Arondite

Arondite is a London-based defense technology company developing an AI software platform, named Cobalt, to integrate and manage autonomous systems from different manufacturers. Founded in 2023 by CEO Will Blyth and CTO Rob Underhill, the company aims to solve the challenge of fragmented, non-communicating defense hardware by providing a unified software layer. This "connective tissue" approach allows human operators to control multiple disparate systems—such as drones, robots, and sensors—through a single interface, enhancing operational control, safety, and human-machine teaming.

The founders' backgrounds directly inform the company's mission. Blyth is a former British Army officer with subsequent roles at Palantir and the AI defense firm Helsing, providing frontline operational insight. Underhill contributes deep technical expertise as a former lead engineer at BAE Systems and the founding engineer at Garrison Technology. Blyth's experiences on the battlefield, where the lack of interoperability between systems posed significant risks, were a direct inspiration for Arondite.

The company's Cobalt platform is hardware-agnostic and serves clients in the defense, critical infrastructure, and security sectors. It functions as a data engine, using machine learning to process inputs and generate real-time analytics for operators, thereby improving decision-making and efficiency. Early applications of the technology include minefield clearance and counter-intrusion for protecting large-scale infrastructure. By focusing on software integration rather than building new hardware, Arondite differentiates itself from competitors. In May 2025, the company announced it had raised over $12 million in total funding, including a $10 million Seed round led by Index Ventures and a prior $2.25 million pre-seed round, to expand its engineering teams and advance its AI models.

Keywords: connected autonomy, human-machine teaming, defense technology, AI software platform, hardware agnostic, autonomous systems integration, battlefield data, operational control, robotics software, sensor fusion, command and control, unmanned systems, critical infrastructure protection, minefield clearance, counter-intrusion, security systems, data analytics, Will Blyth, Rob Underhill, defencetech