Dominion Dynamics Raises $4 Million to Advance Arctic Surveillance Capabilities
Ottawa-based Dominion Dynamics is capitalizing on Canada’s surge in defense technology, securing $4 million in pre-seed funding for its Arctic sensing technology. The system connects COTS sensors from land, sea, air, and space into a secure Canadian data network to address ISR and C2 gaps in the North. The recent funding was raised through a simple agreement for future equity (SAFE), supported by Canadian investors Golden Ventures and Garage Capital and U.S firms, Afore Capital and Side Door Ventures, as well as strategic angel investors. The organization plans to pursue additional investment to expand its workforce from fewer than ten employees to approximately forty by the end of Q1 2026, COO Mitch Carkner reported.
Dominion Dynamics’ platform integrates commercial sensors operating across land, sea, air, and space into a unified data fabric that enables coordination and information sharing across allied networks. The company’s primary focus is the Arctic region, where melting ice has exposed new trade routes and heightened concerns regarding Canada’s sovereignty. In pursuit of this goal, Dominion recently entered a three-year partnership with the Arctic Training Centre in Whitehorse to develop and test its systems under extreme environmental conditions. Dominion expects to establish a mesh network capable of detecting vessels in the Arctic within 12 to 18 months, at a cost lower than the projected modernization of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
Founder Eliot Pence, originally from Victoria, BC, formerly led Anduril Industries’ international team during a period of rapid growth from startup to major defense technology firm between 2018 and 2022. Carkner indicated that Dominion aims to replicate Anduril’s operational approach by proactively developing defense solutions anticipated to be necessary in the future, as opposed to waiting for procurement directives. “Our ultimate objective is to build a sovereign defense prime contractor for Canada that can compete on equal footing with American and European primes,” Carkner concluded.
Dominion’s advisory board features several prominent Canadian figures such as Erin O’Toole, former leader of the Conservative Party, who serves as chair and General Wayne Eyre, former Chief of the Defense Staff. The company is positioned to benefit from increased private and public investment in defense technology, driven by renewed emphasis on Canada’s sovereign and military capabilities during ongoing trade tensions with the United States. The federal government has pledged to allocate five percent of Canada’s GDP towards defense by 2035, introduced a new agency to reform military procurement, and encouraged financial institutions and pension funds to support the sector.
Pence remarked, “Canada’s defense future cannot be outsourced. We possess the talent, have government commitment, and recognize the stakes; however, there has been no company founded specifically to deliver modern capability at the required pace.”