What Zapata AI does

Zapata AI is a privately held Veteran-Owned Small Business headquartered in Augusta, Georgia, founded in 2018 to deliver tactical-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning systems to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and allied mission partners. The company operates as a Non-Traditional Defense Contractor (NTDC) under 10 U.S.C. § 3014, engaging program offices through Other Transaction Authorities, SBIR/STTR, and commercial-item pathways without traditional cost-reimbursement contract structures.

The company's flagship product is ANIMAS (Artificial Neural-Intelligence Modular Analytics System), a tactical-edge, multi-intelligence generative-AI platform that ingests heterogeneous mission data (SIGINT, GEOINT, OSINT, full-motion video, structured feeds) and enables operators to query that data in natural language. ANIMAS runs quantized and distilled models on ruggedized Nvidia GPU hardware (Jetson and DGX form factors) without requiring reachback to a data center, with classification markings and provenance preserved end-to-end. The platform uses a microservice architecture where mission-specific capabilities — including CBRNE response, offensive cyber, and site exploitation — are delivered as operator-loadable sealed payload bundles that can be fielded without maintainer assistance. A patent application on ANIMAS was filed in May 2019.

Zapata AI generates revenue primarily through U.S. federal government defense and intelligence contracts. Its go-to-market is consultative enterprise field sales conducted through capability briefings, federal contracting portals (SAM.gov registration), teaming and subcontractor arrangements, and joint ventures with established primes — exemplified by the Black & Veatch-ZAPATA joint venture awarded a USACE Norfolk District IDIQ contract in January 2026. The company is affiliated with Zapata Technology (founded 2007), which provides shared infrastructure, cleared-personnel capacity, back-office support, and a GSA schedule contracting vehicle. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; contracts are quote-based and routed through federal acquisition pathways.

Name

Zapata AI

Legal name

Zapata AI

Website

https://zapataai.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zapata AI is a Veteran-Owned Small Business founded in 2018 in Augusta, Georgia, that builds the ANIMAS tactical-edge multi-intelligence generative-AI platform for the U.S. Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and allied mission partners, engaging as a Non-Traditional Defense Contractor via OTA, SBIR/STTR, and teaming arrangements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense AI Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management) (HDAEANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Model Hosting, Serving & Inference Platforms (HDAAACAB), Enterprise AI Data & Knowledge Platforms (Vector Databases, Knowledge Graphs) (HDAEANAH)

Keywords

• Tactical-edge AI
• Multi-intelligence fusion
• Defense AI software
• Generative AI inference
• CBRNE response AI

Headquarters

HQ city

Augusta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Defense Contracts: Revenue primarily from U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community contracts engaged via Non-Traditional Defense Contractor (NTDC) status. Program offices engage through Other Transaction Authorities (OTA), SBIR/STTR, and commercial-item pathways. Zapata AI can also be engaged via GSA schedule through Zapata Technology, or as a subcontractor on larger programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zapata AI builds and deploys the ANIMAS platform, a tactical-edge, multi-intelligence generative-AI system running on ruggedized Nvidia GPU hardware (Jetson- and DGX-form-factor). ANIMAS ingests heterogeneous mission data — SIGINT, GEOINT, OSINT, full-motion video, and structured operational feeds — performs schema-preserving fusion with entity resolution and classification provenance, and lets operators and analysts query mission data in natural language at the point of decision without data-center reachback. Mission-specific capabilities (CBRNE response, offensive cyber, site exploitation) are delivered as operator-loadable sealed microservice bundles on top of the core platform.

Product overview

Zapata AI offers a single unified product—ANIMAS (Artificial Neural-Intelligence Modular Analytics System)—packaged as a tactical-edge, multi-intelligence generative-AI platform running on ruggedized Nvidia GPU hardware. The platform is built on a microservices architecture where mission-specific capabilities (CBRNE response, offensive cyber, site exploitation) are delivered as operator-loadable sealed microservice bundles that can be deployed in the field without maintainer assistance. The core platform handles data ingestion, entity resolution, retrieval, and model hosting; microservices add mission-specific logic on top.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ANIMAS (Artificial Neural-Intelligence Modular Analytics System) Zapata AI's flagship tactical-edge, multi-intelligence generative-AI platform that runs on ruggedized Nvidia GPU hardware (Jetson- and DGX-form-factor). ANIMAS ingests heterogeneous mission data — SIGINT, GEOINT, OSINT, full-motion video, and structured operational feeds — performs schema-preserving fusion with entity resolution and classification/provenance preservation, and enables operators and analysts to query mission data in natural language at the point of decision without requiring reachback to a data center. Mission-specific capabilities such as CBRNE response, offensive cyber, and site exploitation are delivered as operator-loadable sealed microservice bundles on top of the core platform.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Black & VeatchmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026Black & Veatch-ZAPATA joint venture awarded USACE Norfolk District IDIQ contract to support the JPEO A&A Modernization Program. This represents a significant strategic partnership combining Zapata AI's tactical-edge AI/ML capabilities with Black & Veatch's established defense contracting infrastructure. The joint venture positions Zapata AI as a team member on a major military modernization initiative.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• C3 AI: C3 AI provides enterprise AI applications including defense and intelligence use cases. It is a broad incumbent peer that overlaps in enterprise AI platform delivery, though C3 AI's footprint spans many verticals beyond defense.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Booz Allen Hamilton is a large DoD/IC systems integrator with significant AI/ML consulting and deployment practices. It is a broad incumbent peer given overlapping defense AI delivery capabilities and prime contracting posture.
• Palantir Technologies: Palantir provides defense and intelligence data analytics platforms (Gotham, Foundry) with broad AI/ML capabilities across DoD and IC. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with Zapata AI in multi-source data fusion and analyst workflows, though Palantir is much larger and platform-centric.

Emerging players

• Govini: Govini provides defense data analytics and decision-support tools for DoD program offices and suppliers. It is an emerging player peer with overlap in defense data fusion and analytics, though Govini is more procurement/decision-oriented than tactical mission AI.
• Scale AI: Scale AI provides data labeling and evaluation infrastructure that is increasingly being adapted for defense AI workflows including DoD and IC. It is an emerging player with partial overlap in defense AI tooling, though its core offering is more infrastructure-focused than Zapata AI's mission-payload model.
• Rebellion Defense: Rebellion Defense built AI products for DoD mission workflows spanning intelligence and operational planning. It is an emerging player peer given comparable focus on defense AI software platforms, though the company has undergone significant restructuring.
• Vannevar Labs: Vannevar Labs builds AI products for defense and national security, including intelligence analysis tools. It is an emerging player peer with comparable focus on IC analyst augmentation and AI for hard national security problems.

Direct peers

• Anduril Industries: Anduril builds Lattice and other defense AI platforms with significant emphasis on tactical edge and sensor-to-decision workflows for DoD and IC. It is a direct peer given overlapping mission focus (edge inference, multi-sensor fusion) for similar DoD/IC buyers.
• Primer AI: Primer AI provides NLP and multi-source intelligence analysis tools to defense and IC customers. It is a direct peer given overlapping focus on multi-INT fusion, entity resolution, and natural-language interfaces for analyst workflows.
• Shield AI: Shield AI builds AI products for defense including autonomous systems and edge intelligence. It is a direct peer to Zapata AI given its focus on tactical-edge AI capabilities delivered to DoD operators, though Shield AI's center of gravity is on autonomy while Zapata AI emphasizes multi-INT fusion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zapata AI