Hidden Level, Inc.
"Safety Through Sensing"
Syracuse, NY maker of passive RF sensors (BREAKER, SURGE) and an airspace-monitoring data service that detect drones, even RF-silent ones, without transmitting.
Hidden Level, Inc. is a U.S. developer and manufacturer of passive radio-frequency (RF) sensing systems for airspace and spectrum awareness, used for drone detection and counter-UAS missions. Jeff Cole, the company's CEO, founded it in September 2018. Hidden Level is headquartered at 1014 N Geddes St in Syracuse, New York. Its hardware and software are designed and manufactured in Syracuse with a U.S.-based supply chain, and it added a second manufacturing facility in May 2024.
Hidden Level's sensors do not transmit any energy. They pick up RF emissions from drones, controllers and other aircraft, and they use passive radar to track RF-silent aircraft, combining passive radar, RF detection, spectrum sensing and electronic-warfare functions. The company says its systems are FCC compliant, TRL9 tested and built to MIL-STD-810, with frequency coverage up to 6 GHz, detection out to 25 km in rural environments and 2° angle accuracy. The hardware line has three products. BREAKER is a 101 lb sensor for wide-area coverage of critical infrastructure that draws under 250 W. SURGE is a vehicle-mountable sensor for passive radar and direction finding, made up of a 75 lb sensor and a 24 lb coprocessor. BYOTx is a software-defined radio transmitter that supports multistatic radar operations and, paired with Hidden Level sensors, detection of Group 1-3 UAS beyond 10 km. Data integrates through an open API with ATAK, ESRI and other platforms. Customers who do not want to field their own sensors can buy data from Hidden Level's sensor network through its Airspace Monitoring Service (AMS), offered as data as a service.
The first AMS installation went live in Arlington, Texas, in October 2021, and the Arlington Police Department has used it for large public events. Other milestones include a NASA/STC award in 2020, a collaboration with Uber Elevate in 2020, an FAA program award in 2022, a DoD OSD(R&E) APFIT award in 2023, AFWERX SBIR awards in 2023 and 2024, a Joint Staff J-7 Warfighter Lab Incentive Fund award in 2024 and work securing airspace for the January 2025 U.S. presidential inauguration. The Defense Innovation Unit named Hidden Level a top performer in its C-sUAS Low-Cost Sensing Challenge.
In July 2026 the Department of War awarded Hidden Level a $100 million Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract, issued through Army Contracting Command-Rock Island. The award followed its performance in government-led evaluations, including T-REX 25.2 and Falcon Peak 25.2. Under the OTA, Hidden Level will deploy its sensors to detect, track and identify crewed and uncrewed aircraft over military installations, test ranges and the U.S. border.
Hidden Level raised a $17.6 million Series A in June 2021 and closed its Series C in February 2025. Press reports put its early-2025 financing at about $100 million, with investors including DFJ Growth and Lockheed Martin Ventures. Reported headcount was 104 in April 2025, and LinkedIn lists 51-200 employees. The leadership team includes CTO Tim Graham and CFO Mike Goll.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
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Contact Hidden Level, Inc.
WEBSITE
https://www.hiddenlevel.com/HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2018
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Growth / Late-Stage VC
Funding Total
-
