Israeli Startup Insignito Secures $1.5M Grant to Advance DUMBO Acoustic Drone Detection System
Israeli counter-drone startup Insignito has received a $1.5 million grant from the Israel Innovation Authority to accelerate development of its DUMBO acoustic drone detection, classification, and tracking system. Under a two-year R&D roadmap, DUMBO aims to detect combustion-engine drones at 5 km and electric drones at 1 km, featuring a compact modular design deployable in border surveillance, vehicle-mounted, and soldier-portable configurations.
Highlights
- Insignito received a $1.5 million grant from the Israel Innovation Authority under the SEED program to fund a two-year DUMBO system development roadmap.
- The DUMBO acoustic system can detect combustion-engine drones at up to 5 km and electric drones at up to 1 km using multi-microphone arrays.
- DUMBO's compact 30×30 cm modular hardware supports soldier-portable, border surveillance, and vehicle-mounted counter-drone deployments.
- The system's onboard classification engine identifies specific drone models and reduces false-alarm rates, including in dense urban environments.
- Insignito positions DUMBO as a C-UAS solution for protecting strategic sites and critical infrastructure across defense and security sectors.
Israeli Startup Insignito Secures $1.5M Grant to Advance DUMBO Acoustic Drone Detection System
Israeli counter-drone technology startup Insignito has announced it has received a $1.5 million grant from the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) to further develop its flagship product — the DUMBO acoustic drone detection, classification, and tracking system.
Two-Year R&D Program Gets Underway
In an official LinkedIn post, Insignito stated: "As part of the Innovation Authority's SEED program, we are embarking on a two-year R&D journey aimed at advancing DUMBO to a new level of technological maturity. This support will enable us to accelerate product development, address increasingly complex operational challenges, and continue positioning DUMBO as a solution for protecting strategic sites and critical infrastructure."
DUMBO System: Technical Highlights
According to Insignito's official website, the DUMBO system is equipped with advanced multi-microphone arrays and proprietary acoustic software, offering the following core capabilities:
- Detection Range: Capable of detecting combustion-engine drones at distances of up to 5 km, and electric drones at up to 1 km
- Intelligent Classification: An onboard engine identifies specific drone models, reduces false-alarm rates, and provides accurate azimuth estimation — remaining effective even in high-density urban environments
- Modular Design: The core hardware consists of a compact 30×30 cm module that serves as a flexible platform adaptable to a wide range of deployment scenarios
Multi-Scenario Deployment Flexibility
DUMBO's modular architecture allows it to be flexibly deployed across a variety of defensive contexts:
- Soldier-Portable: In field environments, individual soldiers can carry the unit for mobile personal protection
- Border Surveillance: Multiple modules can be networked together to achieve precise localization through triangulation
- Vehicle Integration: When mounted on vehicles, the system can activate filtering algorithms to suppress engine noise, ensuring reliable detection performance while in motion
Insignito says this modular design allows DUMBO to adapt broadly to defense and security applications, positioning it as a viable counter-UAS (C-UAS) solution for protecting critical infrastructure.
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