ACT Venture Partners Invests €1 Million in Drone Communications Startup Arke Telekom

Arke Telekom has secured €1 million in funding from ACT Venture Partners. Its ArkeLink technology is designed to enable reliable communications between unmanned aerial vehicles in electronic warfare and signal-jamming environments.

ACT Venture Partners, a venture capital firm focused on deep-tech investments, has invested €1 million in Ankara-based Arke Telekom. The company’s ArkeLink technology is designed to keep unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) connected in challenging environments, including those affected by electronic warfare, signal jamming, and the disruption of satellite navigation systems.

The Growing Need for UAV Communications in Electronic Warfare

As UAVs take on an increasingly important role in military operations, they are becoming smaller, more affordable, and more widely deployed. However, signal jamming and communication disruptions in electronic warfare environments can directly affect mission success. Conventional communication systems developed for large military platforms are not always suited to the needs of smaller UAVs.

Jam-Resistant Communications Through Self-Healing Mesh Networks

ArkeLink combines software-defined radio technology with a self-forming and self-healing mesh network architecture, allowing communication paths to be automatically rerouted when individual links are disrupted.

Barış Karadeniz, Co-founder and CTO of Arke Telekom, explained the technology:

“Communication links remain one of the key vulnerabilities of UAVs, particularly in electronic warfare environments. A strong radio connection alone is not enough. Networks must be able to adapt to changing conditions and maintain communications even when individual links are lost. With ArkeLink, we combine jam-resistant communications with a self-organising network architecture. Our goal is to deliver these capabilities in a compact, scalable solution that can be used across different unmanned systems.”

Experienced Engineering Team and NATO DIANA Selection

Arke Telekom’s co-founders, Dr. Saygun Önay and Barış Karadeniz, together with COO Dr. Tolga Numanoğlu, bring extensive experience in radio communication systems, waveform design, and embedded software. The team has worked on numerous projects involving the development and deployment of tactical communication systems for the defence industry.

The company has also been selected for NATO DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic), NATO’s accelerator programme supporting innovative defence technologies. The programme provides access to testing facilities across NATO member countries, the international defence technology ecosystem, and potential industry partners.

ACT Investment to Support International Expansion

Dr. Saygun Önay, Co-founder and CEO of Arke Telekom, commented on the investment:

“The €1 million investment from ACT Venture Partners marks an important step toward bringing ArkeLink to international markets. Our ambition is to bring the technologies we have developed through years of engineering expertise to customers worldwide. ACT’s experience in deep-tech investing, technical expertise, and international network make them more than a financial investor for us. We see them as a strategic partner who will support our growth ambitions.”

Erhan Z. Kılıçözlü, Managing Partner at ACT Venture Partners, commented on the investment:

“What impressed us most about Arke was the team’s deep expertise in advanced communications technologies and their proven track record of developing these technologies over many years. In defence technology, a strong idea alone is not enough. You need teams capable of solving complex engineering challenges and bringing technology into real-world applications. Arke is exactly that kind of team. With the demand for reliable communications in electronic warfare environments growing rapidly, we believe their technology has significant potential in international markets.”

Potential Applications Beyond Defence

While defence remains ArkeLink’s primary market, the technology also has potential applications in disaster response, search and rescue, public safety, and critical infrastructure safety operations.

With ACT Venture Partners’ investment, Arke Telekom aims to expand internationally and broaden its product portfolio to serve different types of unmanned systems.

Links and Contact Information

Arke Telekom

ACT Venture Partners