69 Best Defense Industry Startups to Watch in 2025

The Definitive Seedtable Ranking of Defense Industry Startups

We track 71,000+ companies and rank them dynamically using our Seedtable Score – a score that uses quantitative and qualitative data points to signal the momentum behind a company. We then monitor the list manually leveraging our expertise as founders and investors.

There are 272 start-ups with an aggregate funding of $8.9b. The average funding per company in this subset is $129.6m.

Last update to the database: Feb 18, 2025. See changelog.

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1

Funding Rounds

$60.0m

Money raised

Amentum logo

Amentum

Amentum is a technical and engineering services partner working with the United States defense, security, intelligence, energy, and environmental programs.

1

Funding Rounds

Modern Intelligence logo

Modern Intelligence

Modern Intelligence is the developer of an AI-based platform designed to enable tracking and analysis of targets using sensors in maritime military operations.

1

Funding Rounds

$5.0m

Money raised

World View logo

World View

World View is a Tucson, Arizona-based developer and manufacturer of near-space exploration technology for remote sensing for scientific, commercial, economic, and military purposes and stratospheric tourism.

3

Funding Rounds

$48.6m

Money raised

AirMap logo

AirMap

AirMap is a California-based drone industry company improving low-altitude-airspace infrastructure to help drone operators fly safely and legally.

6

Funding Rounds

$46.9m

Money raised

DJI logo

DJI

DJI is a Shenzen, China-based company developing and manufacturing drone and camera technology.

3

Funding Rounds

$105.0m

Money raised

Toyon Research Corporation logo

Toyon Research Corporation

Toyon Research Corporation is a Goleta, California-based company that researches and develops radio frequency and antenna systems that was founded in 1980.

9

Funding Rounds

$3.9m

Money raised

Anduril Industries logo

Anduril Industries

Anduril builds AI platforms to protect troops, fight wildfires, perform search & rescue missions, and provide border surveillance. It was founded in 2017 and is located in Irvine, California.

7

Funding Rounds

$2.2b

Money raised

Adarga (company) logo

Adarga (company)

Adarga is a UK-based artificial intelligence software provider working with customers across defense, national security, and commercial organizations.

4

Funding Rounds

$51.0m

Money raised

HawkEye 360 Inc. logo

HawkEye 360 Inc.

HawkEye 360 is a Herndon, Virginia-based data analytics company developing radio frequency mapping technologies for use in space.

7

Funding Rounds

$314.2m

Money raised

Syniverse logo

Syniverse

Syniverse is a telecommunication company developing secure network technology to connect operators and other companies across 200 countries.

3

Funding Rounds

$777.5m

Money raised

Numerica Corporation logo

Numerica Corporation

Numerica is a Fort Collins, Colorado-based space, air, and missile defense company

112

Funding Rounds

$55.5m

Money raised

Hylio logo

Hylio

Hylio is a technology company making drones for aerial crop spraying.

1

Funding Rounds

Echodyne logo

Echodyne

Echodyne is a company developing compact, solid-state, high-performance radar system founded in 2014 by Eben Frankenberg and Tom Driscoll.

5

Funding Rounds

$228.0m

Money raised

Sabrewing Aircraft Company logo

Sabrewing Aircraft Company

Sabrewing Aircraft Company is a Camarillo, California-based aerospace and aviation company and a developer of heavy-lift commercial vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

1

Funding Rounds

$1.8m

Money raised

Rebellion Defense logo

Rebellion Defense

Rebellion Defense provides artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions for the United States and United Kingdom military and civil service.

2

Funding Rounds

$161.3m

Money raised

Volansi logo

Volansi

Volansi was a company offering delivery service for time-critical shipments using high-speed long-range drones. Volansi was acquired by Sierra Nevada Corporation in October 2022.

4

Funding Rounds

$75.1m

Money raised

Zipline (company) logo

Zipline (company)

Zipline is an automated logistics company that designs, manufactures, and delivers medical products.

10

Funding Rounds

$704.5m

Money raised

Shield AI logo

Shield AI

Shield AI is a company building artificially intelligent systems like drones for use by military service members and first responders.

10

Funding Rounds

$588.1m

Money raised

Securboration logo

Securboration

Securboration is a Melbourne, Florida-based security, collaboration, and intelligence solutions company founded in 2001.

80

Funding Rounds

$44.6m

Money raised

SA Photonics, Inc. logo

SA Photonics, Inc.

SA Photonics specializes in the design and development of advanced photonic systems for military and commercial customers.

10

Funding Rounds

$4.6m

Money raised

Aerones logo

Aerones

Aerones is a company building heavy-lift drones founded in 2015 by Janis Putrams.

3

Funding Rounds

$19.6m

Money raised

Vita Inclinata Technologies logo

Vita Inclinata Technologies

Vita Inclinata Technologies is a company developing safety systems for helicopters and other aerospace platforms.

7

Funding Rounds

$27.3m

Money raised

Ceres Imaging logo

Ceres Imaging

Ceres Imaging is a California-based aerial spectral imagery and analytics company that serves farmers and agribusinesses.

4

Funding Rounds

$55.5m

Money raised

Indemnis logo

Indemnis

Indemnis UAV Recovery Systems is an Anchorage, Alaska-based company developing safety solutions to the commercial UAV community.

4

Funding Rounds

$10.4m

Money raised

BetterView logo

BetterView

A company that provides a data platform for buildings and properties.

11

Funding Rounds

$29.6m

Money raised

Capella Space logo

Capella Space

Capella Space is building a commercial radar satellite constellation. Its headquarters are located in San Francisco, California and it was founded in 2011.

5

Funding Rounds

$177.0m

Money raised

Dedrone logo

Dedrone

Dredrone is an airspace security platform that detects, classifies, and mitigates drone threats.

7

Funding Rounds

$128.9m

Money raised

Synapse Technology logo

Synapse Technology

Synapse Technology is an artificial intelligence company making deep learning and computer vision systems for field analysis related to security and defense at security checkpoints.

7

Funding Rounds

$8.5m

Money raised

Osaro logo

Osaro

An artificial intelligence company developing deep reinforcement learning technology products for industrial automation.

6

Funding Rounds

$96.3m

Money raised

DroneDeploy logo

DroneDeploy

DroneDeploy is a cloud-based software that allows drones to take images and 3D models at any altitude.

11

Funding Rounds

$142.5m

Money raised

Aerojet Rocketdyne logo

Aerojet Rocketdyne

Aerojet Rocketdyne is a company that looks to innovate in industries of aerospace and defense markets

1

Funding Rounds

$67.0m

Money raised

Ursa Major Technologies logo

Ursa Major Technologies

A manufacturing company that specializes in producing solutions for microsatellite operations. It was founded in 2015 and is located in Berthoud, Colorado.

3

Funding Rounds

$108.5m

Money raised

PRENAV logo

PRENAV

PRENAV is a company that is digitizing critical infrastructure in the world using AI.

6

Funding Rounds

$9.1m

Money raised

Iris Automation logo

Iris Automation

Iris Automation is a technology company specializing in artificial intelligence-based collision avoidance systems for industrial drones and other autonomous flying machines.

5

Funding Rounds

$23.1m

Money raised

United Launch Alliance logo

United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing

1

Funding Rounds

$13.9m

Money raised

Skydio logo

Skydio

Skydio is a developer of autonomous drone robotics.

14

Funding Rounds

$681.4m

Money raised

Kleos Space logo

Kleos Space

Kleos Space is a company that provides geo-locational intelligence data services

2

Funding Rounds

$2.6m

Money raised

HyperStealth Biotechnology Corporation logo

HyperStealth Biotechnology Corporation

HyperStealth Biotechnology Corporation is a Maple Ridge, British Columbia-based manufacturer of military camouflage uniforms.

1

Funding Rounds

$19.7k

Money raised

Skycatch logo

Skycatch

Skycatch is a San Francisco-based company founded in 2013 by Christian Sanz.

7

Funding Rounds

$92.8m

Money raised

Corvid Technologies logo

Corvid Technologies

Corvid Technologies is a Mooresville, North Carolina-based supercomputer company founded in 2004.

9

Funding Rounds

$2.5m

Money raised

Drone Racing League logo

Drone Racing League

A sports company with a drone racing circuit for First Person View (FPV) pilots. It is located in New York City, New York and was founded in 2015.

7

Funding Rounds

$69.4m

Money raised

DroneSeed logo

DroneSeed

DroneSeed is a Seattle-based company that provides automated reforestation services.

8

Funding Rounds

$77.3m

Money raised

Microlink devices, inc. logo

Microlink devices, inc.

MicroLink devices is a Niles, Illinois-based semiconductor manufacturing company

17

Funding Rounds

$28.5m

Money raised

TechEagle Innovations logo

TechEagle Innovations

TechEagle Innovations is an India-based drone delivery company.

1

Funding Rounds

$500.0k

Money raised

Neurala logo

Neurala

A company using artificial intelligence to create a platform for solving visual inspection challenges in industrial environments.

6

Funding Rounds

$32.1m

Money raised

XAG logo

XAG

An agricultural technology company developing a variety of drones and smart agriculture products.

2

Funding Rounds

$201.6m

Money raised

DroneAI logo

DroneAI

DroneAI is a company that focuses on drone navigation, founded by Nitya Singh.

2

Funding Rounds

$2.0m

Money raised

Flyability logo

Flyability

Flyability is a designer and manufacturer of drones for inaccessible places.

11

Funding Rounds

$50.2m

Money raised

SkySafe logo

SkySafe

SkySafe is a U.S-based drone defense and airspace control solutions founded in 2015 by Scott Torborg.

2

Funding Rounds

$46.5m

Money raised

Sofar logo

Sofar

Sofar builds ocean sensing and exploration tools for ocean enthusiasts, industry, and conservation. Products include the Spotter weather buoy and Trident underwater drone.

3

Funding Rounds

$47.3m

Money raised

Aerial Applications logo

Aerial Applications

A drone mapping company offering aerial drone mapping software.

2

Funding Rounds

$4.5m

Money raised

Flirtey logo

Flirtey

Flirtey is a company offering drone delivery service founded in 2015 by Tom Bass.

5

Funding Rounds

$32.0m

Money raised

Nuspace PTE. Ltd. logo

Nuspace PTE. Ltd.

Nuspace PTE. Ltd. is a Singapore, Central Region, Singapore-based satellite manufacturer and IoT company founded by Zhen Ning Ng.

1

Funding Rounds

SkySpecs logo

SkySpecs

SkySpecs is a company founded in 2012 by Daniel Ellis.

9

Funding Rounds

$138.9m

Money raised

SenSat logo

SenSat

SenSat is a company providing data ingestion and data-based simulations to visualize and track infrastructure projects.

3

Funding Rounds

$34.7m

Money raised

Flytrex logo

Flytrex

Flytrex is a Tel Aviv, Israel-based company founded by Yariv Bash in 2013.

6

Funding Rounds

$59.8m

Money raised

Owlstone Inc. logo

Owlstone Inc.

A company that designs and manufactures technology to detect chemicals via smell. It was founded in 2005 and is located in Westport, Connecticut.

6

Funding Rounds

$10.2m

Money raised

Citadel Defense logo

Citadel Defense

Citadel builds an automated and modular drone defense system that uses machine learning algorithms to detect and engage drones.

2

Funding Rounds

$13.8m

Money raised

Asylon Incorporated logo

Asylon Incorporated

Asylon provides solutions for the autonomous UAV industry.

5

Funding Rounds

$3.4m

Money raised

Flock Ltd logo

Flock Ltd

Flock Cover is an insurance technology startup based in London.

2

Funding Rounds

$20.0m

Money raised

Entropix logo

Entropix

A company offering a still image and video analytics platform using computer vision.

2

Funding Rounds

$1.4m

Money raised

Dronesmith Technologies logo

Dronesmith Technologies

Dronesmith Technologies makes APIs for drone applications.

6

Funding Rounds

$1.2m

Money raised

PrecisionHawk logo

PrecisionHawk

PrecisionHawk is a Raleigh, North Carolina-based drone company developing drone and data products for the energy, agriculture, and telecommunications industries.

10

Funding Rounds

$255.8m

Money raised

Aria Insights logo

Aria Insights

(Previously CyPhy Works) Developed autonomous drones for information gathering and search and rescue mission in dangerous environment

7

Funding Rounds

$39.1m

Money raised

Surface Optics Corporation logo

Surface Optics Corporation

Surface Optics Corporation offers services aimed at characterization, control, and exploitation of the optical properties of surfaces

6

Funding Rounds

$7.4m

Money raised

Paragon Space Development Corporation logo

Paragon Space Development Corporation

Paragon Space Development Corporation is a company that looks to develop in-house engineering services

1

Funding Rounds

$1.6m

Money raised

Epirus logo

Epirus

Epirus is an El Segundo, California-based technology company founded by Max Mednik.

5

Funding Rounds

$574.6m

Money raised

DroneBase logo

DroneBase

DroneBase is a Santa Monica, California-based logistics company founded by Eli Tamanaha.

4

Funding Rounds

$24.5m

Money raised