US defence hardware startup Mara has raised USD7 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Khosla Ventures to develop its Spike counter-UAS system for small FPV drones.
Spike combines the Spotter targeting system, which uses visual, acoustic and optional radar sensors for drone detection and tracking, with Seeker, a tube-launched kinetic interceptor.
The company said Spike is designed to provide distributed, 360-degree coverage against multiple small drones. The system can pass launch orders autonomously from Spotter to Seeker, while retaining a human operator in the loop to set rules of engagement and abort launches.
Mara said Seeker has completed intercept tests using US Army software in Texas, while Spotter has been tested on an armoured vehicle during a US Army exercise in Europe. The company also said it demonstrated an end-to-end engagement with a US special operations unit, with Spotter detecting a target and cueing Seeker without operator input.
The company said Ukrainian forces operated Spotter 40 km from the front line in July, where it tracked multiple FPV drones.
Mara plans to deploy ground-mounted Spike systems to customers by the end of 2026, with vehicle-mounted and man-portable versions planned for 2027.
The funding round also included a16z Speedrun, Night Capital, Palmdrive, Protagonist, Freedom Fund and Indicator Fund, alongside angel investors.
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(Image: Mara)
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