Mara raises $7 million for autonomous defense against FPV drones

Mara, a US defense tech startup founded in October 2024, has closed a $7 million pre-seed round for Spike, its autonomous system for countering small FPV drones. Khosla Ventures led the deal, with backing from a16z Speedrun, Night Capital, Palmdrive, Protagonist, Freedom Fund, Indicator Fund, and angel investors.

The target here is not the big, expensive drone. It’s the cheap one that can still wreck things. FPV drones cost only a few hundred dollars, can come in swarms, and can attack from multiple angles. Mara says many existing defenses were built for larger aircraft flying more predictably, which leaves them poorly suited to something that can launch from almost anywhere and keep changing how it behaves.

Spike is split into two modular parts. Spotter handles detection with visual, acoustic, and optional radar sensors, plus proprietary AI for day, night, and all-weather use. Seeker is the kinetic interceptor: 250 grams, 200 kilometers per hour, launched from a tube. The system is designed to pass launch commands from Spotter to Seeker on its own, while a human still sets the rules of engagement.

The company is not selling this as theory. It has already taken Spike through field exercises, including a US Army test in Texas where Seeker completed intercept maneuvers, and an Army exercise in Europe where Spotter operated hands-free on an armored vehicle. In July, Ukrainian forces used Spotter 40 kilometers from the front line and tracked multiple FPV drones. Mara says it is now focused on getting Spike into ground-based use with key customers by the end of 2026, with vehicle-mounted and portable versions planned for 2027.

There is also a civilian angle. Mara is running a pilot at a South Korean port, has signed cooperation and testing agreements with three US defense organizations, and has been selected for NATO DIANA. It is also in early talks with military partners in the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, and Ukraine. That is a lot of motion for a company this young, which is exactly why investors are paying attention.