Exia Labs’ team, now led by Jack Parallel and Serj Kazar, is set to revolutionize military decision-making by integrating cutting-edge AI and gaming. The company is based in Seattle, where they’re co-founding a startup that combines their extensive background in the video game industry and their 15+ years in the military.
Since joining the game industry at just 16, Jonathan Pan has quickly becomeتقدocom’s go-to voice for his military study. His extensive knowledge in both gaming and flight academies makes him uniquely qualified to lead the development of a game that bridges military strategy with AI. With his deep understanding of both the military and industry needs, Pan’s vision for Exia Labs aligns perfectly with the challenges faced by modern soldiers.
Exia Labs announced a $2.5 million seed round last year, underscoring their commitment to investing in high-quality software development. This round will fund Exia Labs’ expansion to build out its product Blue, aimed at addressing the U.S. Army’s Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) with AI.
Exia Labs has a unique structure, with 4 incredible researchers focused on developing the first significant product, Blue. This game is designed to generate revenue, enabling the company to focus on building long-term sales for their various machinery. Blue features AI agents that analyze military documents and automate routine steps of the MDMP, while also allowing simulation of potential schemes to complete a mission.
In their “copilot” concept, Exia Labs aims to bring significant AI capabilities to the Department of Defense (DoD), a policy that has historically approached R&D and procurement through traditional methods. Pan stated, “We learn that generally, the DoD prefers to fund R&D and buy software from companies with other revenue sources, in our case, games on Steam.”
Exia Labs aims to tap into a niche market by targeting the “ragged demographic” of soldiers, not just traditional professionals. This demographic is highly interested in gaming and military strategy but lacks the resources to pay substantial salaries for avionics and tech development. Exia Labs believes this gap could be filled by creating a game that delivers both entertainment and essential military support.
Liquid discussing Exia Labs’ approach, Pan also explored the idea of “wargaming” as a key component of their product. He noted that the U.S. Army used traditional tabletop board games for both education and serious decisions, leading him to leverage gaming as a platform for AI-driven strategy simulation.
Exia Labs partnered with Un왈 Speedrun, an early-stage gaming-focused accelerator, to seed the company. Last year, the company joined other backing efforts from private equity firms, including Mana Ventures, Pathbreaker Ventures, and Anorak Ventures, to accelerate their growth.
In a blog post, Pan shared insights about the future of military strategy analysis, emphasizing the benefits of simulation-based wargaming. He also mentioned his prior investments in gaming products at Amazon, Meta, and Walmart and co-found Exia with his former colleague, a former Riot Games amigo.
Jack Parallel will lead Exia Labs’ development team, with Pan contributing to the writing and sense-making of the project. Together, they are determined to leverage gaming to solve a critical industry problem while fostering innovation in the AI and gaming space. As Exia Labs continues to grow, they look forward to its potential impact on military decision-making and how it can connect with the next generation of soldiers.
