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Executive Summary: Which are the Top 15 US Defense Companies to Watch?

  1. Deca Defense: Builds deployable AI and machine learning systems for defense programs to enable real-time situational awareness and autonomous operations.
  2. Wild West Systems: Provides scalable autonomous drone-based defense systems that monitor, secure, and defend critical assets with adaptive weapon platforms.
  3. Aurum Systems: Develops mission planning platforms for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations using real-time object detection, threat analysis, and autonomous mission control.
  4. Warfytr AI: Offers military AI systems that enhance battlefield operations through data fusion, autonomous coordination, and adaptive decision support.
  5. Xebec Systems: Designs modular airborne defense platforms integrating advanced aerodynamics for continuous aerial surveillance.
  6. Omedus: Provides wireless automated triage systems that collect and transmit real-time vital data for rapid assessment in mass casualty incidents.
  7. Aetherflux: Delivers space-based solar power systems that transmit orbital solar energy to military locations using infrared laser technology for military operations.
  8. Antares: Develops military microreactors using tri-structural isotopic (TRISO)-coated fuel and sodium heat pipes to provide autonomous, portable power in remote deployments.
  9. Theseus Tech: Creates micro visual positioning systems that enable drones to navigate autonomously without a global positioning system (GPS) by using camera-based localization.
  10. DarkSaber Labs: Builds agentic AI systems that fuse sensor, signal, and communications data to deliver real-time situational intelligence for warfighters.
  11. Lockheed Martin: Designs integrated defense and aerospace systems providing layered missile defense, autonomous flight, and secure satellite communications.
  12. RTX: Develops advanced fighter aircraft technologies with integrated propulsion, sensing, and high-energy defense systems.
  13. Northrop Grumman: Produces electronically scanned array (AESA) radar systems that deliver rapid, precise, multi-domain surveillance and targeting through electronically steered beams.
  14. Boeing: Manufactures military combat aerial vehicles with precision engagement, autonomous flight, and networked control for global defense missions.
  15. Leidos: Provides cyberintelligence systems integrating AI-driven analytics and secure networks to protect defense infrastructure and enable mission readiness.

Global Startup Heat Map highlights Emerging US Defense Companies to Watch

Through the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 9M+ startups, 20K+ technology trends, plus 150M+ patents, news articles & market reports, we identified the top US Defense startups.

The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights emerging US defense startups you should watch in 2026, as well as the geo-distribution of 4300+ startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research.

According to our data, the top 5 Startup Hubs for US Defense are San Francisco, New York City, Washington, Los Angeles, and Austin.

 

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Emerging US Defense Companies & Startups to Watch [2026]

We hand-picked startups to showcase in this report by filtering for their technology, founding year, location, funding, and other metrics. These emerging US Defense startups work on solutions ranging from microreactors and combat aerial vehicles to mission planning platforms and airborne missile defense systems.

1. Deca Defense – Target Detection Algorithms

  • Founding Year: 2024
  • Location: Melbourne, Florida

Deca Defense builds deployable AI and machine learning systems for defense programs operating in constrained, mission-critical environments. The startup designs AI architectures for sensor fusion, perception, planning, and control that integrate directly with existing defense hardware.

Its systems process multi-modal data from sensors and payloads to enable real-time situational awareness, decision support, and autonomous operations without relying on external cloud dependencies.

Further, Deca Defense delivers full source code, model weights, and containerized deployments to ensure transparency, auditability, and program ownership. By aligning AI design with domain constraints and mission objectives, it reduces program risk, accelerates validation, and provides defense organizations with reliable, field-ready intelligence capabilities.

2. Wild West Systems – Autonomous Military Drones

  • Founding Year: 2025
  • Location: Austin, Texas

Wild West Systems provides a scalable defense system that utilizes autonomous drone technology with weapon platforms. This system combines advanced automation with adaptable hardware to monitor, secure, and defend critical assets.

Moreover, it incorporates a modular design for rapid deployment, autonomous operation for reduced human risk, and a scalable architecture to adjust to mission requirements.

The system operates autonomously and adapts to asymmetric attacks. Thus, the startup enhances operational efficiency, strengthens national security, and provides reliable protection for future warfighters.

3. Aurum Systems – Mission Planning Platform

  • Founding Year: 2024
  • Location: Mountain View, California

Aurum Systems develops a mission planning platform for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations in denied and contested environments.

The platform integrates Atlas Edge platform, which enables real-time object detection, threat analysis, and autonomous mission adjustments without reliance on connectivity.

Moreover, the startup provides Atlas Ground interface, which enables dynamic planning, 3D visualization, and real-time monitoring on standard devices without requiring a processing, exploitation, and dissemination team.

Further, its Atlas Sim training environment converts satellite imagery into photorealistic models to produce labeled data and prepare AI models with reduced field collection.

4. Warfytr AI – AI-led Battlefield Intelligence Solutions

  • Founding Year: 2024
  • Location: San Diego, California

Warfytr AI offers military-grade AI systems that enhance battlefield operations across land, air, sea, cyber, and space domains.

The systems utilize real-time data fusion, autonomous drone swarm coordination, and adaptive training modules to facilitate warfighter readiness and situational awareness.

Moreover, they combat environments, emphasize human-AI collaboration, and adhere to ethical and legal standards of deployment. Thus, the startup aids in improving decision-making, increasing mission effectiveness, and securing strategic advantage in modern warfare.

5. Xebec Systems – Affordable Airborne Defense

  • Founding Year: 2024
  • Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Xebec Systems develops an airborne defense solution that merges advanced aerodynamics with modular engineering for continuous aerial surveillance.

It integrates miniaturized onboard components to reduce weight and improve efficiency, while a modular payload system for flexible adaptation to diverse operational requirements.

Moreover, the solution creates durable structures and adopts an agile approach to building, testing, and fielding in response to evolving defense needs.

6. Omedus – Mass Casualty Vital Monitoring

Omedus provides Triage360, a wireless automated triage system for mass casualty vital monitoring. This device collects real-time physiological data and transmits it to first responders, medics, and emergency teams to enable rapid assessment and prioritization of care.

Moreover, it reduces missed clinical events, decreases unnecessary radio chatter with automated closed-loop communication, and accelerates triage through streamlined prioritization.

Further, its reusable, rechargeable design with disposable adhesives ensures hygienic application, while its compact form factor facilitates deployment in diverse settings.

7. Aetherflux – Solar-based Military Operations

  • Founding Year: 2024
  • Location: San Carlos, California
  • Funding: USD 50 million

Aetherflux provides solar energy to military operations through space-based solar power systems. These capture sunlight in orbit and transmit it to Earth using infrared laser technology.

For this, the startup deploys networks of small satellites that collect continuous solar energy, unaffected by weather or day-night cycles.

 

 

Further, the systems direct energy to compact ground stations for conversion into usable electricity. This reduces infrastructure demands while delivering high power output and reducing reliance on fuel convoys.

8. Antares – Military Nuclear Microreactor

Antares offers a military nuclear microreactor for defense, space, and industrial applications. This microreactor uses TRISO-coated particle fuel within a prismatic graphite core. This is coupled with sodium heat pipes and a nitrogen Brayton cycle to offer autonomous power without refueling.

 

 

Moreover, the system integrates tungsten and boron carbide shielding, graphite control drums, and a modular transport cradle for rapid deployment in austere environments.

 

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9. Theseus Tech – Defense Drone Navigation

  • Founding Year: 2024
  • Location: San Francisco, California
  • Funding: USD 4.3 million
  • Startup Stage: Seed

Theseus Tech utilizes a micro visual positioning system (VPS) technology for drones to navigate autonomously without global positioning system (GPS) signals. This technology uses cameras, an inertial measurement unit, and pre-loaded satellite imagery to calculate position and transmit a simulated GPS signal to any drone.

Moreover, it applies visual odometry by tracking key points across four onboard cameras to estimate motion relative to the ground.

Then, the technology strengthens accuracy through map matching against a large database of satellite images that remain resilient to terrain changes. It ensures minimal size, weight, and power requirements while maintaining efficiency across diverse environments like deserts, forests, and urban areas.

10. DarkSaber Labs – Tactical AI Systems

  • Founding Year: 2024
  • Location: Arlington, Virginia

DarkSaber Labs develops agentic AI systems that deliver real-time situational intelligence for defense operations. Its platform, Yankee One, is an AI-powered sensor fusion system that autonomously interprets electronic signals, imagery, and communications to provide special operations forces with information dominance on the battlefield.

The technology integrates machine learning with operational expertise to function as a cognitive teammate and aid operators in processing complex data and acting with speed and precision. Moreover, it supports cyber and electronic warfare capabilities through an adaptable service model that evolves with mission needs.

11. Lockheed Martin – Layered Missile Defense Solutions

Lockheed Martin specializes in advanced defense systems that integrate aerospace, land, sea, space, and cyber capabilities to address evolving security challenges. Its layered missile defense solutions track, intercept, and neutralize threats through systems, while also enhancing connectivity with anti-jamming technology delivered by the GPS-improved infrared imaging flight (IIIF) satellite constellation.

Moreover, it incorporates autonomous flight technologies for operational flexibility and leverages space-based platforms to secure communication and navigation in contested environments. It utilizes 360-degree sensors and command networks to detect and neutralize threats across air, land, and sea.

12. RTX – Fighter Aircraft Technologies

  • Founding Year: 2016
  • Location: Farmington, Connecticut
  • Revenue: Sale of USD 80.7 billion in 2024

RTX develops fighter aircraft technologies that integrate advanced propulsion, sensing, and defense systems to strengthen air dominance and mission readiness.

It deploys high-energy laser weapon systems to neutralize drone swarms and airborne threats across air, land, sea, and space domains.

Moreover, the startup connects multiple military domains to provide real-time intelligence and enhance decision-making across complex operations. Modular hardware components enable rapid deployment and upgrades through software modifications.

13. Northrop Grumman – Electronically Scanned Array Radars

  • Founding Year: 1994
  • Location: West Falls Church, Virginia

Northrop Grumman provides active AESA radars. These radars electronically steer radar beams without moving parts to deliver rapid, precise, and multi-domain surveillance and targeting.

It uses small transmit/receive modules that shift radar beams across air, land, and sea environments. This enables simultaneous tracking, detection, and imaging in complex operational conditions.

Moreover, its airborne radars equip platforms like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II with advanced fire control and situational awareness.

Further, the ground systems deliver mobile, multi-mission coverage, while maritime solutions enhance ship defense against high-speed threats. The startup integrates open architecture designs, electronic protection, and scalable production to reduce costs while expanding mission capability.

14. Boeing – Military Combat Aerial Vehicles

Boeing provides military combat aerial vehicles for global defense operations across evolving conflict environments. It integrates advanced aircraft platforms with an open systems architecture that enables continuous upgrades and rapid capability insertion.

 

 

The vehicles combine precision engagement systems, autonomous functions, and airborne early warning for global reach, control, and strike. With this, the startup addresses contested airspace, enhances survivability, and provides tactical advantages through interoperability and mission flexibility.

15. Leidos – Defense Cyberintelligence

Leidos specializes in defense cyberintelligence that strengthens the security and resilience of US defense networks. It integrates advanced cyber capabilities from network architecture design and secure data sharing to real-time threat detection and analyst-driven response.

The startup’s platforms combine AI-driven analytics, secure communications, and modular open system architectures to enable rapid deployment and adaptability across multiple domains.

Leidos provides the US defense community with the ability to safeguard mission-critical assets, maintain decision superiority, and ensure operational readiness in contested digital environments.

Discover All Emerging Military Tech Startups

The Military Tech startups showcased in this report are only a small sample of all startups we identified through our data-driven startup scouting approach. Download our free Military Tech Innovation Report for a broad overview of the industry or get in touch for quick & exhaustive research on the latest technologies & emerging solutions that will impact your company in 2026!