Ultralytics Raises $30 Million in Series A Funding to Propel Open-Source Vision AI Innovation
In a significant milestone for the artificial intelligence industry, Ultralytics, a global leader in vision AI at the edge, has successfully closed a $30 million Series A funding round. The investment was led by Elephant, with participation from SquareOne, underscoring strong confidence in Ultralytics’ mission to drive open-source innovation and transform computer vision technologies. This funding will accelerate research and development while expanding the ecosystem of application-layer solutions powered by Ultralytics’ groundbreaking YOLO (You Only Look Once) models.
Open-Source Vision AI: A Phenomenon Redefining Industries
At the heart of Ultralytics’ success lies its revolutionary vision AI technology, which enables organizations to automate object detection, image segmentation, and actionable insights derived from visual data. Vision AI is already being deployed across diverse industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, robotics, and retail. Use cases range from monitoring crop health and streamlining logistics to enhancing autonomous driving systems and improving quality control in manufacturing processes.
Central to Ultralytics’ value proposition are its open-source YOLO models, which have become a cornerstone of modern computer vision. YOLO, short for “You Only Look Once,” is an object detection and image segmentation model designed for speed, accuracy, and accessibility. Ultralytics has redefined the capabilities of YOLO, delivering models that are not only faster and lighter but also easier to integrate into real-world applications. These innovations have made Ultralytics YOLO the go-to choice for developers and enterprises alike.
The impact of Ultralytics’ work is staggering. As of September 2025, Ultralytics’ models are trusted by over 1 million developers worldwide and are used more than 2 billion times per day across 200+ countries. The company boasts over 115,000 GitHub stars and was ranked as the #5 open-source repository globally in GitHub’s 2024 Octoverse Report, surpassing projects like Google’s Flutter and Langchain. This widespread adoption underscores the transformative power of Ultralytics’ open-source contributions.
From Profitability to Global Leadership
Since launching its enterprise licensing model in 2023, Ultralytics has grown into a global leader in computer vision, serving a world-class clientele that includes Siemens, STMicroelectronics, Duolingo, Fortune 500 companies, and leading startups. Remarkably, the company has achieved this growth while remaining profitable from day one, relying on organic expansion rather than heavy outside funding. Its enterprise model ensures secure, large-scale deployments in closed environments, enabling businesses to leverage Ultralytics’ vision AI technology for mission-critical applications.
This balance of open-source innovation and enterprise-grade reliability has created a unique competitive advantage for Ultralytics. By fostering a vibrant developer community and delivering scalable solutions for businesses, the company has established itself as a trailblazer in the AI space.
Backed by Visionary Investors
The latest funding round reflects strong investor confidence in Ultralytics’ trajectory. Peter Fallon, General Partner at Elephant, highlighted the company’s unique position in the market:
“Ultralytics stands out for its ability to harness the power of open-source innovation while delivering enterprise-grade vision AI solutions capable of handling business-critical applications at the edge. The strength of their open-source community, commercial traction, and capital efficiency are all impressive. We’re thrilled to partner with Glenn and the Ultralytics team as they embark on their next phase of growth.”
Georg Stockinger, Partner at SquareOne, echoed this sentiment, noting the company’s rapid ascent since its seed-stage investment:
“We invested in Ultralytics early because we believed in the transformative potential of open-source and Glenn’s vision. They’ve since built one of the largest AI developer communities, creating a defensible moat in modern tech. We’re excited to continue supporting Ultralytics as it expands its global impact in vision AI.”
Accelerating Growth and Expanding Impact
With the new funding, Ultralytics is poised to scale its operations significantly. The company plans to accelerate hiring across key areas, including YOLO research and development, enterprise solutions engineering, and go-to-market teams. This expansion will enable Ultralytics to deepen partnerships, enhance product offerings, and drive broader customer adoption.
Paula Derrenger, VP of Growth at Ultralytics, emphasized the company’s commitment to both its customers and the open-source community:
“Growth at Ultralytics isn’t just about metrics—it’s about building meaningful products that empower our customers and the open-source community that has supported us from the start. This investment allows us to scale globally, expand adoption, and turn innovation into real-world impact for organizations everywhere.”
A Celebration of Innovation: YOLO Vision Event
To celebrate its achievements and showcase its latest advancements, Ultralytics will host its annual YOLO Vision event in London on September 25th. The event will bring together researchers, engineers, and developers from over 500 companies for a full day of keynotes, live demos, networking, and product launches. Attendees will gain insights into the future of vision AI and explore how Ultralytics continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
About Ultralytics
Founded by Glenn Jocher, Ultralytics is a leading force in vision AI, best known for its Ultralytics YOLO (You Only Look Once) models. With over 115,000 GitHub stars, 115+ million Python package downloads, and 2 billion daily usages, Ultralytics YOLOv5, YOLOv8, and now YOLO11 have become widely recognized object detection models globally. Ultralytics empowers users with easy-to-use, cutting-edge AI technology. Our mission is to simplify and democratize the use of AI, making it accessible and impactful across industries ranging from manufacturing to agriculture, healthcare, and more.
About Elephant VC
Elephant is a venture capital firm focused on the enterprise software, consumer internet, and mobile markets.
About SquareOne
SquareOne is a Berlin-based venture capital firm investing in pre-seed and seed-stage B2B technology companies across Europe. Founded in 2010 (formerly Paua Ventures), SquareOne backs ambitious founders in software and deep tech, helping build the foundation for the category-defining tech leaders of tomorrow. Its portfolio includes Stripe, Pipedrive, CarbonOne, Wandelbots, and Ultralytics.
