About Artis
Artis makes real-time active protection systems that detect and destroy incoming threats aimed at military vehicles, including rocket-propelled grenades, missiles and drones. The systems rely on fast sensing and parallel processing to react within microseconds. Artis also builds safety and sensing systems for highway and automotive use, and for environmental sensing in commercial markets.
Artis was founded in 1999 and is based in Herndon, Virginia, with a lab in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a test range in West Virginia. Keith Brendley co-founded the company and is its president and chief executive officer. In June 2024, Artis signed a joint venture agreement with Bin Hilal Enterprises to sell its Sentinel system to military buyers in the United Arab Emirates and the surrounding region.
Funding Rounds (SEC Form D)
| First sale | Filed with SEC | Amount sold | Investors | Avg. check | Terms | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 3, 2026 | $2,000,000of $20.0M target | 1 | $2.0M | EquityRule 506(b) | Form D ↗ |
First sale is the date the first investor in the offering committed to invest. Companies must file Form D within 15 days of that date, so filing dates run later.
Why Investors Backed Artis
Artis makes active protection systems that detect and destroy incoming threats before they strike military vehicles. Its Sentinel system is designed to defeat rocket-propelled grenades, missiles and drone attacks within microseconds. Founded in 1999 and based in Herndon, Virginia, the company has already signed a joint venture to sell Sentinel abroad. Investors backed a company with a working product and a path to international sales.
The problem it targets
Military vehicles face fast threats — rocket-propelled grenades, missiles and drone swarms — that older defense systems may not detect in time. Artis's case is that stopping them requires reacting within microseconds, far faster than many existing systems can manage, including attacks that come from directly above a vehicle.
What the product does
Artis's main product, called Sentinel, is an active protection system that senses an incoming round and fires a countermeasure to destroy or divert it before it hits a vehicle. Sentinel grew out of an earlier system called Iron Curtain and is also known as Improved Iron Curtain, or I2C, outside the United States. Keith Brendley has said Sentinel can also stop sabot rounds and fuzed threats, in addition to missiles and drones. Artis also makes safety and sensing systems for highway and automotive use, and for environmental sensing.
Progress so far
In June 2024, Artis and Bin Hilal Enterprises signed a memorandum of understanding at the Eurosatory defense conference in Paris to form a joint venture. The venture is meant to supply Sentinel to military customers in the United Arab Emirates and nearby allies, along with manufacturing, spare parts, field services, warranty support and training.
We wrote this summary from public statements by Artis and its investors. It is not investment advice.
Artis in the News
Leadership Team
Executive officers and directors listed on Artis's Form D filed Nov 3, 2026.
