Hidden Level is a Syracuse company focused on developing passive radar and radio frequency (RF) sensing technology. In the latest series C funding, it has bagged $65 million. Leading this round of funding was DFJ Growth while the significant participation was seen in Booz Allen Ventures, Revolution Growth, Costanoa Ventures, Washington Harbour Partners, Veteran Ventures, and Founders Circle Capital.

This latest injection of funds follows a $35 million Series B funding round that closed a mere six months ago, bringing the company’s total financing over the past year to a stellar $100 million. Such significant funding goes to show that advanced drone detection systems are among the most important security systems of today.

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The Rising Drone Threat

The rapid proliferation of drones has introduced a myriad of challenges to both national security and the protection of critical infrastructure. Drones are increasingly being utilized for espionage, smuggling, and even potential hostile actions, posing significant risks in both military and civilian contexts. As these unmanned systems become more sophisticated—smaller in size, stealthier, and able to operate in swarms—traditional radar systems often fail to detect and track them effectively. 

This gap in airspace situational awareness highlights the urgent need for advanced sensing solutions capable of real-time identification and location of drone threats, even in complex and congested electromagnetic environments. 

Hidden Level’s Innovative Approach

Founded in 2018, Hidden Level has taken a leading position in airspace monitoring technology.

Its solutions are meant to detect and track a wide range of aerial activities, from drones that are emitting signals, operating covertly as dark drones, or even posing as imitations, all the way to aircraft, balloons, and other objects in the airspace. 

A defining characteristic of Hidden Level’s technology is its ability to locate drone operators, providing a comprehensive and actionable view of aerial activity. Notably, the company does so without violating Title 18 regulations, ensuring privacy protection and eliminating the need for changes to existing legislation. 

At the heart of Hidden Level’s technology are its passive radar and RF direction-finding capabilities.
With such an approach, the system becomes undetectable to the adversary, strategic placement of sensors occurs, and its operations will remain uninterrupted.

This vertically integrated design, manufacturing, and testing process allows Hidden Level to deliver the sensors that meet the diversified customer needs based on cost, mobility, performance, and breadth of spectrum. With scalable solutions from hardware or data-as-a-service, unmatched flexibility is available to monitor both low and high altitude airspace. Hidden Level’s technology has received accolades for being a necessity in high-security situations.

The firm is currently under contract to assist with technology implementations for several branches and commands of the U.S. military, including the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Central Command, and U.S. Northern Command. 

These partnerships seek to counter the threat of drones to U.S. national security, critical infrastructure, and military bases. Notably, Hidden Level’s technology has been used for monitoring major events, like presidential inaugurations, for which ensuring airspace security is a top priority. 

In addition to the military, Hidden Level has collaborated on working towards the enhancement of urban airspace monitoring through partnerships. For example, the company worked with Uber Elevate, now Joby Aviation to research its solutions in enhancing urban air mobility as the company tackles both defense and civilian uses. 

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Investor Confidence

The substantial investment from DFJ Growth and other prominent investors underscores the confidence in Hidden Level’s technology and its potential to address the evolving challenges posed by unmanned aerial systems.

Randy Glein, DFJ Growth: “Hidden Level is filling an urgent gap in our defenses with technologies that detect and track proliferating UAS threats in advanced ways, all of which remain almost invisible. It is a game-changer for the battlefield: it is like an electronic surveillance shield protecting our forces and assets at risk.” 

Booz Allen Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Booz Allen Hamilton, also invested in the funding round. Steve Escaravage, executive vice president at Booz Allen, said, “Investments in companies like Hidden Level accelerate our ability to bring novel insights to the counter-UAS mission, expanding the potential for decision advantage by our nation’s warfighters.

The new capital will be used to expand operations at Hidden Level by manufacturing capabilities, hiring in all departments, and expansion internationally, with the company set to pursue international growth following successful deployments with more than a dozen cutting-edge customers, including NASA, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Department of Defense. 

It is expected that the company will meet the needs of new clients while continuing to innovate in airspace monitoring and drone detection.