Picogrid, a defence technology company building an open integration layer for military systems, has raised $45 million in a Series A round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. Washington Harbour and GSBackers joined the round, alongside existing investors including Initialized Capital and Starburst Ventures. The El Segundo-based company's platform addresses integration bottlenecks in modern defence by connecting disparate military systems. Already deployed globally with US and allied forces, Picogrid's ecosystem now spans over 100 defence systems from vendors including Skydio, Northrop Grumman and Echodyne. The funding will expand Picogrid's product family, extend integration capabilities into new operational domains, and scale deployments with the US military and allied forces. The company aims to become what Bessemer calls "the next integration prime" as autonomous systems proliferate across defence domains.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., March 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Picogrid , a defense technology startup, announces a $12 million seed round led by Initialized Capital with participation by Starburst Ventures, Credo Ventures, Giant Step Capital, Domino Ventures, and Alumni Ventures. Picogrid builds a unified platform for autonomous systems, creating an open ecosystem of defense technology suppliers. The company's technology helps connect and remotely control sensors, drones, command interfaces, and other notoriously fragmented defense systems.Founders Zane Mountcastle and Martin Slosarik began building defense technology over a decade ago, developing autonomous systems first in their dorm rooms and then as contractors for the U.S. Army.Founders Zane Mountcastle and Martin Slosarik began building defense technology over a decade ago, developing autonomous systems first in their dorm rooms and then as contractors for the U.S. Army. Zane recalls, "It was a gut punch as an engineer trained in modern software