Philadelphia-based robotics company Asylon announced it has raised $26 million in a Series B funding round led by Insight Partners, with participation from Veteran Ventures Capital, Allegion Ventures, and the GO PA Fund.
From Drones To Robotic Guard Dogs
Founded in 2015, Asylon started as a drone company focused on securing facilities. It became known for a drone equipped with a robotic arm capable of changing its own batteries. Over time, the company expanded its offerings and launched DroneDog — a robotic guard dog service based on Boston Dynamics’ famous Spot robot. These robots are modified for security patrols and integrated with Asylon’s command-and-control software called Guardian.
Robotic Security As A Service (RaaS)
Asylon provides a full-service robotic security solution combining flying drones and ground-based robot dogs. These devices can patrol wider areas than stationary cameras and access dangerous or restricted zones unsafe for humans and real dogs. DroneDogs can perform tasks similar to sniffing dogs, such as detecting gas leaks or hazardous chemicals.
Business And Market Position
Before this round, Asylon had raised about $21 million in investments and received several government grants, bringing total funding to around $45 million. Its RaaS service costs roughly $100,000 to $150,000 per year, comparable to hiring a human security team. Demand for such security solutions has increased following high-profile incidents, including the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson in late 2024, which raised corporate awareness around executive and facility security.
Founders’ Background
The company’s three co-founders — Damon Henry (CEO), Adam Mohamed (CTO), and Brent McLaughlin (COO) — met while roommates at MIT. Unlike typical Silicon Valley dropouts, they graduated and worked as aerospace engineers at companies such as GE Aviation, Boeing, and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Inspired by Amazon’s drone delivery announcement in 2015, they left their jobs and founded Asylon. By 2019, Ford became their first customer.
A Critical Moment And Breakthrough
In 2021, the startup faced a major setback when their drone crashed and was destroyed the night before a key live demo for Ford and Fortune 500 attendees. A dedicated employee drove overnight to deliver a replacement drone, which the team managed to get ready in time. The demo went flawlessly, winning three new Fortune 500 clients and their first Department of Defense contract on the same day.
Current Status And Future Plans
Today, Asylon employs 65 people and has deployed systems in 15 states. The new funding will be used to grow the engineering, operations, and marketing teams, accelerate product development, and strengthen their presence in both commercial and government security markets.
