Tycho AI

About Tycho AI

Tycho AI develops resilient navigation and artificial intelligence systems for unmanned vehicles, enabling them to operate in GPS-denied and communications-contested environments. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Cambridge, MA, the company is led by CEO Thom Kenney, a U.S. Army combat veteran, and was founded by Professor Sertac Karaman of MIT. The leadership team includes serial entrepreneurs with roots at MIT and Harvard.

The company's core technology integrates proprietary AI software, multi-modal sensor fusion, visual-inertial odometry, and machine learning with custom low-SWaP (size, weight, and power) hardware like FPGAs and ASICs. This allows for real-time decision-making and precise navigation at the edge, without reliance on remote operators or external infrastructure. This technology is designed for mission-critical applications where traditional systems may fail, such as dense cities or battlefields. Tycho AI's modular architecture is interoperable, allowing it to work across various drone and autonomous vehicle platforms.

Tycho AI serves both the defense and commercial sectors, with a significant focus on government and military contracts. Its systems are field-tested and designed for high-speed, low-altitude maneuverability and obstacle avoidance. The company recently secured $10 million in a Series A funding round led by FirstMark, with participation from seed investor Pillar VC, bringing its total raised capital to $11.8M. This funding is intended to accelerate product development, expand flight testing, and scale deployments with government customers. As part of its growth, retired General Richard D. Clarke, former Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), has joined its Board of Directors.