Scout AI, a defense-focused startup founded in 2024, has raised $100 million in a Series A funding round to train artificial intelligence models for combat environments, according to TechCrunch.
The funding round was led by Align Ventures and Draper Associates. This follows a $15 million seed round completed in January 2025, the outlet reported.
Based in the United States, the company describes itself as a “frontier lab for defense.” Its current operations involve using autonomous all-terrain vehicles at a California military base to train models for conflict zones.
Training the Fury model
Scout AI is developing an AI model named “Fury.” The technology is designed to command military assets, moving from initial logistical support toward the management of autonomous weapons.
CTO Collin Otis told TechCrunch that the company builds on existing large language models (LLMs) but focuses on specialized military intelligence. He compared the training process to preparing human soldiers.
“They start when they’re 18 years old, and sometimes they even start after college, so you want to start with that base level of intelligence,” Otis said. “It’s useful to start with someone who’s already made an investment and then say, hey, what do I have to do to teach this thing to be an incredible military AGI, versus just being a broadly intelligent AGI?”
The startup has already secured $11 million in technology development contracts. These agreements involve customers including DARPA and the Army Applications Laboratory, according to the report.
