Why We Invested in Spartan
Finally, a leap forward in radar technology!
We are thrilled to announce that Prime Movers Lab co-led a $10M financing round in Spartan to help them bring biomimetic radars to autonomous vehicles. We led this round alongside our good friends at 8VC with participation from MaC Venture Capital, Spike Ventures, Broom Ventures and Gaingels.
You likely know radar has been around for a long time, but you probably have heard more about lidar in recent years. Lidar has traditionally had higher resolution but is expensive (thousands of dollars) and operates poorly in inclement weather. Radar is orders of magnitude less expensive but has historically been lower resolution and prone to false detections/alarms. Current radars on the market are not able to meet the needs of autonomy. Spartan’s solutions change that. Spartan’s biomimetic radar has vastly better image resolution than the current imaging radar market leader. Biomimetic radar integrates advanced sensory algorithms, machine learning, and edge processing to emulate biological perception models — focusing only on what’s important for safe navigation. This approach dramatically enhances real-time data processing and leverages proven sensor tech pioneered by aerospace.
We need a leap forward in radar technology to bridge the perception gap for the ADAS industry: current autonomous systems, overwhelmed with camera and lidar data, perform like distracted drivers. Spartan is using new radar techniques to create imaging of unprecedented detail for both drone and automotive applications.
Nathan Mintz, co-founder & CEO, has been in the Prime Movers Lab orbit for many years. He is the perfect example of a seasoned and commercially focused entrepreneur we are honored to partner with. Prior to starting Spartan, Nathan founded Epirus, a developer of software-defined electromagnetic pulse (EMP) technology designed to take down unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, i.e. drones). Prime Movers Lab and 8VC are also investors in Epirus.
What really sets Nathan apart is his demonstrated experience hiring A-Players out of established defense and deep tech incumbents, emphasis on early pilots, and his more than two decades of industry relationships. He is joined by co-founders: CRO Blake Gasca, CTO Tyler Rather, and Dr. Theagenis Abatzoglou, who is a worldwide authority on digital signal processing. Together they have built what can only be described as a radar dream team!
We are proud to partner with Nathan and his team and recognize the potential of a biomimetic radar to positively impact billions of lives with increased accuracy and functionality and reduced auto accidents.
Prime Movers Lab invests in breakthrough scientific startups founded by Prime Movers, the inventors who transform billions of lives. We invest in companies reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and agriculture.
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