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Defense Unicorns Charges Forward: Ansa Co-leads $35M Investment to Fuel Open-Source Software and AI for National Security

5 min
3/7/2024

Outdated systems and complex security standards once hampered the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) access to cutting-edge technology. By harnessing open-source software, Defense Unicorns is enabling our government to adopt modern software and AI in record time across any mission environment. Ansa, alongside Sapphire Ventures, is ecstatic to help lead the charge with a $35 million Series A investment in Defense Unicorns, propelling the U.S. defense sector toward a technologically secure future.

Team Defense Unicorns

Why Now? 

“The global landscape has changed. To compete, the U.S. military must integrate and deploy new technology at speed. We know this. But from firsthand experience, it's still nearly impossible to deploy desperately needed capabilities on any mission-relevant timeline. Outdated technology, diverse compute environments, and the complexities of security and compliance standards have caused an unacceptable time lag, placing our country at risk for future conflicts,” said Rob Slaughter, CEO and Co-Founder of Defense Unicorns. “At Defense Unicorns, we create software to solve the unique challenges experienced by the government.”

Why Defense Unicorns? 

Founded by DoD software veterans who helped stand up Platform One,Defense Unicorns specializes in secure, agile software solutions built for the demanding and ever-changing environments of air, sea, land, and space operations. Their expertise aligns perfectly with the DoD's strategic vision and $58.5 billion IT and cyber investment for FY24, and we strongly believe there is no better team to solve these complex challenges.

Ansa x Defense Unicorns 

"Over the last decade, the US Government has emerged as one of the largest consumers of technology, globally, with information, data and software increasingly becoming key points of leverage on and off the battlefield. Today's servicemen and women desire an ability to seamlessly deploy and update cloud-native applications—with or without an internet connection—and leverage the latest in AI technology, but often lack the technology infrastructure to do so." said Marco DeMeireles, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Ansa Capital. "Having stood up Platform One, the first DoD-wide approved managed DevSecOps platform, Rob and his team are best suited to solve this immense and complex challenge. I'm looking forward to joining the Board as we work towards our shared mission of enabling all agencies to better leverage modern software and methodologies."

Unlocking Open-Source Innovation for National Security

Our collaboration with Defense Unicorns marks a significant stride in advancing U.S. defense capabilities, setting the stage for groundbreaking developments in national security technology. This partnership is a no-brainer for us, as it uniquely sits at the intersection of our beliefs around modernizing the U.S. government and empowering the modern-day developer through better software solutions.. Together, we are committed to shaping a future where the U.S. maintains its strategic edge through superior technology and innovation.

Read more about Defense Unicorns here. Visit defenseunicorns.com to discover more and explore career opportunities.

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