Visionary Machines
Visionary Machines is a Sydney-based computer vision company that builds passive multi-spectral 3D sensing systems (Pandion™) for defense counter-drone detection, ISR, and autonomous vehicle navigation, serving government defense, public safety, and commercial autonomy markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Visionary Machines does
Visionary Machines is a Sydney-based, privately-held computer vision company founded in 2019 that develops Pandion™, a patented passive multi-camera 3D reconstruction platform with multi-spectral sensing (RGB, NIR, SWIR, LWIR). The technology generates real-time, georeferenced 3D spatial representations for defense, public safety, critical infrastructure, and autonomous mobility applications without emitting detectable signals. The company monetizes through three product lines: Pandion Sentinel (passive optical drone detection/tracking/classification/targeting with >1km range and sub-250W power draw), Vanguard ISR (assured-position Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance integrating with ATAK via Cursor-On-Target messaging), and Pandion Perception (off-road autonomous vehicle navigation in GPS-denied environments).
Revenue derives primarily from multi-year government defense contracts and grants — including a $2.5M Australian Army Innovation Day contract, $4.4M Industry Growth Program grant, and $2.93M ASCA EDT contract — supplemented by direct enterprise sales of hardware sensor systems and recurring software/services revenue. The go-to-market combines enterprise field sales targeting defense ministries, channel partnerships with defense system integrators (Hanwha Defence Australia, IMREX in Singapore), and active participation in defense innovation programs and trade shows. Operations span Sydney (headquarters), Oxford (research center), Washington DC (US sales), and Singapore (via IMREX).
Total funding raised is approximately A$15M+ across multiple rounds since 2021, with investors including Folklore Ventures (lead), Our Innovation Fund, Thorney Investment Group, IQT International Australia, and Salus. The company holds four ISO certifications (9001, 14001, 27001, 45001) and benefits from scientific advisors Prof Ian Reid (Adelaide) and Prof Philip Torr (Oxford). Following the 2024 appointment of former Collins Aerospace executives Sonny Foster as CEO and Nick Gibbs as COO, the company is transitioning from R&D focus to commercial execution across defense and autonomous mobility markets.
Visionary Machines firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Visionary Machines
- Legal name
- Visionary Machines
- Website
- https://visionarymachines.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Visionary Machines is a Sydney-based computer vision company that builds passive multi-spectral 3D sensing systems (Pandion™) for defense counter-drone detection, ISR, and autonomous vehicle navigation, serving government defense, public safety, and commercial autonomy markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Visionary Machines industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Defense Sensor Systems
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Machine Vision & Optical Sensing (Cameras, 3D vision, LiDAR, illumination) (IMAGAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM)
Keywords
Where Visionary Machines is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices4 records
Markets served
Visionary Machines business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Product Sales: Sale of Pandion sensor systems and configured sensor arrays. Products include Pandion Sentinel counter-drone systems, Vanguard ISR units, and Perception sensor packages. Hardware sold with accompanying software and support services.
- Software and Support Services: Ongoing software support, updates, and integration services for deployed systems. Includes training, maintenance contracts, and mission-specific customization.
- Government Defense Contracts: Revenue from Australian Department of Defence innovation contracts, ASCA EDT programs, and Industry Growth Program grants. Major contract wins include $2.5m Army Innovation Day and $2.93m ASCA EDT contracts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise/Government Custom Pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Visionary Machines product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Visionary Machines designs, manufactures and sells passive optical 3D spatial sensing hardware systems built on its proprietary Pandion™ multi-camera reconstruction technology. The company sells three product lines: Pandion Sentinel (counter-drone detection, tracking, classification and targeting), Vanguard ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance with 3D geospatial mapping), and Pandion Perception (perception sensing for autonomous vehicles on and off-road). Customers are defence departments, military organisations, public safety agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and selected commercial autonomous mobility users.
Product overview
Visionary Machines is a platform-plus-products company built around its proprietary Pandion™ 3D spatial sensing technology. The core Pandion Sensor technology powers three main product lines: Pandion Sentinel (counter-drone/C-RAS detection system), Vanguard ISR (intelligence surveillance reconnaissance for defence), and Pandion Perception (autonomous vehicle perception sensing). The platform uses advanced multi-camera 3D reconstruction combining visible and infrared spectrums to deliver real-time, high-fidelity 3D spatial awareness that outperforms traditional radar or lidar systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pandion Sentinel: Passive optical drone detection, tracking, classification and targeting system for defence, public safety and critical infrastructure protection
- Vanguard ISR
- Pandion Perception
- Pandion
Products and services
- Pandion Sentinel
Quantifiable outcome
- Detects Group 1, 2, and 3 drones at >1km critical range protection
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Visionary Machines
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Visionary Machines technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
Visionary Machines partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- University of TasmaniacorePartnership announced February 2026 under Australia's Economic Accelerator (AEA) program. Visionary Machines is lead industry partner integrating passive 3D optical detection technology with University of Tasmania's acoustic drone detection program. Selected from 838+ university submissions with only 174 projects funded.
- IMREX Pte LtdcoreAuthorized sales representative agreement formalised at Singapore Airshow 2026. IMREX is an award-winning Singapore-based defence and aerospace distributor established in 1985, representing leading global primes including Collins Aerospace, Raytheon, Textron, BlueHalo. First step in Visionary Machines' Asia-Pacific regional sales network expansion.
- Hanwha Defence AustraliacoreThree-way MoU signed at Avalon Air Show 2025 (March 2025) with Hanwha Systems Corporation. Partnership focuses on assessing and potentially integrating Visionary Machines' technology into Hanwha systems and platforms for autonomy, counter unmanned aerial systems, and enhanced situational awareness. HDA is delivering LAND 400 Phase 3 Redback IFV ($4.5B) and LAND 8116 artillery systems ($0.9-1.3B) to Australian Army.
- Hanwha Systems CorporationcoreThree-way MoU signed at Avalon Air Show 2025 with Hanwha Defence Australia. Partnership to explore collaborative development for C4I&Land Business, counter unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), and enhanced situational awareness. Hanwha Systems specializes in avionics, space, security, surveillance, and directed energy effectors.
- CruxMLsupportingTechnology partnership announced as part of ASCA EDT contract win (January 2026). CruxML partnership combines leading-edge capabilities to drive Decision Advantage across the Australian Defence Force.
- NVIDIAsupportingSelected to be part of the NVIDIA Inception Program, which provides advanced technology and support for AI and data science innovators. NVIDIA GPUs enable Visionary Machines to run computer vision algorithms in real-time at the edge with low latency.
- ARIAM HubsupportingListed as partner on Visionary Machines website. ARIAM Hub focuses on advanced robotics and autonomous systems collaboration.
- ThinklucidsupportingListed as partner on Visionary Machines website. Thinklucid is a technology partner in the Visionary Machines ecosystem.
- Neousys TechnologysupportingListed as partner on Visionary Machines website. Neousys Technology provides rugged computing platforms that may be integrated with Visionary Machines systems.
- IISRI DeakinsupportingPartner from Deakin University (IISRI - Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation). Collaboration on spatial sensing technology research.
- VenomX (Hanwha Defense Australia)supportingAnnounced as Hanwha Defense Australia VenomX partner in August 2023. Collaborative proposal to the Robotic and Autonomous Systems Implementation and Coordination Office (RICO) bringing disruptive perception technology to Australian Army. Partnership includes Deakin University, 4Zero Technologies, and ECLIPS Logistics.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Visionary Machines competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dedrone: US/German counter-UAS vendor offering multi-sensor drone detection (RF, radar, optical) with deep deployments across US DoD and allied customers. Competes head-to-head with Pandion Sentinel for counter-drone procurement.
- Liteye Systems: US counter-UAS integrator combining radar, RF and optical payloads for defence and critical infrastructure. Competes for the same integrator-led programmes in North America and Five Eyes markets.
- D-Fend Solutions: Israeli counter-drone vendor specialising in RF cyber-takeover. Adjacent detection/mitigation competitor that often appears on the same shortlists as passive optical systems for sensitive defence and homeland security deployments.
- BlueHalo (now Eqlipse Technologies): US defence prime with significant counter-UAS and autonomous systems portfolio (Titan, BAM). Competes for the same US DoD and allied integrated counter-UAS programmes that Visionary Machines is targeting.
- DroneShield: ASX-listed Australian counter-drone detection company (Droneshield) with multi-sensor C-UAS products (RF, radar, optical). Closest direct competitor to Pandion Sentinel, sharing Australian defence customer base and competing for the same Army Innovation Day and allied programmes.
- Anduril Industries: US-based defence technology company building autonomous systems and counter-UAS solutions (Lattice, Roadrunner, Bolt). Direct competitor for allied defence perception/autonomy contracts and a benchmark for the kind of scale Visionary Machines could target.
- Fortem Technologies: US counter-drone company combining radar and optical detection with DroneHunter interceptor. Competes in the same defence and critical infrastructure customer segments as Visionary Machines' Sentinel product.
Emerging players
- Echodyne: US maker of metamaterial radar for drone detection and airspace security. Competes on the 'passive vs active radar' trade-off that defines the Pandion Sentinel value proposition.
Broad incumbents
- Teledyne FLIR Defense: Teledyne subsidiary and global incumbent in thermal imaging, multi-spectral cameras and ISR sensors for defence. Broad incumbent offering overlapping multi-spectral optical sensing capabilities but as part of a much larger portfolio.
- L3Harris Technologies: Major US defence prime with extensive ISR, surveillance, and integrated sensing portfolios. Represents the established incumbent competitor that Visionary Machines must displace or partner with in major procurement programmes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Visionary Machines social profiles
Digital presenceVisionary Machines compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Visionary Machines financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Visionary Machines leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Visionary Machines funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Visionary Machines M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Visionary Machines
What does Visionary Machines do?
Visionary Machines designs, manufactures and sells passive optical 3D spatial sensing hardware systems built on its proprietary Pandion™ multi-camera reconstruction technology. The company sells three product lines: Pandion Sentinel (counter-drone detection, tracking, classification and targeting), Vanguard ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance with 3D geospatial mapping), and Pandion Perception (perception sensing for autonomous vehicles on and off-road). Customers are defence departments, military organisations, public safety agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and selected commercial autonomous mobility users.
Is Visionary Machines a public or private company?
Visionary Machines is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Visionary Machines founded?
Visionary Machines was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Visionary Machines based?
Visionary Machines is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Visionary Machines make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are software and Support Services and government Defense Contracts.
Who are Visionary Machines's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dedrone, Liteye Systems, D-Fend Solutions, BlueHalo (now Eqlipse Technologies), DroneShield, Anduril Industries and Fortem Technologies. Echodyne is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Teledyne FLIR Defense and L3Harris Technologies.
Does Visionary Machines have an API?
No public API is recorded for Visionary Machines.
What industry is Visionary Machines in?
Visionary Machines's product category is Defense Sensor Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAFAB, Machine Vision & Optical Sensing (Cameras, 3D vision, LiDAR, illumination), with a secondary code of BPAMANAM, Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms. Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.