With the Federal Aviation Administration estimating that 7 million drones will roam the skies by 2020, the risk of collisions is becoming a major concern. Echodyne Inc. believes that the key to addressing the challenge is increasing the range at which potential dangers can be spotted.

The Bellevue, Washington-based startup hopes to provide the solution in the form of a homegrown radar that has helped it secure a $29 million investment announced today from New Enterprise Associates and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates. Marketed under the name Metamaterial Electronically Scanned Array, or MESA, the system is based on a synthetic composite with properties rarely found in nature. The startup has applied it in a configuration that is described as considerably more efficient than traditional alternatives.

Instead of relying on discrete antennas as a conventional phased array radar does, MESA uses a metamaterial board with a complex three-dimensional structure specifically engineered for propagating radio waves. The board enables the system to transmit signals using far less power and supporting hardware than regular phased arrays while still retaining the advantages of the technology, which is considered best in class. As a result, Echodyne claims that MESA is more accurate than the less sophisticated radar and LiDAR variants which drone makers have been forced to use so far because of logistical constraints.

The system has a field of view roughly equivalent to that of a human with all-weather vision: Echodyne claims that MESA can see objects through rain, clouds and even glare. The most powerful model can spot a Cessna aircraft from up to 1.8 miles away.

Another iteration currently in development will have a shorter range and a smaller physical footprint to meet the requirements of self-driving vehicles. Echodyne plans to use today’s funding to take up the fight against the established players in the autonomous navigation market. Most of them sell systems based on either LiDAR equipment or simple cameras, which both have visibility disadvantages compared with phased array technology.

Echodyne will need much more than an appealing value proposition to establish a foothold in the auto market. The startup must also establish partnerships with key car suppliers, an area where the competition has a considerable head start.

Judging by the amount of funding that it has raised, Echodyne’s investors seems confident in its ability to bridge the gap. Today’s round was led by NEA and saw the participation of several other notable backers, including Gates. The billionaire led Echodyne’s previous $14 million raise back in 2014.

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