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Copenhagen 14th April 2026 We’re excited to share that we’ve raised a €2M pre-seed round co-led by Balnord and FORWARD.one. The funding will accelerate development of Sapient Perception’s 10K ISR sensor technology for UAVs, combining ultra-wide imaging, software-defined cameras and edge AI processing. This investment marks a major step forward in our mission to transform how UAV systems perceive and operate in complex, high-stakes environments. At Sapient Perception, we build physical AI sensor systems for UAVs that expand what’s possible in aerial intelligence – enabling wider coverage, faster decision-making, and real-time autonomy at the edge. Why We Exist: Solving the UAV Visibility Bottleneck Modern drones generate massive amounts of data, but operators are forced into a constant tradeoff: coverage vs. resolution. Bandwidth constraints mean only a fraction of the available visual information can be transmitted and acted on in real time. That often results in fragmented situational awareness and slower decisions. We built Sapient to eliminate that tradeoff. Our 10K sensor systems are designed to capture up to 100x larger areas than conventional sensors—without sacrificing detail. Instead of forcing operators to constantly switch views or miss critical context, we deliver a far more complete picture in a single frame. A New Approach: Software-Defined Cameras + Edge AI Our system combines software-defined imaging with a powerful edge processing pipeline that turns raw sensor data into actionable intelligence onboard the UAV. This means real-time processing without reliance on bandwidth-heavy transmission, flexibility to run operator-preferred AI models directly on-device, reduced latency in time-critical environments, and less cognitive overload for operators making split-second decisions. By moving intelligence to the edge, we enable UAV systems that are not just observers—but active participants in decision-making workflows. What This Unlocks in the Field In mission-critical environments, speed and clarity matter. Our goal is to give operators both. As our CEO and co-founder Anthony Garetto puts it: “Our perception layer enables persistent situational awareness through a far wider lens, while delivering the important details to operators in real time. Having this whole picture means decisive action can be taken faster and with a higher level of confidence.” We’re already seeing this translate into real-world deployments. Defense and Security Applications We’re working with Dropla Tech to integrate our large-area perception sensors into UAVs designed to fly low and ahead of military convoys. Our imaging feeds directly into Dropla Tech’s Blue Eyes platform, which is currently used by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence to analyze real-time drone video and detect ambush drones and landmines along supply routes. We’re also collaborating with partners deploying our sensors on high-altitude platforms, including stratospheric systems for wide-area ISR. These use cases demonstrate the flexibility of our perception layer across both tactical and strategic operational environments. Why Our Investors Backed Us This round reflects growing demand for edge-based intelligence systems that can keep pace with increasingly complex defense and security operations. As Jarek Pilarczyk, Partner at Balnord, noted: “Sapient Perception addresses this challenge with a highly differentiated edge AI approach that we believe will become foundational to next-generation systems.” And Cailin Greiner from FORWARD.one: “Their technology turns high-quality sensor data into real-time insights at the edge, enabling 100× greater coverage than today’s systems. It’s a clear step change — built by a team that knows how to move fast and deliver.” What’s Next for Sapient We’ll use this funding to accelerate development of our 10K sensor systems and software-defined cameras, expand our engineering team, support initial deployments across defense, security, and emergency response sectors, and strengthen integrations with partners across Europe and North America. Our systems are NDAA-compliant, ITAR-free, and built on a trusted allied supply chain, ensuring they meet the requirements of mission-critical deployments globally. Building the Future of UAV Perception We started Sapient Perception with a simple belief: seeing more shouldn’t mean understanding less. By combining ultra-wide imaging with real-time edge intelligence, we’re building a new perception layer for autonomous systems – one that helps operators see everything, miss nothing, and act with confidence when it matters most.  If you want to know more about what we’re building, signup for our newsletter.