Mara Raises $7M Pre-Seed to Scale Autonomous Counter-Drone Technology
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Mara Raises $7M to Scale Autonomous Counter-Drone Technology
US defence technology startup Mara has raised $7 million in pre-seed funding led by Khosla Ventures to expand its autonomous counter-drone technology.
The round also included a16z Speedrun, Night Capital, Palmdrive, Protagonist, Freedom Fund, Indicator Fund and angel investors.
From Drone Prototypes to Counter-Drone Systems
Founded in 2024 by Daniel Kofman and Sriram Raghu, Mara is headquartered in San Francisco and is focused on developing lower-cost autonomous systems designed to address the growing threat from small unmanned aircraft.
Kofman, who serves as co-founder and CEO, previously worked with Raghu on drone technology and later co-founded Optivolt, a solar technology company.
Building a Lower-Cost Defence Layer
Mara’s flagship system, Spike, is designed as a distributed counter-drone platform that combines detection and autonomous response capabilities.
The company’s approach is focused on making counter-drone protection more affordable and scalable, allowing its systems to be adapted for different environments and use cases.
Moving From Field Trials to Deployment
The new funding will support Mara’s transition from field testing toward real-world deployment.
The company plans to deliver ground-mounted systems to major customers by the end of 2026, followed by vehicle-mounted and portable versions in 2027.
Mara has conducted field exercises with US and European military organisations and is also running a civilian pilot at a port in South Korea. The company has research agreements with three US defence organisations and has been selected for NATO’s DIANA innovation accelerator.
A Growing Counter-Drone Market
Mara is entering a rapidly expanding counter-UAS market as militaries and critical infrastructure operators look for more scalable ways to address the growing use of low-cost drones.
The company believes its lower-cost approach could help make autonomous counter-drone systems more accessible across defence and civilian applications.
