Exclusive: Laser specialist Aurelius gets $10 million for counter-drone quest
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Laser-turret maker Aurelius Systems plans to hire more people, build out its production lines and continue participating in U.S. military tests on the heels of a $10 million seed round.
Why it matters: The company is gaining traction as drone-counter-drone discussions, as well as talks about the sustainability of overhead defenses, reach a fever pitch.
State of play: At almost 2 years old, Aurelius employs more than 10 people. While its research-and-development efforts are concentrated in San Francisco, the company has interest in metro Detroit, as well.
- Aurelius has from "the very, very beginning" been dedicated to laser weapons and their counter-drone application, chief executive Michael LaFramboise told Axios.
- "We go out and test for one- and two-stars at these military bases," he said. "They see a drone explode, and then they're like, 'Alright, I'm in.'"
Yes, but: Defense departments around the world have for years poured money into directed-energy weapons. Their adoption remains fleeting.
Zoom in: Aurelius' laser weapon is known as Archimedes — a nod to the ancient thinker said to have set ships ablaze during the Siege of Syracuse.
- Archimedes is compact and works in fixed and mobile setups, according to LaFramboise, who has a background in heavy manufacturing and directed energy.
- Renderings on the company's website show it mounted to a Ford pickup truck, creating a sci-fi technical; on the belly of a larger drone, similar to the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper; and on the roofline of bunkers.
Zoom out: "We start out with the Archimedes," LaFramboise said. "From there, we go into more Golden Dome stuff."
Follow the money: The seed round was led by General Catalyst and Draper Associates.
- "This stuff is super hard to crack. It's super hard to sell, and it's a really competitive market," Paul Kwan, who leads the General Catalyst global resilience team, said in an interview.
- Winners "have this combination of real technical capability, ability to sell, understanding of the warfighter and some personal craziness."
The bottom line: There's a ton of emphasis "on drones, the UAS themselves," Kwan said. Countermeasures and force protection, he added, need equal attention.
Go deeper: U.S. Army-led task force seeks counter-drone coordination
