- Gander Robotics raised a $1.1M pre-seed round for autonomous maritime rescue systems
- Backed by Impellent Ventures + Underscore VC
- Focus: AI-powered rescue swimmer + non-kinetic defense autonomy
Why it matters
- Strong signal that dual-use (defense + commercial) autonomy is dominating seed-stage
- Investors are targeting mission-critical, non-lethal autonomy gaps (search & rescue, logistics, safety)
- Expect high follow-on potential tied to DoD + Coast Guard adoption
