The deadliest weapon in modern warfare, the small and ubiquitous FPV drone, costs a few hundred dollars and can disable a vehicle worth millions or knock out power for millions of people. Yet much of the counter-drone (counter-UAS) industry was built for a different target: large drones flying high overhead on a predictable course.

Mara was founded to neutralize this threat. The company announced a $7 million funding round to bring Spike, its integrated counter-UAS platform, from field testing to broad combat deployment.

The round was led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from a16z Speedrun, Night Capital, Palmdrive, Protagonist, Freedom Fund and Indicator Fund, alongside angel investors.

Small FPV drones launch from anywhere, attack in groups from several angles at once and increasingly use fiber-optic control links or onboard guidance to bypass traditional electronic jamming. Despite billions in counter-drone investment, these drones remain the leading cause of combat casualties globally. After Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb in June 2025, the world realized that FPV drones can destroy strategic and civilian targets thousands of kilometers from active combat.