MentionFox lists 110 Aerospace and defense companies for 2026. Of them, 41 are Y Combinator companies (the newest batch here is Fall 2026, with 6); 32 filed a Form D notice with the SEC; 37 won an SBIR or STTR award. Across the 30 Form D notices in the table that report an amount sold, the median is $6.1M; the largest is $305M, by Cowboy Space Corp (its Form D, filed May 21, 2026). The median SBIR or STTR award in the table is $1.3M, across 37 awards.
Companies110
Y Combinator41
Form D filers32
SBIR/STTR winners37
Median amount sold (Form D)$6.1M
Other years
All years (291) 2025 (93) 2024 (26) 2021 (18)
Aerospace and defense startups in 2026
| Company | What it does | Date | Amount | Round / stage | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arinna, Inc | Scaling power-dense, radiation-tolerant flexible solar panels for high-value markets | Award starts Oct 1, 2026 | $312,407 | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| TRL11 Inc | Sr-1 freedom mission: spacecraft imaging systems | Award starts Oct 1, 2026 | $4.1M | SBIR Phase III | Federal award record |
| Quartus Engineering Incorporated | Fy26 sbir phase iii - sage iv ir telescope sbir phase 3 | Award starts Sep 25, 2026 | $767,052 | SBIR Phase III | Federal award record |
| N5 Sensors Inc | Base award sbir phase ii person worn detector for aerosolized chemical threats | Award starts Sep 23, 2026 | $999,990 | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Paragon Space Development Corporation | Multistage umbilical disconnect (mud) system | Award starts Sep 21, 2026 | $1.3M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Gravitics, Inc. (funding history) | Filed Sep 18, 2026 | SEC Form D | |||
| Avealto Ltd (funding history) | Filed Sep 17, 2026 | SEC Form D | |||
| ProvenAir Technologies, Inc. (funding history) | Filed Sep 17, 2026 | $487,500 | SEC Form D | ||
| Zaden Technologies, Inc. (funding history) | Filed Sep 16, 2026 | $112,000 | SEC Form D | ||
| LiCube, Inc. | Filed Sep 15, 2026 | $8.5M | SEC Form D | ||
| Nobility Space, Inc. | Filed Sep 10, 2026 | $875,000 | SEC Form D | ||
| Thermavant Technologies LLC | Large format ceramic oscillating heat pipes | Award starts Sep 10, 2026 | $1.3M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Advanced Space LLC | Lunar sentinel | Award starts Sep 8, 2026 | $1.3M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Aviern | Unmanned airplanes for geospatial intelligence | Fall 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Degla Inc | The fully autonomous intelligence layer in the sky. | Fall 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Inflection Space Systems | Hyperscaling space manufacturing | Fall 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Juno Propulsion Inc. | Rotating detonation combustion satellite thruster using novel, non-toxic propellants | Award starts Sep 1, 2026 | $312,500 | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Orca Aerospace | AI spacecraft operators that lives onboard the vehicle | Fall 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Streamline Systems | Precision navigation for UAVs operating without GPS | Fall 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Viraj Aero | Next generation engines for aircraft and data centers | Fall 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Virtualitics, Inc. (funding history) | Filed Sep 1, 2026 | $10M | SEC Form D | ||
| Atsp Innovations Inc | Atsp innovations - reversible adhesion concept for in-space assembly | Award starts Aug 17, 2026 | $99,999 | SBIR Phase III | Federal award record |
| Lightyear Space, Inc. | Filed Aug 5, 2026 | $50,000 | SEC Form D | ||
| Igneon Aerospace LLC | 5n ascent thruster | Award starts Aug 1, 2026 | $555,594 | SBIR Phase III | Federal award record |
| Viridian Space Corp | Air-breathing electric propulsion | Award starts Aug 1, 2026 | $1.2M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Contrivian Inc | Filed Jul 30, 2026 | $4.7M | SEC Form D | ||
| Cislune Inc | 80nssc26c0039 t10.05-1007 cislune integrated trust in autonomy (cita) | Award starts Jul 28, 2026 | $899,967 | STTR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Istari Digital, Inc. (funding history) | Filed Jul 24, 2026 | $22.6M | SEC Form D | ||
| AI Orbit, Inc. | Filed Jul 23, 2026 | $25,000 | SEC Form D | ||
| PawPulse, Inc. | Filed Jul 10, 2026 | $35,000 | SEC Form D | ||
| Global Defense, Inc. | Filed Jul 9, 2026 | $50,000 | SEC Form D | ||
| Firefly Aerospace Inc. (funding history) | Filed Jul 8, 2026 | $22M | SEC Form D | ||
| Lightpath Technologies Inc (funding history) | Filed Jul 2, 2026 | $10,800 | SEC Form D | ||
| Blueshift LLC | T7.04-1011 optimization of lunar materials for launch and landing pads | Award starts Jul 1, 2026 | $899,695 | STTR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Drone Amplified Inc | Drone amplified, inc | Award starts Jun 15, 2026 | $999,998 | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Samara Aerospace, Inc. | A reliable and efficient new method for satellite attitude control -- subawards are not planned for this award. | Award starts Jun 15, 2026 | $1.2M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Ravee Optics, Inc. | Filed Jun 11, 2026 | $6M | SEC Form D | ||
| CesiumAstro Inc. (funding history) | Filed Jun 9, 2026 | $271M | SEC Form D | ||
| Earendil Robotics | Drone swarm defence at a small-unit level | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Edgerun | Military exoskeletons | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Ethos Space Resources | We make Silicon on the Moon. | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Exosat | Building a neutral and sovereign alternative to Starlink | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Green Squirrel Research, LLC | 24.2b phii sbir f2-19387_aftc/aedc sbir phase ii af242-0008-f2-19387 a deployable toolkit for high-speed event tracking and ignition… | Award starts Jun 1, 2026 | $1.8M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Greypoint Industries | Building drone swarms that hunt drone operators | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Guild | AI-Native Defense Contractor | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Hop Aero | Rocket cargo delivery to contested environments | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Impact Drones | Air Defense as a Service for Civilian Infrastructure. | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Isengard Industries Inc | Mass-produced AI strike systems and Counter-UAS | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Kara | Making Diamond Engineerable | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Kef Robotics Inc | Blue print: precise, resilient, interoperable navigation and telemetry for any air force suas | Award starts Jun 1, 2026 | $1.2M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Mass Magnetics | USA-made magnetics for robotics and defense | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Meteoric | Drones that clear clouds over solar farms and weaken hurricanes | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Nebula Security | Autonomous AI defense system for cyber attack | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| NebuSec | Autonomous AI defense system for cyber attack | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Skymerse | Autopilot for Flight Operations | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Vernius Systems, Inc. | Autonomous radar guidance for interceptors | Summer 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Balboa GeoLocation, Inc. | Filed May 26, 2026 | $4.5M | SEC Form D | ||
| Pitch Aeronautics Inc (funding history) | Filed May 22, 2026 | $1.9M | SEC Form D | ||
| Cowboy Space Corp | Filed May 21, 2026 | $305M | SEC Form D | ||
| Bascom Hunter Technologies, Inc. | This requirement is for a sbir contract that derived from, extends, logically furthers efforts performed under prior army sbir funding… | Award starts May 19, 2026 | $6.8M | SBIR | Federal award record |
| Red Balloon Security, Inc | Small business technology transfer (sttr) phase ii topic a22b-t023, real time cybersecurity systems for safety critical military vehicle… | Award starts May 15, 2026 | $1.1M | STTR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Darkhive Inc. (funding history) | Filed May 7, 2026 | $30M | SEC Form D | ||
| Juno Industries Inc. | Filed May 7, 2026 | $219,000 | SEC Form D | ||
| Kitware Inc | Direct to phase ii: seeker with infrared event-based neuromorphic sensing (sirens) | Award starts May 6, 2026 | $2M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Venus Aerospace Corp. (funding history) | Filed May 4, 2026 | $63M | SEC Form D | ||
| Ist Research, LLC | Ist pulse sbir iii do 55 soceur | Award starts Apr 29, 2026 | $2.7M | SBIR | Federal award record |
| Rhea Space Activity, Inc. | Small business technology transfer phase ii, topic a23b-t001, passive ranging for fire control under day and night conditions | Award starts Apr 20, 2026 | $1.3M | STTR Phase II | Federal award record |
| BETA Technologies, Inc. (funding history) | Filed Apr 16, 2026 | $7.1M | SEC Form D | ||
| Grazemate, Inc. | Filed Apr 10, 2026 | $156,500 | SEC Form D | ||
| Modus Operandi, Inc. | The 561st weapons squadron (561 wps) requires the knowledge network for integrated tactical employment (knite) phase iii sbir contract… | Award starts Apr 9, 2026 | $715,000 | SBIR Phase III | Federal award record |
| Leolabs Federal, Inc. | Sf254-d1006 leolabs response to direct to phase ii sbir: real-time detection and tracking of high-velocity atmospheric transits - this… | Award starts Apr 2, 2026 | $1.8M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. | Af global strike command technology integration sbir phase iii to | Award starts Apr 2, 2026 | $10.7M | SBIR Phase III | Federal award record |
| 9 Mothers | Counter Drone Systems | Spring 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Aice | Submarine drones for defense | Spring 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Arlo Industries | Track drones and missiles without radars - Accurate, Passive, Scalable | Spring 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| General Aviation | Fixing air traffic control with remote towers | Spring 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Nine Fives | RF test equipment for next-gen spacecraft, drones, and cellphones | Spring 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Ornadyne | We're building robot birds for surveillance. | Spring 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Raspire | Autonomous Runtime Security | Spring 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Surtr Defense Systems | The hardware-agnostic operating system for drone defense | Spring 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Global Materials, Inc | Design, optimization, and characterization of hybrids of boron fiber and hm63 carbon fiber for department of defense applications -… | Award starts Mar 30, 2026 | $3M | SBIR | Federal award record |
| Ierus Technologies Inc | Othr waveforms and processing | Award starts Mar 25, 2026 | $2M | STTR Phase II | Federal award record |
| AeroVironment Inc (funding history) | Filed Mar 24, 2026 | $157M | SEC Form D | ||
| Newbridge Partners, Inc. | Ii: newbridge partners-proposal number: f2d-19151 newbridge advanced coelostat beam director design (nbbd) | Award starts Mar 13, 2026 | $1.2M | SBIR | Federal award record |
| Code Metal, Inc. (funding history) | Filed Mar 12, 2026 | $123M | SEC Form D | ||
| Ibc Materials And Technologies, LLC | Baa 24.1, dla topic 241-002, sbir phase ii material & technologies proposal novel amorphous chromium carbide coatings for significantly… | Award starts Mar 12, 2026 | $1.1M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Lynntech Inc. | Topic n132-093 delivery order placed under boa n68335-25-g-0017 | Award starts Mar 12, 2026 | $10M | SBIR Phase III | Federal award record |
| Russell Technical Consulting Services LLC | Russell tech | Award starts Mar 12, 2026 | $5M | SBIR Phase III | Federal award record |
| Turnaround Factor, Inc. | Small business innovative research (sbir) phase ii proposal #l2-0503 tendered under topic #dla232-001 to turnaround factor for rtcass &… | Award starts Mar 12, 2026 | $680,482 | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Vanguard Defense, Inc. | Filed Mar 10, 2026 | $6.3M | SEC Form D | ||
| Firestorm Labs, Inc. (funding history) | Filed Mar 5, 2026 | $35M | SEC Form D | ||
| Interlune Corporation | Interlune corporation - prospect moon: a lunar resource technology demonstration and prospecting mission | Award starts Mar 2, 2026 | $6.9M | SBIR Phase III | Federal award record |
| Chariot Defense, Inc. | Filed Feb 25, 2026 | $33.2M | SEC Form D | ||
| Mza Associates Corporation | Jitter and mass reduction in optical components (jamroc) | Award starts Feb 4, 2026 | $5M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Liftwave Inc | Tacfi -super jammer vehicle arm integration- | Award starts Feb 3, 2026 | $3M | SBIR Phase II | Federal award record |
| Sophia Space, Inc. | Filed Feb 2, 2026 | $10.4M | SEC Form D | ||
| Firestorm Labs, Inc. | Idiq- decentralized- 1-integration of the tempest UAS into afwerx prime proving ground research and development efforts to support of… | Award starts Feb 1, 2026 | $5M | SBIR Phase III | Federal award record |
| Starfish Space Inc. | Starfish space, inc | Award starts Jan 30, 2026 | $48.5M | SBIR Phase III | Federal award record |
| Cap Orbit, Inc. | Filed Jan 16, 2026 | $142,000 | SEC Form D | ||
| AxionOrbital Space | Foundation models for 24/7 Earth Observation | Winter 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| BeeSafe AI | Frontier AI Defenses for Social Engineering Attacks | Winter 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Beyond Reach Labs | Space solar arrays that grow to the size of a football field in orbit | Winter 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Brumby (Formerly GrazeMate) | Robot Cowboys that Herd Cattle with AI Drones | Winter 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Byteport | Global upload acceleration for 1GB-100TB files. | Winter 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Constellation Space | AI operating system for mega-scale satellite networks | Winter 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Milliray | Technology to detect and track small drones | Winter 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Seeing Systems | Modular AI-Commanded Drones for Defence | Winter 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Verdex | AI Verification for Insurance | Winter 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Voltair | Autonomous Drones for Earth Observation | Winter 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing | |
| Zymbly | The decision-support layer for aviation ops teams to know what to do… | Winter 2026 | Y Combinator batch | Y Combinator listing |
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