Defense Tech Startups

Jonathan Engineering Solutions (JES) designs and manufactures precision linear motion products such as telescopic slide rails, trays, shelves, and cable management systems for rackmount electronics. It serves defense, industrial and technology, and aerospace customers through standard offerings, build-to-print, and custom engineering and manufacturing.

1 investor

Keel is a defense manufacturer specializing in high-precision machining, steel fabrication, and outfitting for naval, land, aerospace, and space applications. It partners with premier defense manufacturers to build submarine and aircraft carrier modules to NAVSEA standards and produces aerospace components under AS9100 and NADCAP certifications.

1 investor

Kelekona is developing a large electric aircraft designed to carry 40 passengers plus a pilot or a 10,000 lb cargo payload, using a lifting-body design built from 3D-printed composite and aluminum. The aircraft is aimed at applications including military transport of equipment and troops and medical air ambulance operations.

1 investor

Kencoa Aerospace is a total solution provider spanning aviation raw material supply, parts manufacturing, structural assembly, military aircraft depot maintenance, and drone R&D. It serves the global aerospace and defense industry, including work such as Airbus cargo plane conversion programs.

1 investor

Kraus Hamdani Aerospace develops ultra-long-endurance autonomous aircraft and AI-enabled airborne systems that provide persistent connectivity, intelligence, and communications infrastructure for defense and national security missions. The company serves military and government teams operating in complex, remote, and contested environments where satellite and terrestrial coverage is unreliable.

1 investor

KHMDL manufactures hybrid microcircuits and high-reliability electronic assemblies for the aerospace, defence, and automotive sectors. The company operates from a facility in Bangalore, India, with over three decades of manufacturing experience.

1 investor

Kinetic Engine Systems is a manufacturer of complex aerospace engine components and related parts used in commercial, business, and military aircraft as well as land and sea-based military and industrial gas-turbine platforms. It operates eight facilities across the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Southwest, and Mexico serving aerospace and defense customers.

1 investor

KNL builds Cognitive Networked HF (CNHF) software-defined radio systems that provide long-range, beyond-line-of-sight communications for military and security operations. The company serves government, defence, and security customers globally with secure, reliable connectivity in contested and extreme environments.

1 investor

Kova Labs develops autonomous technology for unmanned systems in military and defense applications. The company builds autonomy software layers enabling independent operation in complex and contested environments.

1 investor

Kshatra Labs develops autonomous defence platforms built on its proprietary APEX autonomy stack, designed to detect, pursue, and neutralize aerial threats with machine-speed response while keeping human operators in a supervisory role. The systems target counter-aerial threat and defence applications.

1 investor

Lake Shore Systems, Inc. designs and engineers products for maritime customers in both commercial and defense markets. The company focuses on solving difficult design challenges to deliver reliable products for end users.

1 investor

LatticeX (formerly ACME Advanced Materials) develops microsystem devices and microfabrication processes for medical, industrial, defense, and aerospace applications. The company leverages partnerships with leading industrial corporations to commercialize advanced technology solutions.

1 investor

Lavrock Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests at the intersection of national security and frontier technologies, backing companies in areas such as advanced manufacturing, space, quantum, and kinetic systems. Founded in 2015 and based in the Washington, DC area, it works with founders from the first institutional check through early scale.

1 investor

LetsData develops Vantage, a platform for detecting coordinated disinformation and information operations by monitoring the infrastructure and machinery behind narratives rather than just keywords or content. It serves governments and institutions concerned with information warfare resilience.

1 investor

Lexset builds Sentinel, a sensor-agnostic computer vision and reasoning system that ingests video feeds, geolocates detections, and drafts decision-ready intelligence reports for defense ISR, infrastructure inspection, and industrial monitoring. It also offers Seahaven, a parametric 3D engine that generates photorealistic, fully annotated synthetic training data for enterprise CV and ML teams.

1 investor

Lighthouse Avionics develops passive, dual-use air domain awareness systems through its VICTOR product line, which provides Counter-UAS detection, remote tower surveillance, and BVLOS/DFR enablement using optical detect-and-avoid technology, ADS-B receivers, and laser rangefinding. The company serves defense and aviation surveillance applications.

1 investor

Light Links develops Wi-OW, an optical wireless communication technology that uses infrared diffused laser light instead of radio frequencies to deliver high-speed, low-latency, secure network connectivity. It targets mission-critical environments such as defense, industrial automation and robotics, and secure enterprise facilities.

1 investor

LIG (defense & aerospace) develops precision strike systems and electronics for land, sea, and air military applications, including detection, tracking, and target-strike capabilities, naval surveillance and early-warning systems, and electronic warfare technologies. It also produces high-performance electronic equipment and drones for manned and unmanned aircraft, along with manned-unmanned teaming combat solutions.

1 investor

Limosa develops hybrid-electric eVTOL, eCTOL, and UAV aircraft for urban and regional air mobility, air ambulance services, and defense/surveillance missions. Its products include the LimoConnect passenger aircraft, the LimoMedic air ambulance, and the AI-powered LimoDrone for law enforcement and border security.

1 investor

Linxx Global Solutions is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business providing tactical training and physical and cyber security solutions to U.S. government, military, and corporate clients, including the Departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, Justice, and NASA. Its work spans anti-terrorism training, specialized military and law enforcement instruction, protective security and guard services, and mission support.

1 investor

LiquidPiston develops compact rotary internal combustion engines based on a patented thermodynamic cycle, offering improvements in efficiency, weight, size, vibration, and noise, with engines scalable from 1HP to over 1000HP. It focuses on military and aerospace propulsion and power generation, with plans to serve industrial, marine, UAV, urban mobility, and automotive markets.</parameter> <parameter name="hq_city">Bloomfield

1 investor

Little Place Labs develops insights from space-based technologies to support decision-makers addressing global challenges. The company applies satellite and space-derived data to environmental, security, and climate-related problems.

1 investor

LMI builds commercial-grade software platforms and integrates AI, data, and logistics capabilities for U.S. federal and defense customers, including the U.S. Army. Its offerings span AI-enabled workflows, rapid platform engineering for secure government environments, and mission operations and logistics.

1 investor

Locata Corporation develops terrestrial radio-location technology (LocataTech) that provides centimetre-level positioning and precise timing without satellites or atomic clocks, serving as an alternative or backup to GPS/GNSS. Its networks of synchronized ground-based transceivers are used by military, open-cut mining, port automation, aviation, and warehousing customers.

1 investor