1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,880 Your ultimate authority for daily Elon Musk news. 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,520 Exploring the world's biggest ideas with your host Will 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:13,240 Walden. There's something new everyday. 4 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:21,240 Adrina M raised $10 million in seed funding in 36 hours. 5 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,560 This event prompts 1 clear question What makes investors 6 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:30,440 moves so fast to fund a company working on underwater sensing 7 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:35,120 technology now? The answer lies in how Andrina M 8 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:39,160 blends artificial intelligence with a century old defense tool 9 00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:42,080 to address modern national security challenges. 10 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:47,560 The company was founded in just 2024 by a former SpaceX engineer 11 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,000 and a technologist, and they're developing software and hardware 12 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,600 that analyzes sonar data in real time to detect underwater 13 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,520 targets like submarines. This fast infusion of capital 14 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,120 reflects how much confidence investors have in the startups 15 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,960 ability to reshape underwater surveillance. 16 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:11,440 Andrea M focuses on updating hydrophone technology by using 17 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,800 machine learning to process sonar data. 18 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,320 Hydrophones have assisted us for over a century and remain a 19 00:01:17,320 --> 00:01:21,000 primary tool for spotting enemy submarines, but much of the data 20 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,000 analysis still relies on manual processes. 21 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,960 Operators typically sit in small, enclosed stations wearing 22 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:32,120 headphones and attempt to interpret fuzzy sonar screens. 23 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,280 Andreena M Software replaces these analog methods with an 24 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:40,360 automated system that provides immediate, clearer insights into 25 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,040 underwater activity. This approach promises faster 26 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,880 and more accurate detection of underwater threats. 27 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,440 The company intends to use the $10 million to expand its eight 28 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:54,760 person team to 16 employees. Most new hires will be software 29 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,640 engineers who will advance the machine learning capabilities of 30 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,480 Adrenal AM Systems, and the funding will also support 31 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,280 hardware development. The team plans to move beyond 32 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,680 pairing off the shelf hydrophones with their software. 33 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,919 They aim to build custom buoys embedded with their technology. 34 00:02:10,199 --> 00:02:13,640 Building their own hardware will help Adrina M reduce costs while 35 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:17,120 generating richer data to improve their algorithms. 36 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,080 Now the founders believe that vertical integration offers a 37 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,120 competitive advantage. Centosec points out that many of 38 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,280 their competitors combined parts from various sources, creating 39 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,640 systems that are expensive and difficult to maintain. 40 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,360 Adrina Ms. strategy is to design a complete solution in house, 41 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:38,920 which will make their sensing network cheaper and more 42 00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:40,960 reliable. And the company envisions A 43 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,920 distributed sonar mesh that provides comprehensive coverage 44 00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:47,840 of critical maritime zones. A first round Capital led the 45 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,360 seed round, which also included investments from Also Capital, 46 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:56,240 Long Journey Home Brew and Colorado School of Minds Venture 47 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,720 Fund. The speed of the deal stemmed in 48 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,600 part from how Adrina M team presented a working system 49 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:04,440 rather than a theoretical prototype concept. 50 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,320 They also already deployed prototypes off the California 51 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:11,320 coast, demonstrating functional technology. 52 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,360 This readiness convinced investors that the company was 53 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,960 not years away from meaningful deployment, unlike many early 54 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:24,440 stage defense startups. Investor Mika Osanai of First 55 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,400 Round Capital reacted strongly to the potential after reviewing 56 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,760 the company's pitch materials, he piloted his own plane from 57 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:33,600 San Francisco to Hawthorne to meet the team. 58 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,400 The meeting took place on a Saturday because the startups 59 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,200 team was already working through the weekend and by the following 60 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,600 Monday they received a term sheet. 61 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,040 The pace of these discussions shows how compelling the 62 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,520 readiness and technology appear to investors and their 63 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,080 technology appeals. Beyond military uses, though, 64 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,000 the company sees opportunities in commercial sectors, 65 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,600 particularly in port security. The ability to monitor and 66 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,240 secure key infrastructure at sea has attracted interest from both 67 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:07,400 the Pentagon and investors who want dual use applications. 68 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,400 The focus positions Adrena M to serve both public and private 69 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,240 customers, which broadens its market potential. 70 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,800 The company also used part of its funding to purchase a boat, 71 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,040 which will allow the team to test and deploy hardware system 72 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,720 more efficiently. Adrena M encourages its 73 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,160 engineers to take an active role in field work rather than 74 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,160 limiting themselves to desk work. 75 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,280 This approach ensures that the team stays connected to the 76 00:04:31,280 --> 00:04:33,800 challenges of deploying technology in real maritime 77 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:38,400 environments. Now, the motivation to create 78 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,120 Adrena M stems in part from the family history of one of the 79 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,800 founders. The parents immigrated to the 80 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,560 United States from the Czech Republic during communist rule, 81 00:04:47,840 --> 00:04:51,560 arriving with very little resources, no money, no food. 82 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,600 This experience shaped his desire to contribute to national 83 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,280 security and build a company that can make a lasting 84 00:04:57,280 --> 00:04:58,840 difference for the United States. 85 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,680 They see Adrina M as an opportunity to create a company 86 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,280 with long term value that serves the country's defense needs. 87 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,920 Now, Adrina M plans to continue refining its hardware and 88 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,800 software as it grows. The company will use the seed 89 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,640 funding to accelerate its development cycle and prepare 90 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:18,280 for larger deployments and bigger customers. 91 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,760 By combining advanced software with custom built hardware, 92 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,640 Adrina M aims to change how maritime surveillance is 93 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:28,840 conducted and make underwater sensing more affordable and 94 00:05:28,840 --> 00:05:34,520 efficient to the government. Adrina M secured $10 million in 95 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:39,480 36 hours because they presented real world progress toward 96 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,600 building an advanced underwater sensing network. 97 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:47,000 Not just an idea, but something that actually works. 98 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,320 Hey, thank you so much for listening today. 99 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:51,360 I really do appreciate your support. 100 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,200 If you could take a second and hit the subscribe or the follow 101 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,400 button on whatever podcast platform that you're listening 102 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,040 on right now, I greatly appreciate it. 103 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,720 It helps out the show tremendously and you'll never 104 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,680 miss an episode. And each episode is about 10 105 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,280 minutes or less to get you caught up quickly. 106 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,440 And please, if you want to support the show even more, go 107 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:15,720 to patreon.com/stage Zero. And please take care of 108 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:18,040 yourselves and each other. And I'll see you tomorrow.