Exclusive: Drone navigator Vermeer raises $10 million

How it works: Vermeer builds an optical-navigation system that helps drones fly amid electronic harassment, a well-documented challenge across the front lines in Eastern Europe.

What they're saying: "Innovating with AI and creating a platform for overcoming GPS denial and jamming systems has allowed us to support the American foreign policy program in Ukraine," CEO Brian Streem told Axios.

• Streem previously told Defense News that "fighting a war and also trying to innovate at the same time are two brutally challenging things to do."

Follow the money: Draper Associates led the Series A. Other backers include Rockaway Ventures and Aero X Ventures.

• "People may not realize how big this moment is in modern history. We're transitioning from human-based warfare to machine-based," Andy Tang, a partner at Draper, told Axios.
• "I think Vermeer is going to prove to be that gold standard for resilience."

Fun fact: The company's name is a reference to Johannes Vermeer, the 17th century Dutch master.

Go deeper: A defense-tech perfect storm brews in Europe