NODA AI
Category: AI Infrastructure
An AI-native defense company that develops an open, vendor-agnostic orchestration layer enabling multi-domain autonomous systems to operate collaboratively, transforming siloed platforms into combined combat power. NODA AI was founded in 2024. The company is led by Philong Duong. Based in Austin, United States. Team size: 51-200. Total funding raised: $28.0M. Latest round: Series A ($25.0M, Feb 2026). Key investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, Booz Allen Ventures, Draper Associates, Bloomberg Beta, Alumni Ventures, Outlander, Crosslink Capital.
AMW Analysis
NODA AI builds an open, vendor-agnostic orchestration layer for multi-domain autonomous defense systems, enabling coordination across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains. Founded in 2024 and based in Austin, the company addresses the fragmentation of siloed platforms by allowing operators to manage mission effects rather than individual systems. In February 2026, NODA AI closed a $25 million Series A round at a $125 million valuation, led by Bessemer Venture Partners with participation from Booz Allen Ventures, Draper Associates, Bloomberg Beta, Alumni Ventures, Outlander, and Crosslink Capital. The funding supports its AI-powered reasoning platform, which has already secured contracts from the Department of War and the UK Ministry of Defense. Within nine months of founding, the company built an ecosystem of over 30 OEM partnerships and won contracts against major incumbents. The recent news flow consistently highlights the shift from individual autonomous weapons to integrated algorithmic warfare, with NODA AI positioned as the cognitive orchestration layer for mixed fleets in real-time operations.
AMW analysis, generated from 4 tracked news signals.
- Founded
- 2024
- Headquarters
- Austin, United States
- Team size
- 51-200
- Total funding
- $28.0M
Value proposition
Enables operators to manage desired mission effects rather than individual platforms through vendor-agnostic orchestration, reducing cognitive load and transforming fragmented, vendor-siloed autonomous systems into coordinated combat power across air, space, surface, subsurface, and ground domains.
Products and solutions
Urza Platform - AI-native strategic orchestration platform for real-time tactics management and execution, LARIA - Weapons and Tactics School for Autonomy, Algorithmic Warfare Repository, Multi-Domain Orchestration Layer, Tactics Repository & Reasoning Engine
Unique value
Created the largest technically integrated defense autonomous systems ecosystem (30+ OEM specific vehicles and control systems from subsurface to space) in less than one year; selected over large incumbents for key DoW multi-domain collaborative autonomy programs; combines deterministic models with frontier AI for adaptive reasoning and real-time tactics handling.
Target customer
U.S. Department of War, Intelligence Community, UK Ministry of Defense, defense prime contractors, and government agencies requiring multi-domain autonomous system coordination
Industries served
Defense & Military, Intelligence Community, Autonomous Systems, Algorithmic Warfare, Multi-Domain Operations, Defense Technology, AI Infrastructure
Technology advantage
Semantic abstraction layer enables integration with existing technologies in minutes rather than months; operates as hardware-agnostic 'cognitive layer' rather than building competing platforms; consolidates functions traditionally distributed across strike cells, operations centers, and battle staffs into a single AI-powered platform.
How they differentiate
Vendor-agnostic orchestration layer operating as independent cognitive software; creates world's deepest defense algorithm repository with 30+ OEM integrations from subsurface to space in under one year; focuses on managing mission effects rather than individual platforms, unlike hardware-centric competitors.
Main competitors
Shield AI, Anduril Industries, BigBear.ai
Key partnerships
U.S. Department of War, UK Ministry of Defense, Accelint, Safran Federal Systems, Striveworks, Booz Allen Hamilton, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Bessemer Venture Partners
Notable customers
U.S. Department of War, UK Ministry of Defense, Booz Allen Hamilton, Huntington Ingalls Industries
Major milestones
Founded in 2024, Built and demoed Urza platform within months of founding, Created one of largest technically integrated defense autonomous systems ecosystems (30+ OEMs) in less than one year, Selected over large incumbents for key Department of War multi-domain collaborative autonomy programs, Raised $3M pre-seed funding in April 2025, Raised $25M Series A led by Bessemer Venture Partners in February 2026
Growth metrics
Selected over large incumbents for key DoW programs; integrated 30+ OEM platforms within nine months of pre-seed round; fastest growing company in investor portfolio
Market positioning
Early-stage AI-native defense startup positioned as specialized orchestration layer for multi-domain autonomous systems; selected over large incumbents for key Department of War programs; fastest growing company in early investor portfolio.
Geographic focus
United States (Department of War, Intelligence Community), United Kingdom (Ministry of Defense)
Patents and IP
No registered patents publicly disclosed as of February 2026
About Philong Duong
15-year United States Marine Corps veteran (Major, Selected Marine Corps Reserves); Former First Federal Product Manager at C3.ai where he led the Defense and Intelligence Products team; Served as joint fires instructor, CH-46E and MV-22B pilot, foreign military advisor, and JTAC in the Marine Corps; Columbia Business School MBA (2017); Bachelor's in Computer Science from Elon University; Founded the nation's first Non-Profit that serves the Gold Star families of the Naval and Marine Corps Aviation community
Latest news about NODA AI
- NODA AI has secured $25M Series A funding at a $125M valuation to build the critical orchestration layer for multi-domain autonomous warfare. Founded in 2024, this Austin-based startup addresses a cha
- Austin-based NODA AI raised $25M Series A led by Bessemer Venture Partners to advance its AI orchestration platform for coordinating multi-domain autonomous defense systems across vendors. This fundin
- NODA AI raised $25M Series A led by Bessemer to build the cognitive orchestration layer coordinating autonomous defense systems across air, land, sea, and space domains. The startup, founded in 2024 b
- NODA AI secured $25M Series A led by Bessemer Venture Partners to accelerate its AI-powered orchestration platform for Department of War and UK Ministry of Defense programs. Founded in 2024 by veteran
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Official website: https://www.nodaintelligence.ai/