Danti Secures $5M in Funding to Enhance Its Natural Language Search Engine for Earth Data

Danti, an innovative artificial intelligence company developing a powerful search engine for Earth data, has partnered with Shield Capital, a leading investor in defensive technology, to expand its offerings for government clients.

Founded by Jesse Kallman in early 2023, Danti specializes in creating a natural language search engine that integrates traditionally siloed data, such as satellite imagery, with various commercial and government sources. This capability enables users to generate comprehensive reports across multiple domains quickly and efficiently.

For instance, an analyst might ask a straightforward question like, “What are the latest tank movements in Eastern Ukraine?” and receive clear, consolidated answers derived from diverse data sets. “Our mission is to empower individual analysts,” Kallman explained in a recent interview. “While opponents engage large teams to sift through vast amounts of information, Danti aims to enable ‘one analyst to do the work of 10 or 15,’” he noted. This efficiency means that queries—such as tracking a specific ship off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria—can be resolved in seconds rather than hours.

“We’re not here to replace analysts,” Kallman emphasized. “We’re enhancing their efficiency, allowing them to focus on the critical aspects that require human insight, like synthesizing data and deciding how to act on it.”

One of Danti’s early adopters is the U.S. Space Force, leveraging the company’s technology to streamline data searches and information sharing among officers. The incorporation of natural language models into the search engine offers an intuitive user experience, which is vital in high-stakes environments where analysts must navigate complex decisions swiftly without wading through vast amounts of satellite or drone information.

Currently, Danti is primarily targeting the government sector. However, it has plans to introduce a commercial version of its product that will cater to industries managing property records, parcel information, and risk data, aimed at sectors such as electric utilities and insurance. Kallman shared that clients will also have the option to integrate their own data, utilizing Danti’s natural language processing capabilities to query their information seamlessly.

The recent $5 million funding round was spearheaded by Shield Capital, with contributions from existing investors including Tech Square Ventures, Humba Ventures, Leo Polovets, Space.VC, and Radius Capital. Kallman mentioned that the startup specifically sought a defense-focused partner for this round as it rolls out its government go-to-market strategy and expands its engineering team. Since its announcement of a $2.75 million pre-seed funding last summer, the team has grown to over 20 members, with plans for further expansion fueled by this new investment.