Defcon AI, which develops advanced tools for the military, has closed a $44 million seed round led by San Francisco-based Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Fifth Growth Fund, of Dallas, Texas, and McLean, Va.-based Red Cell Partners.
The McLean, Va., startup was founded by the trio of Red Cell co-founders Grant Verstandig and Yisroel Brumer, who serves as Defcon AI’s CEO, and retired U.S. Air Force General Paul Selva, who is the company’s chief strategy officer. Verstandig and Brumer previously also co-founded Zephyr AI, a drug developer, while Brumer has also worked at the Pentagon.
Subsequent to the funding round, Bessemer’s Christopher Wan of Bessemer joins Defcon AI’s board, alongside independent board member Dr. Ray O. Johnson, former chief technology officer of Lockheed Martin.
‘Built on Demand’
“Few organizations can take high-end software engineering and artificial intelligence expertise, and combine it with a deep understanding of battlefield and defense operational requirements to rapidly deliver the kinds of technology that the DoD [Department of Defense] needs, the way we can at Defcon AI,” said Selva. With algorithms that are built to allow planners to immediately respond to disruptions, Defcon AI has already established itself as a valuable partner to the DoD, he added.
Selva told TechCrunch that Defcon AI was founded “because Air Mobility Command articulated a mission need that wasn’t being filled by industry.” Soon after its launch, Defcon AI received a $1.2 million contract from the U.S. Air Mobility Command to produce logistics training and simulation software.
Among other things, Defcon AI builds a next-generation modeling, simulation, and analysis, or MS&A, toolset for the modern military environment. Its cloud-based software can simulate war scenarios, enabling preparation for the military. It also identifies vulnerabilities in enemy forces, and can suggest responses against possible disruptions.
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“At a time when near-peer competitors are stepping up their investments in intelligent military technology, such capabilities could mean the difference between winning and losing wars within the next decade,” said Brumer, who has a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from Harvard University
Eyeing Mission-critical Ventures
Earlier this year, Verstandig’s Red Cell Partners, along with venture firm General Catalyst, announced the launch of cybersecurity startup Andesite AI, with $15.3 million in funding. Andesite, founded in 2023, is building an advanced AI security analytics platform.
Verstandig, whose Red Cell focuses on funding “mission-critical” startups in security, cyber and healthcare, previously served as chief digital officer of UnitedHealth Group and as a senior advisor to the National Security Agency on advanced analytics, technology, and artificial intelligence. He is a member of the Aspen Institute’s Cybersecurity Group.
