Pilgrim, a California-based biotechnology and defense technology startup, has raised $25 million in seed funding at a $150 million valuation to expand its work in automated biological threat detection.

The funding round was led by Buckley Ventures, with participation from investors including Peter Thiel, Fred Ehrsam, Logan Graham and Sholto Douglas.

Pilgrim said it will use the new capital to expand its hardware engineering and biodefense research teams, accelerate the rollout of its automated monitoring devices in the US, and develop its broader biotechnology product pipeline.

Founded by Thiel Fellow Jake Adler, Pilgrim is developing automated hardware and biotechnology systems designed to detect airborne biological threats in near real time.

Its main product, Argus, is a 50-pound device designed for locations such as airports, mass-transit centers and military facilities. The system continuously collects air samples and performs genetic extraction and genomic sequencing inside the device to identify potentially dangerous pathogens.

The company says Argus can detect biological threats including pathogens such as Ebola and anthrax.

Pilgrim has also signed an agreement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop an automated airborne biosurveillance system and has begun deploying Argus devices across the US.

The funding highlights growing investor interest in technologies designed to automate biological monitoring and provide earlier detection of potential biosecurity threats.