American-Ukrainian protection know-how startup Vermeer has closed its $10 million Sequence A spherical, led by Draper Associates with participation from AeroX Ventures, Boscolo Intervest, Excessive Level Ventures, Rockaway Ventures, and the U.S. Air Pressure Techstars accelerator. The funding brings Vermeer’s whole Sequence A capital to $10 million and can assist growth of its optical navigation platform for each protection and industrial use.
Headquartered in New York with ahead operations in Kyiv, Vermeer develops a Visible Positioning System (VPS) that permits drones and different autonomous platforms to navigate with out GPS. The system makes use of electro-optical or infrared cameras and AI processing on an Nvidia platform to match visible information to 2D or 3D maps, delivering correct positioning even when GPS is jammed or spoofed.
“Constructing superior know-how in a warfare zone just isn’t simple — however it’s the one solution to make it actual,” stated Brian Streem, Vermeer CEO. “Our objective isn’t simply to present drones mass — it’s to present them precision, intelligence, and function.”
Vermeer Funding Helps A Twin-Use Expertise Inbuilt Fight
Vermeer’s know-how has already been deployed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) to take care of navigation functionality below digital assault. The VPS system can also be in use by U.S. protection organizations and main contractors together with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
“Twin-use tech catalyzes technical progress in each the protection and industrial sectors,” stated Andy Tang, accomplice at Draper Associates. “One motive we backed Vermeer is the success they’ve achieved in serving to Ukraine strengthen its drone fleet.”
Since becoming a member of the Air Pressure Techstars accelerator, Vermeer has acquired over $7 million in SBIR and AFWERX awards to develop its optical navigation system. The corporate has grown from 10 to 40 staff prior to now yr, eight of whom are primarily based in Ukraine.
Context: Ukraine’s Increasing Drone Ecosystem
Ukraine has dramatically scaled its drone applications via new procurement plans and home growth efforts. In March 2025, the Ministry of Protection accepted the “Hen of Prey” drone for fight use and introduced an bold plan to buy 4.5 million FPV drones. By September, Ukraine had outlined its objective of turning into Europe’s drone manufacturing hub, easing export restrictions and pursuing partnerships throughout the EU.
In that surroundings, applied sciences like Vermeer’s are very important. Ukraine faces day by day electronic-warfare challenges, and a GPS-independent navigation system allows UAVs to function reliably in contested airspace. Vermeer’s presence in Kyiv permits for fast iteration and direct suggestions from frontline customers — a uncommon benefit for a startup at this stage.
Outlook: Strengthening Autonomy Throughout Sectors
Vermeer’s Sequence A milestone highlights how Ukraine’s war-time innovation is reshaping world drone growth. The corporate sits on the intersection of combat-tested know-how and industrial scalability, combining U.S. enterprise assist with operational perception from energetic battle zones.
For Ukraine and its allies, Vermeer’s VPS enhances the resilience and precision of drone fleets. For the worldwide drone trade, it represents a step towards larger autonomy in environments the place GPS indicators are unreliable — from city air mobility to logistics and inspection operations.
As Ukraine evolves from a drone client to a co-developer of next-generation unmanned programs, Vermeer’s success underscores how collaboration between U.S. and Ukrainian innovators can speed up the broader shift towards GPS-free autonomy.
About VermeerVermeer is a New York-based know-how firm creating vision-based autonomy options for protection and industrial use. A graduate of the Air Pressure Accelerator powered by Techstars, Vermeer’s optical navigation system allows drones to function exactly with out GPS. Study extra at www.getvermeer.com.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, knowledgeable drone providers market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone trade and the regulatory surroundings for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles targeted on the industrial drone house and is a world speaker and acknowledged determine within the trade. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising for brand new applied sciences.For drone trade consulting or writing, E-mail Miriam.
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