Vermeer raises $10 million to expand GPS-free drone navigation for defense and commercial markets
Vermeer has closed a $10 million Series A round to scale a vision-based navigation system that lets drones fly without GPS.
The round was led by Draper Associates, with participation from AeroX Ventures, Boscolo Intervest, High Point Ventures, Rockaway Ventures and the U.S. Air Force Techstars accelerator. The American-Ukrainian startup is based in New York and maintains forward operations in Kyiv. It said the funding will support broader deployment of its optical navigation platform across defense and dual-use applications. The company builds a Visual Positioning System that allows drones and other autonomous platforms to determine their location without relying on satellite signals.
The system uses electro-optical or infrared cameras and AI processing on an Nvidia platform to match live imagery against 2D or 3D maps. That gives operators accurate positioning even when GPS is jammed or spoofed. Vermeer said the technology has already been deployed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to preserve navigation under electronic attack. It is also being used by U.S. defense organizations and major contractors including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Since joining the Air Force Techstars accelerator, the company has received more than $7 million in SBIR and AFWERX awards to develop the platform further. Vermeer has expanded from 10 to 40 employees over the past year, including eight staff based in Ukraine.
The financing comes as Ukraine continues to scale its drone ecosystem through domestic development and larger procurement plans. That environment has increased demand for systems that can function in contested airspace, where electronic warfare routinely disrupts satellite navigation. Vermeer’s presence in Kyiv gives it direct access to battlefield feedback and faster product iteration. For military users, the technology could improve drone resilience and precision. For commercial operators, it points to broader autonomy in environments where GPS is unreliable, including logistics, inspection and other high-value missions.