Wilmington-based Second Front Systems has raised $70 million in what is likely the largest funding round for a tech startup in Greater Philadelphia this year.
The Series C round was led by Salesforce Ventures with participation from new investor Battery Ventures, and existing investors New Enterprise Associates, Moore Strategic Ventures and Artis Ventures.
The fundraising round brings the defense technology company's total funding to over $150 million following a $40 million Series B last fall.
Second Front Systems has grown revenue 475% in the last 18 months, CEO Tyler Sweatt said in a blog post, coinciding with a 350% increase in customers. Total headcount has also been on the rise, growing from 100 at the time of its last round in November 2023 to nearly 130 now.
Founded in 2014 by U.S. Marine Corps veterans Peter Dixon, Mark Butler and Nate Hughes, the company's platform allows U.S. and allied governments to quickly integrate commercial software applications for their own uses. The platform, known as Game Warden, also allows companies — from startups like Shift5 or Aleria to major tech firms like Ultra Electronics Holdings — to sell their software and have it deployed for national defense purposes. The platform shortens the integration process with government technology from a matter of years to just days. Game Warden is also used by tech giants like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft.
"The Series C funding adds fuel to the fire, enabling us to scale quicker, faster, and stronger," Sweatt said in his blog post. "This isn’t just about growth; it’s about accelerating our ability to deliver impactful solutions that align with our mission."
Sweatt served in Afghanistan and is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He previously founded and sold tech consulting firm Future Tense and was the head of national security for CalypsoAI. Sweatt took over as CEO just over a year ago after holding the role of chief revenue officer.
In recent weeks Sweatt was joined in the C-suite by a new chief technology officer in Josh Bosquez, and Jason Weiss, the previous chief software officer for the Department of Defense, who became Second Front's chief technology officer for the public sector. Former U.S. Sen. Martha McSally (R-Arizona) has joined the company's board of directors.
Earlier this year, Second Front secured a pilot contract with NATO's Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic in a play for further international expansion and adoption of the Game Warden platform. It builds on existing relationships with the Pentagon and the Department of Defense in the U.S.
As of the end of the second quarter, ZeroEyes had the largest fundraising round for a startup outside of the life sciences sector in Greater Philadelphia with its $53 million round in the summer, according to Pitchbook data.
