Scout AI raises $100 million to train its models for war

In the hills of central California, a fleet of four-seater all-terrain vehicles roams the trails, navigating through steep hills, loose sand, and disappearing tracks. But these vehicles aren't driven by humans - they're being used to train AI models to enter conflict zones. Scout AI, a startup founded in 2024 by Coby Adcock and Collin Otis, is behind this effort.

The company calls itself a 'frontier lab for defense' and has just raised a $100 million Series A round, led by Align Ventures and Draper Associates. This brings their total funding to $115 million, following a $15 million seed round in January 2025. The company's goal is to build an AI model called 'Fury' that can operate and command military assets, starting with logistical support but eventually moving on to autonomous weapons.

CTO Collin Otis compares this work to training soldiers, saying that they start with a base level of intelligence and then build from there. 'It's useful to start with someone who's already made an investment and then say, hey, what do I have to do to teach this thing to be an incredible military AGI, versus just being a broadly intelligent AGI?' he said. Scout has secured military technology development contracts totaling $11 million from organizations like DARPA, the Army Applications Laboratory, and other Department of Defense customers.

The company is one of 20 autonomy companies whose technology is being used by the US Army's 1st Cavalry Division during its regular training cycle at Ft. Hood in Texas. The company's technology is based on Vision Language Action models, or VLAs, which are used to control robots.

Scout's founders believe that VLAs have the potential to enable more advanced autonomy in military applications, including autonomous vehicles and drones. As the company continues to develop its technology, it's clear that its goal is to build a system that can operate autonomously in complex environments - and eventually, in combat situations. While the development of autonomous weapons is a contentious issue, Scout's founders believe that their technology has the potential to revolutionize the way wars are fought.