ARKEUS RAISES A$25M TO SCALE AI SENSING SYSTEMS THAT ENABLE AUTONOMOUS PLATFORMS TO SEE, UNDERSTAND AND ACT IN COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS

Arkeus, a defence technology company building AI powered sensing systems that serve as the eyes and brains of autonomous platforms, has raised A$25 million in Series A funding to accelerate its global expansion. The company will establish advanced manufacturing capabilities in both Queensland and the United States, supporting sovereign defence capability while enabling faster delivery of systems into operational use.

Led by QIC Ventures, the raise saw participation from new investors R+VC, Folklore Ventures and DYNE Ventures, with continued support from existing investors Main Sequence Ventures, Salus Ventures and Beaten Zone.

Arkeus secured the Australian Army Wide Area Airborne Surveillance Program in November 2025 to enhance the sensing capabilities of its Tactical UAS fleet. The company has also won contracts with the United States Department of War following competitive evaluations against U.S. incumbents. Evaluations showed Arkeus' sensing systems could detect targets up to eight times further than existing optical systems in degraded visual conditions. Its technology is also integrated with major drone manufacturers including AeroVironment, Textron, Tekever and Boeing subsidiary Insitu.

While billions have been invested globally in drones, aircraft and autonomous systems, most still rely heavily on human interpretation and external processing to make decisions.  Founded in 2020 in a one-car garage in Melbourne, Arkeus founders Simon Olsen and Dr Jonathan Nebauer saw firsthand the perception limitations of drones when operating at the edge.  

"The next generation of autonomy isn't limited by platforms; it's limited by perception. Machines can't act autonomously if they can't truly perceive their environment. In the moments that matter most, systems are still flying blind. Data is collected but not understood in time to act. That's the problem we set out to solve," said Arkeus CEO and co-founder Simon Olsen. "Decision-making is moving closer to the edge, and that requires a completely different approach to sensing and autonomy."

"Our ambition is simple," Olsen said. "To ensure that any autonomous system operating in complex environments has the ability to see, understand and act with certainty."

Arkeus' core technology, including hyperspectral optical radar systems, captures multiple layers of visual data simultaneously, allowing AI to detect, classify and track objects across any domain, day and night, and even in degraded or contested environments where traditional sensors struggle.

Rather than simply showing operators what a scene looks like, Arkeus' systems extract meaning from data in real time, enabling faster, more accurate decisions at the edge without reliance on vulnerable communications links or remote processing.

With a growing pipeline of defence programs and expanding global demand, the company is positioning its systems as foundational infrastructure for the next generation of autonomous operations.

Images to accompany this release will be regularly updated.

Media contact: samara@houseofkitch.com.au +61 412 662 308

About Arkeus 

Arkeus is a defence technology company developing AI powered sensing systems that enable real-time perception and decision-making for autonomous platforms. Its hardware-enabled software approach combines advanced sensing with onboard AI to deliver situational awareness at the edge, supporting defence, security and civil applications globally.

Founded in 2020 by CEO Simon Olsen and CTO Dr Jonathan Nebauer, Arkeus was built to solve the perception limitations of autonomous systems operating in complex environments. Olsen brings more than 15 years' experience in defence, autonomy and ISR systems, including senior leadership roles at Sentient Vision Systems and across the Australian uncrewed systems sector.

Dr Nebauer is an aerospace engineer and optical sensing specialist with deep expertise in autonomous software and hardware systems. He holds a PhD in Aerospace Engineering focused on spectral-method solutions, alongside degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Physics with a concentration in High Performance Computing.