Epirus, a young defense technology company specializing in counter-drone systems, has secured $70 million in new funding aimed at accelerating its product development and market rollout. The Series B round was led by Bedrock Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm, and brings the company’s total raised capital to approximately $80 million since its founding two years ago.
This funding milestone follows a strategic supplier agreement signed six months earlier with Northrop Grumman, granting the defense giant exclusive access to Epirus’ software-defined electromagnetic pulse system, known as Leonidas. Since that agreement, Epirus has doubled its workforce and now plans to add 100 new positions in 2021. “We’re aggressively hiring and expanding our footprint on the East and West coasts,” said CEO Leigh Madden, noting the company’s headquarters will shift from Hawthorne, California, to Tysons Corner, Virginia.
The Leonidas system is designed to disable or neutralize unmanned aerial systems using a combination of high-power microwave technology and artificial intelligence for enhanced targeting. At the core of this capability is Epirus’ proprietary SmartPower technology, a power-management system that enables high-power output from relatively low-power input. This efficiency not only supports counter-UAS operations but also has potential applications across a range of radio frequency systems, where power constraints often limit performance.
L3Harris Technologies, one of the investors in the latest round, is partnering with Epirus to integrate SmartPower into some of its existing systems, aiming to improve power efficiency without sacrificing operational effectiveness. Such collaborations highlight the broader relevance of Epirus’ innovations beyond the immediate counter-drone market.
The funding consortium also includes Piedmont Capital Investments, 8VC, Fathom VC, and Greenspring Associates. Epirus’ earlier Series A round in 2019, led by 8VC, raised $17 million to move the company from concept toward development. Series B funding, by contrast, is intended to scale production and expand market reach.
Geoff Lewis of Bedrock Capital underscored the strategic significance of the investment, stating, “We are confident Epirus has the capacity to integrate its technology into top tier counter-UAS systems and lead the way in developing new and compelling directed energy applications.” He added, “Epirus counters the weak assumption baked into standard VC models that the economic and cultural gaps of defense-focused investments are too wide to overcome.”
Epirus’ rapid growth reflects a broader trend in defense technology, where software-defined systems and energy-efficient hardware are increasingly critical to addressing emerging threats. The integration of AI into directed energy platforms like Leonidas allows for adaptive targeting, which is particularly important in environments where drones vary widely in size, speed, and maneuverability.
From an engineering perspective, the SmartPower approach tackles a longstanding challenge in high-power microwave systems: delivering sufficient energy to disrupt targets without requiring impractically large power sources. By optimizing the conversion and management of electrical power, Epirus’ system can be deployed in more mobile and flexible configurations, potentially extending its utility to field operations where logistics and mobility are key.
The relocation of headquarters to Tysons Corner positions Epirus closer to major defense customers and decision-makers, potentially streamlining collaboration and contracting processes. Coupled with its aggressive hiring plans, the company is signaling both technical ambition and market readiness.
As counter-drone threats evolve, the combination of directed energy and intelligent control systems is expected to play a pivotal role in safeguarding airspace, particularly in sensitive or high-security zones. Epirus’ trajectory suggests that its technology may soon become a fixture in the toolkit of defense agencies seeking rapid, precise, and scalable countermeasures.