In a world where everything from ride-hailing to national defense hinges on uninterrupted positioning data, TERN is betting that the future of navigation won’t orbit the Earth.
The Austin-based startup has raised $7.5 million in a seed extension round to scale its Independently Derived Positioning System (IDPS™) — a software-based navigation platform that delivers precise location data without GPS, satellites, or external signals. The round includes backing from Scout VC, Vanderbilt Endowment, Shadow Capital, and Bravo Victor VC, along with other unnamed investors.
Founded by former special operations veterans and AI engineers, TERN is developing AI-based alternatives to satellite navigation, targeting sectors where GPS outages are not just inconvenient, but dangerous — including defense, autonomous vehicles, delivery fleets, and emergency response.
“We’re delivering an intelligent, software-only solution built for this new era,” said Brett Harrison, Co-Founder and President of TERN. “One that works seamlessly even in tunnels, dense cities, remote terrain, and contested environments — without satellites or external infrastructure.”
Where GPS Can’t Go
GPS is often considered a utility — stable, always available, and universally adopted. But it has well-documented blind spots. Dense urban environments (“urban canyons”), underground tunnels, remote regions, and interference zones can render it useless. And for autonomous systems or mission-critical operations, that failure isn’t just frustrating — it’s a risk.
TERN’s IDPS™ sidesteps this vulnerability by leveraging AI to interpret real-time map and sensor data, creating a self-contained positioning system that does not rely on any external signal. Crucially, it integrates without requiring additional hardware like LiDAR or cameras.
Live trials of IDPS™ have already taken place across major cities and rural highways. In one demo, a vehicle using the platform successfully navigated Tokyo’s notoriously GPS-hostile urban maze with uninterrupted precision. In the U.S., it’s being piloted by automotive OEMs and delivery companies, and has already passed evaluations by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“This round allows us to scale across industries — from automakers building the next generation of vehicles, to governments advancing mission resilience,” said Shaun Moore, Co-Founder and CEO of TERN.
Why This Matters Now
The funding arrives at a moment of growing scrutiny around satellite dependency. From deliberate GPS jamming in geopolitically tense regions to accidental outages during solar storms, the fragility of satellite-based systems is under increasing pressure.
At the same time, autonomous vehicles, robotics, and critical infrastructure are becoming more reliant on uninterrupted geolocation. TERN’s bet is that future navigation must be built not on signals from 20,000 kilometers above the Earth — but on intelligent, resilient systems embedded closer to the ground.
Their approach is software-only, making it more scalable and cost-effective than many hardware-intensive alternatives. The platform also boosts traditional systems by improving ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) performance and removing GPS as a single point of failure.
The company’s recent advancement in the U.S. Army’s xTechOverwatch competition suggests growing defense interest in satellite-independent technologies — especially as military operations increasingly rely on secure, resilient comms and positioning in contested environments.
With this round, TERN is positioning itself as more than just a GPS alternative — it’s building what may become a new navigation layer for a post-GPS world.
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