Scout AI Secures $15M Seed Led by Align Ventures and Booz Allen Ventures to Advance Autonomous Defense Robotics

Scout AI Inc., a Sunnyvale, California–based startup focused on building advanced artificial intelligence for autonomous defense robotics, has closed an oversubscribed $15 million seed funding round as it emerges from stealth and accelerates development of its foundational AI systems for robotic platforms. The financing comes alongside early government contracts and is part of the company’s transition from prototype to real‑world deployment.

The seed funding was led by Align Ventures and the corporate venture arm Booz Allen Ventures, with strong participation from a slate of investors that includes Draper Associates, Decisive Point Ventures, Perot Jain, Sigmas Group, Evolution VC, BVVC, Habitat Partners, Piedmont Capital Investments, FJ Labs, Revelry Venture Partners, Monte Carlo Capital, Expansion VC, and Gaingels. The broad investor base underscores confidence in Scout’s mission to bring advanced autonomy into defense robotics.

Founded in August 2024 by Colby Adcock and Collin Otis, Scout is driven by a vision to build what it describes as an “AGI brain” for defense robotics. Adcock, who has experience as a defense‑focused investor and serves on the board of humanoid robotics company Figure AI, leads the company as CEO. Otis, a founding engineer in robotics autonomy and former Head of AI at Uber ATG, serves as Chief Technology Officer. Together they have positioned Scout at the intersection of cutting‑edge AI and autonomous systems.

At the core of Scout’s technology is Fury, a Vision‑Language‑Action (VLA) foundation model designed to power autonomous robotic platforms across land, air, sea, and potentially space domains. Fury is engineered to perceive the physical environment, interpret natural language commands, and issue real‑time control signals even in GPS‑limited or communications‑denied environments — capabilities that are critical for future autonomous defense missions.

Scout has already built and tested early prototypes, such as the G01 unmanned ground vehicle and A01 unmanned aerial vehicle, which leverage Fury’s embodied intelligence to operate autonomously in varied conditions. These demonstrations serve as proof points of the model’s ability to handle real‑world autonomous tasks and form the basis for future operational deployments.

Importantly, the company has secured multiple contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), providing early validation of its technology from government entities that operate in some of the most demanding environments for autonomous systems. These contracts also offer Scout a pathway to apply its systems within defense operations beyond laboratory testing.

The freshly raised seed capital will be used to scale engineering and operational teams, expand research and development initiatives, and accelerate product refinement. This funding comes at a time when autonomous systems and AI are increasingly seen as strategic priorities for defense forces seeking enhanced situational awareness, reduced risk to personnel, and improved mission effectiveness.

Investors backing Scout highlighted the strategic importance of its work. Align Ventures and Draper Associates, both seasoned in frontier technologies, cited the company’s technical foundation and defense relevance as key reasons for their early support. Venture participants such as Monte Carlo Capital and Decisive Point Ventures bring deep expertise in early-stage technology and autonomy, further strengthening Scout’s backing as it grows.

Scout’s emergence comes at a moment of heightened interest in autonomous robotics, where traditional defense systems are increasingly complemented by intelligent machines capable of adapting to complex conditions with minimal human intervention. By embedding AI deeply into robotics platforms rather than as an add-on, Scout aims to push the envelope on what autonomous systems can achieve in contested and dynamic environments.

As the company moves forward, it plans to deepen engagements with defense partners, refine Fury’s capabilities, and explore broader applications of its technology across multiple robotic domains. With its seed funding secured and battlefield validation in place, Scout stands poised to play a significant role in the future landscape of autonomous defense robotics.