CIA-backed Visionary Machines banks $3.5 million as defence tech heats up
It's the startup's first capital raise since 2021. Since then, it has shifted its aim away from consumer to defence applications and hired a new CEO.
After years of pivots and leadership changes, Sydney defence tech startup Visionary Machines has raised $3.5 million amid its shift from R&D to commercialisation.
Documents filed to the corporate regulator show funding came from existing investors Folklore, OIF, Salus Ventures and Significant Venture Capital.
Visionary Machines confirmed the raise to Capital Brief, with CEO Sonny Foster saying investments from existing backers "speaks to the confidence of our investors in what Visionary Machines is producing".
The startup's main product, Pandion Sentinel, is a cluster of cameras that give military machines self-driving and drone-detection capabilities. Unlike Lidar and Radar, the technologies autonomous vehicles most often rely on, Visionary Machines' cameras do not emit a signal, meaning they can be used surreptitiously.
