On Monday, the edge computing startup Armada came out of stealth mode with the goal of closing the digital divide by providing software that can manage Starlink deployments and mobile data centers.
Additionally, Armada disclosed that it has secured over $55 million, including participation from Felicis, Contrary, Valor Equity Partners, Marlinspike, 137 Ventures, Koch Real Estate Investments, 8VC, and other strategic investors. The lead investors in the fundraising effort are Founders Fund, Lux Capital, Shield Capital, and 8090 Industries.
The startup aims to “unlock the potential of generative AI, edge computing, and predictive models,” stating that recent advancements in IoT, AI, and infrastructure have made an intelligent edge computing platform possible.
Armada has created a full-stack infrastructure solution for edge computing and edge satellite internet access that can be set up locally or in the cloud. Its Commander data management tool can be used to deploy and administer data centers, buy and manage Starlink terminals, and integrate Internet of Things devices.
Additionally, it has created Armada Connect, an operating system that businesses can use to manage and charge for all Starlink assets, which is compatible with both Starlink and future IoT devices. Additionally, it offers mobile data centers known as Galleons, which can connect users to various network infrastructures, fiber, Starlink, or 5G, among other internet-based resources.
“Today, AI — including large language models, multimodal AI and predictive models — is revolutionizing every facet of our lives and work, but not everyone has the same opportunity. What’s truly astounding is that vast swaths of the world still lack basic internet access, much less the ability to derive tangible value from their data,” said Armada co-founder and CEO Dan Wright. “Armada’s mission is to bridge the digital divide once and for all, giving our customers the ability to solve their biggest problems.”