Scaleout Systems, founded in 2018 by Uppsala University researchers, transitioned from commercial vehicle machine learning to defense applications following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The company joined the NATO Defence Innovator Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) program in 2025 to develop edge-computing AI for drones and field command posts.
The startup focuses on lightweight machine learning models that operate directly on drones and tablets, eliminating the need for continuous connection to centralized servers. This decentralized approach ensures functionality in environments where electronic warfare or signal jamming disrupts communications, a critical requirement for modern battlefield operations.
Through the Federated Aerial Intelligence for Recon project, Scaleout enables AI models to retrain on local battlefield data and share updates across a network. This allows systems to adapt to new environments, such as shifting from desert to urban terrain, by continuously improving performance based on real-time sensor data gathered at the edge.
Scaleout is also a partner in the BAE Systems Bofors Affordable Loitering Modular Ammunition (ALMA) project. During a January 2026 demonstration in Sweden, an ALMA drone autonomously identified, geolocated, and prioritized an armored engineering vehicle as a target, executing the strike without direct human commands.
In June 2026, the company tested its software at a Swedish Air Force base in Uppsala. The trial confirmed that local computing nodes can maintain AI inference and active-learning processes even when disconnected from central servers, synchronizing updates once connectivity is restored to the network.
