Radio Frequency: The Invisible Infrastructure Behind Modern Warfare
20 May 2026 - A Weekly Publication by New North Ventures
A blue ocean is forming in RF native infrastructure. The market is stepping down cleanly from institutional validation into early stage opportunity: Hidden Level has become the Series C anchor for passive RF airspace intelligence with its $65M Series C; MatrixSpace and Fortem define the Series B layer with deployable AI radar and counter-UAS infrastructure; and the Series A layer is filling in with companies like AnySignal, Distributed Spectrum, and CX2 across RF infrastructure, signal intelligence, and electronic warfare. The map below lays out that funding stage progression, from Series C validation down to seed stage wedges.
What makes the category interesting is that this is not just “counter-drone.” It is the emergence of a broader RF stack for sensing, spectrum awareness, airspace security, electronic warfare, satellite communications, and critical infrastructure protection. Passive RF collection and airspace awareness are becoming the arteries of modern dual-use infrastructure, with applications across defense, airports, stadiums, power grids, ports, autonomous systems, and space. The deal activity reflects that shift: $20M into MatrixSpace, $25M from Lockheed Martin into Fortem, $24M into AnySignal, $25M into Distributed Spectrum, and $31M into CX2 all point toward a market that is moving from point sensors toward programmable electromagnetic infrastructure.
The company that stands out at the seed layer is Nullspace. Unlike many companies on the map, Nullspace is not another passive RF collector or counter UAS platform. It is building the simulation and design software layer that could sit underneath the entire category. If Hidden Level and its peers represent the visible arteries of RF awareness, Nullspace is closer to the veins and design tissue that let future RF systems be modeled, optimized, programmed, and projected into complex electromagnetic environments. That makes Nullspace interesting as a potential “RF design foundry” for the next generation of antennas, arrays, radar systems, EW payloads, communications networks, and quantum hardware.
NY Firm Opens RF Testing Chamber to Boost Airspace Solutions Production
RF sensing company Hidden Level opened a new state-of-the-art anechoic chamber at its manufacturing campus in East Syracuse, New York, to accelerate the testing and production of its airspace security and counter drone systems. The chamber creates a shielded environment that blocks outside electromagnetic interference and absorbs internal signal reflections, allowing engineers to conduct highly precise, repeatable testing of RF sensing systems used for low-altitude awareness and C-UAS missions. By bringing testing capabilities fully in house, Hidden Level says it can move faster on product development, reduce reliance on third party facilities, and more quickly deliver validated systems to the US military and allied partners. The expansion also reflects broader investment in domestic defense manufacturing and RF infrastructure in Central New York, supported by partnerships with state economic development organizations and manufacturing programs, as the company continues scaling production to meet rising global demand for drone detection and airspace security technologies.
More links to explore:
Quantum Systems acquires Estonia’s SensusQ
German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems has acquired Estonian AI driven intelligence platform SensusQ, bringing together advanced drone hardware and battlefield intelligence software into a more integrated defense technology stack. SensusQ’s team and operations in Estonia will remain in place, with plans to continue hiring engineers locally. The acquisition follows Quantum Systems’ broader expansion strategy after its major Series C raise in late 2025 and reflects growing demand for combining autonomous ISR platforms with AI powered intelligence analysis tools.
SensusQ, founded in 2020, developed software that fuses data from drones, cyber events, OSINT, sensors, and human intelligence into a unified operational picture for defense and security users. In 2024, New North Ventures participated in SensusQ’s seed financing round, helping support the company’s international growth and product expansion. The company had recently gone through financial restructuring in Estonia before the acquisition, but emerged with renewed momentum as demand for AI-enabled defense software continues to accelerate across Europe and NATO-aligned markets
As Deepfake Content Increases, Companies Fight Back
As deepfake content becomes more sophisticated and widespread, companies are racing to develop tools that can detect and defend against AI generated misinformation, impersonation, and fraud. Deepfakes have exploded from roughly 500,000 examples in 2023 to an estimated 8 million in 2025, creating growing risks for enterprises, governments, and online platforms. Modern deepfake detection now goes beyond text analysis and instead relies on multimodal systems that analyze inconsistencies across video, audio, images, metadata, and behavioral patterns to identify manipulated content.
One of the companies featured is Reality Defender, a New York based deepfake detection platform and portfolio company of New North Ventures. Founded in 2021, the company provides enterprise grade tools to identify synthetic media across audio, video, images, and text through APIs and web applications designed for governments, financial institutions, and large enterprises. Reality Defender previously raised significant venture funding and has continued expanding partnerships and deployments as demand for AI-driven fraud prevention accelerates globally.
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