Defense Startups

Onebrief develops software designed for military and defense organizations, enabling real-time collaboration and knowledge access for command and operational teams. The product integrates processes with real-time updates for defense and government use cases.

17 investors

Icarus designs and manufactures solar-powered autonomous aircraft that fly for months at the edge of space. The company serves applications requiring long-duration stratospheric surveillance and monitoring.

10 investors

Basalt operates managed satellite constellations controlled by artificial intelligence, serving private companies and government agencies that lack aerospace expertise and want to collect and stream satellite imagery and data to their devices.

7 investors

Albacore develops mass-producible long-range drone submarines (Ghostfin platform) designed for military autonomous underwater operations. The systems use commercial off-the-shelf components and advanced propulsion technology to enable extended transit and loiter times, with embedded autonomous navigation and analytics for remote mission execution.

6 investors

Applied Electrodynamics is building WaveSight, a hardware sensing product designed to see through walls and detect objects otherwise not visible. The company is developing consumer/industrial sensing hardware based on electrodynamics technology.

5 investors

Alchemy develops vertically integrated nanotechnology solutions for high-value applications across various industries. The company focuses on fundamental nanotechnology innovations to solve major problems and delivers ready-to-use end products rather than components.

4 investors

ApolloShield develops counter-unmanned aircraft systems (cUAS) and drone detection and neutralization technology using artificial intelligence and radio frequency fingerprinting. The company serves government agencies and other organizations needing drone threat detection and mitigation capabilities.

4 investors

A company that repurposes Earth observation satellites using software to capture images of other orbiting satellites for government and defense customers.

4 investors

Ravn provides embedded engineering squads of senior product engineers to help companies accelerate product development and AI implementation. The service caters to startups, scaleups, enterprises, and product teams seeking dedicated technical talent for core engineering, AI infrastructure, and digital transformation without permanent headcount.

4 investors

Seeing Systems develops intelligent unmanned systems and autonomous drone platforms for advanced defense applications, combining AI and robotics expertise to deliver cost-effective solutions for training and contested military operations.

4 investors

Wardstone designs and plans to deploy a constellation of satellites equipped with sensors and kinetic interceptors to detect, predict, and counter hypersonic and ballistic missiles for U.S. military defense agencies. The system, called the Golden Dome, is intended to provide global missile defense capabilities across multiple domains of conflict for the Space Force, Air Force, Navy, and Missile Defense Agency.

4 investors

GUILD operates as a defense contractor that manufactures aerospace components while using AI systems to connect and optimize the contracting, manufacturing, and delivery process across requirements, pricing, supplier management, and compliance.

3 investors

Malloc is a mobile privacy and security app combining AI-driven spyware detection with a no-log VPN to protect users' data and privacy on Android and iOS devices. The app targets consumers concerned about data tracking, malware, and spyware threats on their smartphones.

3 investors

Salem Robotics develops autonomy software for robotic radiological surveys and inspections in nuclear and hazardous environments. The platform automates route planning, radiation measurement collection, and compliance reporting on existing robot hardware to reduce worker exposure and improve data consistency.

3 investors

Synapse Semiconductor is a semiconductor research lab building image sensors that run neural-network computation directly on the sensor, integrating light capture and AI processing in each pixel to replace GPU-based edge vision. Its chips target computer vision applications in self-driving cars, drones, humanoid robotics, and space systems.

3 investors

Theseus builds robotic situational awareness software using visual positioning for drones that operate in GPS-denied environments. The company serves military and defense platforms, providing a Micro Visual Positioning System designed for contested operational conditions.

3 investors

Hermes Robotics manufactures autonomy retrofit kits that enable low-speed vehicle automation for any vehicle type. The company serves vehicle operators and fleet owners seeking autonomous capability retrofits.

2 investors

Lakonia builds a command and control platform that uses AI to transcribe radio communications and synthesize intelligence for law enforcement and military personnel.

2 investors

Mass Magnetics manufactures high-performance neodymium-iron-boron rare-earth magnets in the United States from recycled and domestic feedstocks, using a rapid sintering process and machine learning to sort scrap by grade and chemistry. It targets defense and industrial buyers needing DFARS-compliant domestic magnets and also sells DFARS-compliant rare-earth alloys to domestic metallurgists.

2 investors

Ornadyne makes flapping-wing unmanned aircraft designed to resemble birds for covert reconnaissance missions. The company addresses limitations of conventional drones by engineering systems optimized for stealth, endurance, and autonomous operation in field environments.

2 investors

Vernius makes drop-in hardware modules that add autonomous or operator-assisted targeting to existing FPV interceptor drones. The module sits between the drone's receiver and flight controller to provide beyond-visual-range sensing, autonomous guidance, or target bearing data for manual pilots, aimed at low-cost, high-volume defense deployment.

2 investors

Arlo Industries builds a sensor network that detects and tracks aerial threats including drones using passive, distributed technology rather than traditional radar, serving military and defense operators.

1 investor

Capuchin is an AI-powered enterprise search and knowledge management platform designed for engineering organizations that work with hardware, antennas, RF systems, optics, robotics, and similar technical products. The system operates entirely on-premise, indexing product data from PDM/PLM systems, ERPs, and collaboration tools while maintaining ITAR and CMMC compliance for defense and government-facing engineering teams.

1 investor

Consus provides an API that directs AI requests to secure infrastructure built for handling controlled data in aerospace and defense sectors, eliminating the need for customers to manage compliance and infrastructure separately.

1 investor