Tycho.AI
About
About Tycho.AI
Tycho.AI develops autonomy software and onboard systems for uncrewed platforms operating in GPS-denied or contested environments. Its stack covers perception, navigation and mission execution for aerial and ground vehicles that require resilient edge processing.
The company supplies an autonomy layer for integration with partner hardware. Vehicle performance, supported missions and operational status therefore depend on the host platform, sensors, compute and customer programme.
Articles
Funding
- 2025-10-07 - Series A - $10M - Tycho.AI raises $10 million Series A to scale resilient UAV autonomy
Tycho.AI raised a $10 million Series A led by FirstMark with participation from Pillar VC to scale product development, flight testing, and government deployment. - source: tycho.ai
Investors
- FirstMark - Lead - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2025-10-07
- Pillar VC - Participant - Angel / Individual - 1 funding event - first seen 2025-10-07
Team
- Sertac Karaman - Founder and Executive Chair - Provides the technical and research foundation for Tycho.AI's edge autonomy, navigation, and robotic decision-making systems.
- Thom Kenney - CEO - Connects Tycho.AI's autonomy stack to defense customer requirements, contested-environment missions, and government scaling pathways.
Timeline
Events
- 2026-05-28 - Contract Award - Tycho.AI secures $2 million AFRL TACFI contract to advance maritime autonomy in GPS-denied environments
The 18-month Tactical Funding Increase contract from AFRL supports Tycho.AI's TRIDENT program for resilient navigation and autonomous operations. The work covers overland and over-water autonomy in GPS-denied, degraded, intermittent, and limited environments, including long-range ISR requirements. The program will mature Voyager through test flights, platform integration, autonomous waypoint traversal, multi-agent coordination, and resilient perception demonstrations.
Source - 2026-05-26 - Demonstration - Tycho.AI validates Halley VTOL UAS in C-UAS and one-way attack demonstrations at T-REX 26-2
Tycho.AI completed 39 evaluated Halley test flights at T-REX 26-2, reaching 165 mph and a maximum flight distance of 35 kilometers. The demonstrations included an inert strike against a ground target and an aerial interception of a Shahed replica. The event also validated cyber resilience, automatic target recognition, and low-bandwidth video transmission using onboard AI.
Source - 2026-05-19 - Product Launch - Tycho.AI launches Halley high-speed Group 1 VTOL UAS
Halley is a Group 1 VTOL UAS designed for high-speed, low-altitude missions in denied and contested environments. The platform integrates Tycho.AI's Voyager hardware and software core for visual navigation and autonomous operation without GNSS or persistent communications. Tycho.AI said Halley had reached TRL 6 and was moving from advanced prototype toward full-scale production.
Source - 2026-01-29 - Market Signal - Tycho.AI achieves Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace awardable status for Voyager
The Department of War CDAO Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace classified Tycho.AI as awardable for U.S. military operations. The classification is tied to Voyager, Tycho.AI's hardware and software autonomy stack for GNSS-denied and communications-contested environments. The listing streamlines government access to Voyager for missions including ISR, one-way attack, swarming, counter-UAS, modeling, and mission planning.
Source - 2025-10-07 - Funding - Tycho.AI raises $10 million Series A to scale resilient UAV autonomy
FirstMark led the round, with additional investment from seed investor Pillar VC. The funding supports product development, engineering and capture team expansion, flight testing, integration, and government deployment growth. The announcement also named retired General Rich Clarke, former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, to Tycho.AI's board of directors.
Source - 2025-07-14 - Contract Award - Tycho AI receives 2025 SBIR award for cognitive terrain flight assistance
The SBIR award covers cognitive terrain flight assistance for high-speed, low-altitude autonomous flight without GPS reliance. The Phase I work includes high-fidelity terrain capture and simulation preparation for cognitive learning. The award schedule lists a July 14, 2025 start date and January 21, 2026 end date.
Source
Commercial
- Tycho.AI secures $2 million AFRL TACFI contract to advance maritime autonomy in GPS-denied environments
2026-05-28 · Order / contract · Tycho.AI secured an 18-month $2 million Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory for the TRIDENT program, advancing resilient navigation and autonomous operations in GPS-denied environments. · $2M obligated
Source - Tycho AI receives 2025 SBIR award for cognitive terrain flight assistance
2025-07-14 · Order / contract · Tycho.AI received a 2025 SBIR Phase I award for cognitive terrain flight assistance enabling high-speed, low-altitude autonomous flight without GPS reliance.
Source