Zerophase Raises $6.8M Seed Round
Operational challenges with frontline drone communication have become a significant concern, particularly for Ukrainian military personnel contending with disrupted communications amid conflict. Zerophase, a Munich-based data link technology company, is actively addressing this issue by developing advanced solutions to mitigate such disruptions.
Recently, the company secured a €5.8 million ($6.8 million) seed round led by Blue Yard Capital, joined by multiple angel investors. According to CEO and co-founder Florian Petit, these funds will support product refinement, increased production capacity, and future expansion into emerging technologies within the electronic warfare sector.
Petit highlighted Zerophase’s strategic positioning in the broader field of electronic warfare, emphasizing the company’s foundational focus on critical connectivity needs identified during the Ukraine conflict. Since its inception in Germany four years ago, the company has collaborated directly with frontline units and technical teams to ascertain operational requirements, mission objectives, and the specifications necessary for successful communications systems.
The outcome is a compact data link, approximately the size of a deck of cards, engineered to dynamically adapt to interference, jamming, and signal degradation. This robust system ensures communication remains stable even under intense electronic warfare conditions.
Zerophase’s solution enables transmission of video, telemetry, and command and control data, key components for managing drones or coordinated drone operations. The system’s modular design allows for amplifier adjustments based on drone size and required data link strength. While specific unit pricing was not disclosed, Petit indicated it falls within “the low four digits.” To date, the company has deployed roughly 1,000 units in Ukraine, supporting approximately 10,000 missions, demonstrating the technology’s resilience against jamming.
“ZeroPhase’s technology has proven to be a key enabler. Its adaptive protocol, when integrated into our custom-developed UAV systems and deployed by our expert field teams, has allowed us to maintain communications in the most extremely jammed environments on the frontline - areas where other drones simply cannot fly,” according to UAV Operations Lead, Ukraine.
Investor feedback has been positive. Michael Wax, General Partner at BlueYard Capital, remarked, “At BlueYard, we seek technologies that support free societies and human advancement. ZeroPhase’s systems, already proven in Ukraine, are a vital element in maintaining reliable communication under demanding circumstances.”
Zerophase’s customer base extends beyond the Ukrainian defense sector. The company is collaborating with several leading German drone manufacturers to integrate its data link into their products, engaging with an estimated two-thirds of the domestic market. Looking forward, Zerophase aims not only to enhance data links for drones but also to expand capabilities across the radio frequency and electronic warfare spectrum, including the detection and potential execution of electronic countermeasures.