Kilsar, a Virginia Beach, VA-based dual-use AI software company, has raised $3.7 million in a seed funding round.
Investors
The round was led by Lightbank and Cotulla Capital, with participation from Techstars and Scalewolf.
Lightbank is a Chicago-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage, technology-driven startups. Founded in 2010, Lightbank focuses on pre-seed to Series A rounds, backing disruptive companies primarily outside the coastal tech hubs.
Cotulla Capital is a private equity investment firm headquartered in New York, NY. It focuses on investments across various sectors.
Kilsar Use of Funds
The company will use the funds to grow its engineering and deployment teams, onboard new clients in the defense and commercial sectors, and enhance its AI-powered Orion platform.
About Kilsar
Founded by Brendan Lawlor, Justin Carpenter, and Zach Casey, Kilsar focuses on capturing tribal knowledge and transforming technical maintenance training. Its flagship platform, Orion, digitizes and structures complex procedures into interactive, AI-powered workflows. The platform empowers both new learners and active maintainers to upskill faster, reduce time-to-diagnose, and operate with greater confidence and precision. Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the company's mission is to preserve and scale knowledge that has traditionally been trapped in the minds of retiring maintainers.
Funding Details
Company: Kilsar, Inc.
Raised: $3.7M
Round: Seed
Funding Date: July 2025
Lead Investors: Lightbank, Cotulla Capital
Additional Investors: Techstars, Scalewolf
Company Website: https://www.kilsar.com/
Software Category: AI / Workforce Training / Industrial Tech
Source: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kilsar-raises-3-7m-to-revolutionize-maintenance--maintenance-training-with-ai-302507323.html