Defense Tech Startups

Slingshot provides software and AI systems that integrate sensing, data fusion, and simulation to enable operational decision-making for defense and commercial space operations. The platform helps operators understand and act on space environment data.

3 investors

Splash9 manufactures autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) for maritime applications including coastal defense, harbor patrols, seabed mapping, and infrastructure security. The company builds scalable drone-boats with autonomous navigation, long-range capability, and multi-mission payload flexibility for government, military, and commercial customers.

3 investors

SplashOne presents itself as a gated "defense system" that requires requesting access credentials, but the page provides no concrete detail about what it builds.

3 investors

Stark Defence describes itself as a defense company emphasizing speed of assembly and investing over 45% of its expenditure into R&D to convert innovation into capability.

3 investors

Swarm Aero develops UAVs designed for autonomous swarming, using on-aircraft edge compute and a sensor mesh so small teams can coordinate thousands of uncrewed air, sea and ground vehicles in contested, communications-limited environments. It targets defense missions, translating user intent into real-time vehicle-level behaviors through a browser-based, platform-agnostic interface.

3 investors

Wildfire develops technology and solutions to help firefighters detect, control, and manage fires more effectively. The company applies decades of pyrotechnics and fire control expertise from entertainment to create tools for professional fire suppression and firefighting operations.

3 investors

TERN builds IDPS (Independently Derived Positioning System), a software-only navigation architecture that maintains real-time vehicle positioning without satellites or GPS signals using existing sensors, digital maps, and proprietary AI. It serves automotive, commercial and environmental fleets, delivery services, emergency response, and defense/military applications.

3 investors

The Ocean Company builds dual-domain systems for coastal ecosystem restoration and maritime infrastructure security. The company serves organizations working in ocean and coastal protection sectors.

3 investors

Thesis develops reusable, steerable microballoons for routine access to the stratosphere (40,000–130,000 feet), enabling persistent surveillance, communications relay, and atmospheric research for defense, intelligence, commercial, and scientific applications.

3 investors

Ursa Space offers a custom geospatial monitoring service that selects sensors, schedules satellite data collection, and runs SAR-based analysis to deliver verified intelligence reports, alerts, and forecasts. Its platform serves organizations that need to monitor objects, vessels, infrastructure, and activity across defined areas of interest without in-house technical expertise.

3 investors

Vertiq designs high-performance propulsion systems for commercial and defense unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), combining a lightweight integrated motor and ESC with an embedded position sensor and motor control software. It also provides custom control firmware and accessories tuned and tested for a customer's specific vehicle.

3 investors

Victus develops autonomous systems software designed to operate in GPS-denied and contested environments across air, maritime, and multi-domain platforms. The company serves defense and military applications where reliable autonomy is critical in real-world operational conditions.

3 investors

Voyager Technologies is a defense and space technology company developing capabilities in advanced electronics, mission management, orbital data centers, space exploration, spectrum dominance, and strategic systems across air, land, space, and cyber domains. It also operates the Starlab commercial space station program.

3 investors

Vyoma provides space situational awareness and space traffic data through a global ground-based sensor network and planned in-orbit sensors, along with cloud-based tools for satellite operations. It serves satellite operators managing single satellites to constellations, offering domain awareness, threat assessment, and manoeuvre detection.

3 investors

Windward is a Maritime AI company that fuses multiple data sources — including AIS, dark vessel signals, EO, SAR, and RF — into a unified maritime intelligence picture with predictive, explainable analytics. It supports defense, government, and operational stakeholders with behavioral analytics, targeting, and expert analyst services for maritime missions.

3 investors

Wraithwatch provides a unified data fabric and control plane for cyber defense teams, letting human and AI defenders query source data directly, profile identities and their blast radius, deploy security controls as code, and auto-correlate threat reports with their environment. It targets large critical institutions such as Fortune 500 companies, federal government, nuclear, aerospace and defense, maritime, and advanced manufacturing organizations.

3 investors

Yurts (Legion Intelligence) builds enterprise AI agents that perform search, analysis, content creation, and multi-step workflow automation across an organization's existing systems and documents, with source attribution and human-in-the-loop controls. It targets mission-critical and government/defense environments, supporting cloud, on-premise, air-gapped, classified, and edge deployments with data and access governance.

3 investors

Zeroport develops hardware-based secure connectivity solutions that provide real-time network access without relying on vulnerable IP pathways, designed for organizations seeking isolation and protection at the physical layer. The company serves enterprises, defense contractors, and government agencies requiring cybersecurity in mission-critical environments.

3 investors

3D perception builds immersive visual display systems for simulation, offering turn-key solutions for land, sea, air, and space applications. Its Northstar display systems are aimed at simulation and training use cases.

2 investors

Abaco provides COTS rugged embedded computing products and hardware solutions spanning data capture to information delivery, used to build complete systems for defense and aerospace programs. It serves air, land, and naval customers including the US Army, US Navy, and Coast Guard across rotorcraft, fixed-wing, and unmanned aerial vehicle programs.

2 investors

AIR develops a class of electric "Smart Aircraft" built on a shared, modular platform that combines software, autonomy, and electric propulsion, featuring its patented Fly-By-Intent flight control system. The platform is designed to serve three markets — private aviation, autonomous logistics, and defense — and includes a Light Sport Aircraft with roughly 1 hour flight time and a 115 kt cruise speed.

2 investors

AiRANACULUS develops AI-powered software for intelligent radio frequency and networking solutions across applications from space to smart cities. The company specializes in autonomous signal processing, spectrum sharing, and self-driving network optimization for congested and contested environments.

2 investors

Airbase develops intelligence and data products for aerospace, defense, and related sectors, built by technical operators with backgrounds in satellite imaging, orbital missions, and deep tech.

2 investors

Aircision develops free-space optical wireless communication systems that provide jam-resistant, license-free, high-capacity links for defense and telecommunications customers where fiber is impractical and RF is vulnerable. A TNO spin-off based in Eindhoven, it builds terrestrial free-space optics with proprietary auto-alignment and link acquisition for rapid deployment in critical and military networks.

2 investors