Dedrone secures Series C funding to protect airspace from unauthorized drones

SAN FRANCISCO—Dedrone, the market leader in smart airspace security, announced it has closed a $30.5 million Series C financing round led by Axon, the global leader in connected public safety technologies.

Previous investors, including Aqton Partners, Menlo Ventures, Felicis Ventures, Target Partners, TempoCap and, John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus of Cisco Systems and founder of JC2 Ventures, also participated.

This latest funding comes on the heels of a strong year of growth for Dedrone, including surpassing 1,000 sensors sold and expanding to detect, identify and locate over 200 different drone types.

“Drone detection and tracking is highly complex, and we are seeing more and more instances of drones being used for nefarious purposes, including the first known drone-based terrorist attack on U.S. soil last year,” said Aaditya Devarakonda, CEO of Dedrone. “This investment demonstrates clear validation of Dedrone’s technology and team. Axon is a tremendous strategic partner for delivering airspace security to the public safety sector.”

Dedrone is one of the most prolific drone security companies in the world, working across 33 countries to deliver best-in-class detection, identification, tracking and mitigation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). Dedrone’s solution is used by the governments of four G-7 nations, nine U.S. federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, and internationally by more than 65 critical infrastructure sites, 20 airports, 50 correctional facilities and 10 Fortune 500 companies.

“The drone economy is flourishing and Dedrone is very much at the heart of it, providing critical protection to organizations around the world and keeping communities safe,” said Rick Smith, founder and CEO of Axon. “Axon is proud to support Dedrone’s solution as it offers unmatched technology in airspace security.”

Dedrone leverages advanced AI/ML technology to analyze and fuse data from multiple sensors to detect, identify and track drones. The airspace security solution also equips users with advanced data analytics and mitigation functionality. Dedrone is the only solution capable of quickly and reliably detecting, identifying and locating the largest variety of drones from over 65 manufacturers, as well as homemade drones without decoding telemetry data.

Axon launched its end-to-end drone solution, Axon Air, in 2018, which delivers secure wireless live streaming, integrated evidence management, and program management to improve operational efficiency and outcomes for public safety agencies and the communities they serve.

“At Axon, we are dedicated to leveraging technology to improve safety. Our existing Axon Air program is a great example of putting the latest in drone technology to work for good in the hands of responsible agencies,” said Aydin Ghajar, General Manager of Axon Air. “We chose to invest in Dedrone because of our shared commitment to deliver reliable, robust airspace security that ensures public safety.”