disrupted. AITAN's systems have accumulated over half a million operational flight hours in the IDF and Ministry of Defense, supporting a wide range of robotic warfare missions. The company recently won a tender to develop the IDF's control platform for the next generation of attack drones and secured contracts for robotic weapon systems.

"After October 7th, I was shocked to realize how little drones were part of the system," said Udi Auster, who entered the drone field on October 8th, recognizing soldiers' urgent need for tools that provide a combat advantage. He added, "With the outbreak of the Iron Swords War, it was clear our only goal was to help our friends and family win and return safely from captivity and the battlefield. Three years later, with our technology having a broad operational impact, it's time to expand and bring these capabilities to Israel's allies worldwide."

Investors highlighted the growing importance of "Physical AI" and the need for integrated autonomous systems. Lior Proshauer of Deep33 noted that AITAN's unique advantage stems from Israel and Ukraine's significant operational experience with robotic systems in combat conditions, enabling the company to offer its technology to allies. Yair Snir from Dell Technologies Capital emphasized AITAN's foresight in recognizing the future of defense relies on connecting diverse systems and smart networks for coordinated action.