Ukrainian AI-Enforced Defense Tech Griselda Raises USD 600K to Enhance Situational Awareness

• Ukrainian AI-powered data processing platform Griselda secures USD 600K from Double Tap Investments to enhance defense intelligence solutions
• Born from battlefield necessity, Griselda improves real-time situational awareness and mission-critical decision-making
• Future plans include more NATO-aligned integrations, enhanced real-time intelligence processing, and expanded pilot programs

This March, Ukrainian dual-use data processing solution provider Griselda announced the successful closing of its USD 600K Seed round. The investor is the Finnish-Ukrainian defense tech VC fund Double Tap investments.

When Slow Decision-Making, Outdated Intelligence Tools Became Critical Fallbacks

Griselda was founded in 2022 by two longtime friends. Dmytro Shamrai (CPO) has dedicated a significant part of his career to public initiatives, playing a key role in the formation of the Democratic Axe movement, advocating for the decriminalization of medical cannabis in Ukraine, and participating in various projects aimed at building a modern democratic society.

Oleksii Teplukhin (CEO) is a seasoned developer and entrepreneur with extensive experience in large-scale projects. His work includes the development of Ukraine’s digital timber inventory system and Armor, a military software actively used by artillery and infantry units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. For over a decade, he specialized in software product development and building high-performance teams.

The obvious trigger for creating Griselda came during the early days of the Russian invasion. They witnessed firsthand how slow decision-making, outdated intelligence tools, and overwhelming data were leading to operational failures on the battlefield. Recognizing that modern warfare required a faster, more data-driven approach, they set out to build a solution that would provide real-time situational awareness, automate intelligence workflows, and enhance military decision-making.

Concisely put, Griselda was born from necessity—designed by those who saw the gaps in existing systems and built platforms capable of processing vast amounts of data, adaptable to any mission.

The Beginnings and Pure Enthusiasm

‘For the first 2.5 years, the project operated with minimal financial backing. As a result, the team’s core driving force has always been—and remains—motivation. This isn’t just a statement; some team members worked full-time for extended periods without any compensation, relying on personal savings. Surprisingly, this approach yielded an unexpected advantage: unrestricted by budget constraints, we managed to attract top-tier specialists—professionals that early-stage startups typically struggle to onboard,’ Mr Teplukhin recalls.

‘For 2.5 years, they weren’t just working off of their own motivation, but they also attracted those needed for achieving the company’s ambitious goals. They have never been choosing with whom to collaborate based on whom they could afford, instead choosing those they needed. We were quite surprised to see volunteers willing to work with them lined up,’ Double Tap Investments’ co-founder Oles Khudoba confirms.

What Griselda Means and Stands for

In the early days of the Russian invasion, as artillery echoed around Kyiv, the founders were already working on their platform, refining real-time data processing solutions for the battlefield. To block out the noise of war, they played loud music. When the question of a name came up, they glanced at the music player. It was playing Griselda,—and the name stuck.

Griselda has come to symbolize resilience, precision, and adaptability—key qualities in modern warfare and intelligence. Just as the name emerged in a moment of chaos, the platform itself was built to bring clarity in the fog of war.

In essence, Griselda stands for:

• A data-driven defense platform that transforms raw data into actionable information.
• Real-time situational awareness that integrates multiple data sources for faster decision-making.
• A next-generation approach to security, analytics, and intelligence-driven operations.
• Tailor-made solutions designed to adapt to specific mission requirements, ensuring precision, efficiency, and strategic advantage

Milestones Covered and Challenges Overcome

Since 2022, Griselda successfully built and tested a data-powered situational awareness system, which has been deployed in pilot projects with military and security agencies. In 2023, Griselda’s system played a pivotal role following the explosion at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. The company also made notable appearances at key defense events, including DALO Industry Days in Denmark and a leading defense conference in Washington, D.C., where they engaged with industry leaders, government officials, and potential partners to shape the future of defense technology.

Additionally, Griselda demonstrated its technology at the Darkstar Bootcamp, where it validated its system through field testing and explored strategic partnerships with defense sector players. The company further showcased its capabilities during a NATO exercise, delivering a near-operational solution under intense conditions, positioning itself among major tech industry players. Griselda registered its operations in Estonia through Griselda OÜ for EU activities and formed a joint venture with Summa Defence in Finland to scale its AI-driven technology. The startup has secured investment and begun onboarding to the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, and it has submitted an application to the European Defence Fund (EDF) for additional funding.

Mr Teplukhin summarizes the key challenges Griselda covered so far;

• Developing a system that is both universal and highly customizable, balancing broad applicability with specific mission requirements;
• Ensuring seamless integration with existing military and security systems;
• Managing and processing vast amounts of real-time data from multiple sources;
• Meeting strict defense security protocols, particularly those concerning сybersecurity and compliance.

The CEO points out several challenges that stood in the way of the development of real-time, mission-adaptive intelligence platforms previously. Legacy military infrastructure, built for an earlier era, was not designed to support fast, data-driven decision-making. Regulatory hurdles further slowed progress, as strict compliance requirements made it difficult to adopt new technologies. Additionally, the lack of scalable processing power created a significant barrier, as real-time data processing required advancements in computing capabilities. However, with the rise of better cloud computing, improved data integration, and a broader shift toward real-time data processing, Griselda emerged to bridge this gap, providing cutting-edge intelligence solutions for the defense and security needs of today.

‘Griselda proposes to improve the efficiency of existing devices by developing optimized data processing. This often provides a drastic effect that could not be achieved by mere hardware improvement.,’ Mr Khudoba adds.

The Platform in a Nutshell and the AI Disclaimer

Mr Teplukhin emphasizes that Griselda is not just an AI company—it is a powerful data processing system built to adapt to evolving missions and support critical decision-making with efficiency and precision. AI is just one component of Griselda’s ecosystem, enhancing automation, but the platform’s true strength lies in how it processes and delivers information. 

Griselda’s platform is designed to operate in high-stakes environments, delivering information when it matters most. Developed entirely in-house by a team specializing in data processing, data analysis, geospatial intelligence, and mission-specific defense solutions, Griselda aggregates and analyzes multiple data sources. It automates intelligence workflows to streamline decision-making in complex environments while enhancing risk assessment and predictive analytics for mission planning. The platform customizes data delivery based on specific operational needs, ensuring relevant intelligence reaches the right decision-makers. 

Issues Tackled and Problems Solved

As an innovative platform for the development of defense and civilian solutions, Griselda provides fast and accurate access to data for real-time decision-making, from military operations to humanitarian aid:

• For military use, Griselda’s system analyzes data from multiple sources to identify potential threats and anomalies before they escalate. By delivering real-time intelligence where it’s needed, it significantly improves response times and enhances mission efficiency.
• For security and civilian use, the system aids in disaster response and humanitarian efforts by assessing risks and improving crisis management. It also strengthens security operations with tailored, mission-specific intelligence solutions, ensuring more effective and coordinated responses.

Briefly put, Griselda gives military, security, and crisis teams instant, clear pixel of reality to act fast and stay ahead.

‘The unique approach to solving a broad array of problems: Griselda offers a universal platform for creating tailor-made solutions, which allows for quick adaptation of tools to specific needs, as opposed to forcing users to adjust to universal solutions, as is the case with Palantir. In 10 hours time, they can create a solution for evacuation, 3 days to develop a NATO military training system, or 5 days to integrate 5 sensor manufacturers for specific conditions,’ Mr Khudoba comments.

What’s Next?

With support from investors, Griselda gains access to operational experience, deep industry insights, and global networks. Namely, this empowers the startup to enhance its data processing capabilities, develop mission-specific intelligence solutions, and strengthen partnerships with European and international security organizations.

Mr Teplukhin shares his company’s plans:

• Further NATO-aligned integrations for broader defense adoption;
• Enhancements in real-time intelligence processing for higher adaptability;
• Operational testing in high-risk security environments;
• Scaling real-world pilot programs in the US and EU.

As modern conflicts and security challenges evolve, Griselda’s technology plays a vital role in enabling faster, smarter, and more adaptive decision-making. Pioneering AI-driven defense intelligence, addressing critical gaps in real-time situational awareness for military, security, and civilian applications, Griselda overcomes legacy infrastructure limitations and leverages advanced cloud computing and data integration. Thus, the solution significantly enhances threat detection, crisis response, and mission efficiency.