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Watchtower Labs raises $35M seed led by Shield Capital and Conviction

The Bellevue startup secured seed backing from defense-focused and tech investors to expand its software platform and hire.

OSH Desk1 min read

Watchtower Labs, a software startup headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, announced on Oct. 22 that it has raised $35 million in a seed funding round [1].

The transaction was co-led by venture capital firms Shield Capital and Conviction, with additional participation from Founders Fund and In-Q-Tel [1]. The business was co-founded by Chief Executive Officer Akhil Iyer, Chief Technology Officer Souren Aghajanyan, and Head of Engineering John Morman to develop its technical platform [1].

Currently, Watchtower Labs maintains a team of approximately 30 staff members spread across several office locations throughout the United States [1]. Its leadership noted the challenge of operational preparation, with Iyer stating that "Planning for that is really hard" [1].

With this fresh capital, Watchtower Labs intends to focus on scaling its engineering headcount, fulfilling active client contracts, and broadening the capabilities of its core software platform [1].

Questions and answers

How much capital did Watchtower Labs raise in its seed round?

Watchtower Labs raised $35 million in its seed round announced on Oct. 22.

Who led the financing round for Watchtower Labs?

The financing was co-led by venture capital firms Shield Capital and Conviction.

Where is Watchtower Labs located?

The startup is based in Bellevue, Washington, and maintains employees across multiple offices in the United States.

TopicsPre-seed & seed

Companies & investors in this story

Sources

  1. 1.Ex-Marine and Microsoft vets launch Watchtower Labs with $35M to bring AI to military logistics — GeekWire, Oct 22, 2026

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