At Madrona, we believe the next wave of AI innovation won’t just live in the cloud — it will run at the edge. In environments where trust, speed, autonomy, and connectivity constraints rule the day, intelligence needs to be built in — not streamed in.
Nowhere is this more critical than in national defense.
That’s why we’re proud to lead the $12M Series A investment in EdgeRunner AI, the leader in air-gapped, on-device AI agents built for mission-critical operations. I’m also honored to be joining the board.
We’re joined in this round by Four Rivers Ventures as well as HP Tech Ventures and Alumni Ventures — each bringing valuable perspective and support to help EdgeRunner AI scale.
EdgeRunner AI is creating intelligent assistants that operate entirely offline, tailored to the real-world workflows of the U.S. military. These agents don’t require a network connection or cloud access. Instead, they are deployed directly to secure systems in the field — supporting soldiers, analysts, and operators with the intelligence they need, where they need it.
Founders with Firsthand Experience—and the Technical Chops to Match
I’ve known Colton for years—even before EdgeRunner AI was founded. So when he and Tyler came together to build this company, I knew they were uniquely qualified for the challenge.
Tyler served as an officer in the U.S. military. Colton spent years working with senior leaders in the federal government. And together, they’ve since built high-impact technology inside industry leaders like AWS and Stability AI. Their experiences give them a unique edge: they understand the stakes, the workflows, the constraints — and the opportunities for modern AI to make a meaningful difference.
This isn’t a generic AI platform searching for a use case. It’s domain-specific, highly intentional, and built to deliver value under the most difficult conditions.
The Edge Is the Next AI Frontier
EdgeRunner AI’s work is a powerful expression of a shift we’ve believed in for years: software is evolving from passive tools to active agents. These agents don’t just wait for input—they proactively assist, adapt, and respond in real time. But for that shift to reach the most critical environments—like battlefield deployments or classified systems—we need AI that is:
- Air-gapped: disconnected from the internet by design
- On-device: deployed directly onto local hardware
- Domain-specific: trained and fine-tuned for the mission at hand
This is EdgeRunner AI’s sweet spot.
They’ve already signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Air Force Research Lab, and they’ve been added to the Department of Defense’s Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace — making their agents awardable across the DoD.
Supporting Those Who Serve
At Madrona, we are proud to support the people and companies building technology in service of the public good. EdgeRunner AI’s mission—to give the warfighter the intelligence advantage they need, securely and autonomously—is one of the clearest examples of that purpose in action.
We’re thrilled to be on this journey with Tyler, Colton, and the entire EdgeRunner AI team — as well as our fellow investors — as they bring AI to the frontlines: responsibly, reliably, and with purpose.
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