Echodyne produces high-performance compact, solid-state radars based on the company’s patented metamaterials electronically scanned array (ESA) technology. Its commercial radars are positioned for defense, security, machine perception, and autonomy applications, including counter-UAS, border and perimeter security, and autonomous vehicles. The company says it has demonstrated performance leadership in all markets since introducing its first radar in 2017 and serves customers across defense, national and critical infrastructure security, UAS, and autonomous ground vehicle markets worldwide. Echodyne is experiencing significant customer demand and recent selection in multiple programs, and it will use new investment to increase production and distribution and to expand its product lines for defense, security, and autonomous machine applications. The company is privately held and based in Kirkland, Washington, and is backed by investors including Bill Gates, NEA, Madrona Venture Group, Baillie Gifford, and Northrop Grumman. Management emphasizes the company’s goal of becoming the world’s leading radar solutions company while supporting deployments that enhance intelligence and safety of autonomous systems. Echodyne develops compact, software-defined, solid-state electronically scanned array (ESA) radar sensors built on its patented MESA technology. Its products include the EchoGuard™ 3D surveillance radar and airborne radars for commercial UAS detect-and-avoid, with a radar for autonomous vehicles slated for unveiling later this year. The company targets perimeter security, airspace management, airports, borders, critical infrastructure, and autonomous systems such as drones and vehicles. Echodyne is privately held and backed by a group of venture and strategic investors. The recent financing will support commercial production, expanded distribution channels, and continued investment in breakthrough radar sensors. The company is based in Kirkland, Washington. Echodyne develops compact, lightweight radar sensors that generate point clouds and images for machine perception. Its hardware functions like a phased-array radar and is intended to work where LiDAR and cameras struggle, such as in fog, dust, or at long range. The company has focused initially on drones — selling all of its production-unit radars built for drone use for commercial tasks like power-line inspection and farmland surveying — and is still developing systems for cars. Echodyne plans to use new funding to ramp production from hundreds of units per year to thousands and to continue research and development. Much of the funding will also go toward building radar-vision software that uses neural nets and AI to classify and recognize objects in the environment, forming a platform around its hardware. The company has raised a total of $44 million to date. Echodyne develops radar systems that leverage metamaterials technology to control and manipulate electromagnetic radiation. The company plans to use its recent funding to bring these radar products to market. Echodyne raised $15m in the reported financing. It was co‑founded by Eben Frankenberg (CEO) and Tom Driscoll (CTO). The company is the fourth spin‑out from Intellectual Ventures. The metamaterials technology was invented by Intellectual Ventures in collaboration with Duke University and the University of California at San Diego.

Total raised

$199M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Series C

Latest activity

Jun 2022