Leadership: Josh Araujo (CEO) and Scott Sanders (CGO)
Sector: Defense Technology
Location: Clarksburg, MD
The Opportunity
Across service branches, the U.S. Department of Defense manages a vast fleet of over 400,000 ground vehicles. Modernizing this fleet to be autonomous would enable more troops to be out of harm’s way while maintaining operational readiness and effectiveness. However, this transformation requires a new kind of company. Traditional defense contractors, while experts in hardware, are not built to deliver the agile, software-defined, and interoperable platforms that autonomous operations demand. This has created a critical gap and a $10B+ opportunity for a company that can deliver autonomy at scale.
The Solution
Forterra is building the connective tissue for modern operations by successfully delivering both the hardware and operating system for autonomous platforms.
Instead of creating a single, proprietary vehicle, Forterra provides a full-stack platform that can be retrofitted onto existing vehicles or integrated into new ones. Forterra has over 100 patents across five core components, with additional integrated technologies that expand the ecosystem:
AutoDrive: A software-enabled hardware kit that allows vehicles to navigate autonomously in the most complex off-road and remote environments.
TerraLink: A powerful command and control (C2) interface that allows human operators to manage entire fleets of autonomous vehicles.
OASIS (Open Architecture Standard for Interoperable Systems): Forterra’s open architecture platform and interoperable mission module, a new operating standard. It enables the government and third-party developers to build and deploy new capabilities on top of the AutoDrive platform, thereby preventing vendor lock-in.
Vektor: A software-defined communications and data-brokering layer built for the edge, ensuring reliable performance in degraded or low-bandwidth conditions.
goTenna: Technology that delivers interoperable mesh networking devices and software that provide secure, off-grid communication for defense and public safety missions.
Why We’re Investing in Forterra
We believe Forterra is building a category-defining company with the rare ability to field interoperable autonomy at scale. Our conviction is driven by their world-class team, undeniable market traction, and defensible, ecosystem-first platform.
The company is led by an exceptional team that possesses elite go-to-market execution, deep technical expertise, and a two-decade foundation of technical excellence, established by founder Alberto Lacaze and CTO Joseph Putney. CEO Josh Araujo brings a powerful combination of experience as a U.S. Marine officer and an experienced defense investment banker. He is joined by fellow Marine and Chief Growth Officer Scott Sanders, an early and pivotal employee at Anduril who is widely regarded as one of the best GTM leaders in the defense community. Scott Philips — former CTO of Vannevar Labs and an early Palantir employee — also recently joined the Forterra team.
Forterra has achieved what few others in the defense technology space have — securing contracts with meaningful programs of record, including those within the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army, and deploying their technology in the field.
This traction demonstrates Forterra’s ability to move beyond R&D and deliver real, fielded capabilities, including commercial pilots for yard truck autonomy, demonstrating Forterra’s dual-use capabilities. The team is also building a powerful ecosystem through partnerships with major primes, such as Volvo Defense, BAE Systems, and Raytheon’s RTX, that solidify Forterra’s position as a significant node for any mission in need of autonomous capabilities.
What’s Next
Looking ahead, we see Forterra positioned to become the default, next-generation prime contractor for ground operations and logistics. The long-term vision is for Forterra’s OASIS platform to become the department-wide, interoperable operating system for autonomy. This involves scaling deployment across a variety of programs across the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and other service branches to modernize an increasing share of the DoD’s ground vehicle fleet. As a leading provider to the DoD for autonomous missions, Forterra is well-positioned to capture the growing commercial market for off-road autonomy as well.
Salesforce Ventures has invested in Forterra as part of its $238 million Series C funding round. We are excited to partner with Josh, Scott, Alberto, and the entire Forterra team as they redefine autonomy and build the connective tissue for modern operations.
Welcome to the Salesforce Ventures portfolio, Forterra!
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