Best Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Companies in Minnesota, United States
The 35 best Aerospace, Maritime and Defense companies in Minnesota, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Cirrus Aircraft.
Our analysis of 50 Aerospace, Maritime and Defense companies
$6.7b in tracked funding; 89% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Aerospace, Maritime and Defense companies in Minnesota
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Founder | Founded | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cirrus Aircraft Manufacturer of piston and jet aircraft, and flight training provider | $950K | 162 mo ago | Public | — | 1984 | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+42 | 31 patents Advanced cockpit situational awareness UI with real-time image overlays and speech recognition. | — |
| 2 | INTERNATIONAL PARTS SUPPLY CORPORATION Distributor of US military tracked vehicle parts, kits, and components | $300K | 191 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | 1999 | — | — | — |
| 3 | Trusted Semiconductor Solutions Manufacturer of semiconductors, integrated circuits, and electronic systems, offering design, fabrication… | $124K | 183 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | 2006 | — | — | — |
| 4 | aac engineering AAC Engineering is an engineering firm that offers equipment design, fabrication, project management, and… | — | — | Acquired | — | 2009 | — | — | — |
| 5 | AbelConn Provider of electromechanical, manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain solutions for defense, aerospace… | — | — | Acquired | — | 1957 | — | — | — |
| 6 | alumacraft boat co. Alumacraft Boat, the premier private North American manufacturer of aluminum fishing boats. | — | — | Acquired | — | 1946 | Adobe Experience ManagerJavaPIXIjs+35 | — | — |
| 7 | american precision avionics American Precision Avionics is a manufacturing company that offers wiring harnesses and other wire services… | — | — | — | — | 2006 | — | — | — |
| 8 | ase ASE is the world’s number one supplier of ground-based testing solutions and expertise for the aerospace… | — | — | Acquired | — | 2018 | — | — | — |
Top 3 Aerospace, Maritime and Defense companies in Minnesota
#1
Public · Duluth, Minnesota · founded 1984 · 2500 employees$950Kraised▾
Manufacturer of piston and jet aircraft, and flight training provider. It designs, manufactures, and sells single-engine piston and jet aircraft. The company also offers a comprehensive flight training program encompassing various skill levels, from private pilot certification to advanced jet training. Additionally, it provides maintenance and support services for its aircraft through a global network of service centers. The training program utilizes a standardized curriculum and experienced instructors. Maintenance services utilize factory-trained technicians and genuine parts.
- Mar 2013Conventional Debt$950K
#2
Funding Raised · Minneapolis, Minnesota · founded 1999$300Kraised▾
Distributor of US military tracked vehicle parts, kits, and components. The company specializes in tracked vehicles, including armored personnel carriers and main battle tanks. It maintains an extensive inventory of spare parts for gun systems. Offerings include distribution, kitting, vendor managed inventory programs, and quality control assistance. The company provides engineering, design, and technical advice for upgrading, overhauling, and modernization. They develop, assemble, and kit basic issue items, components of end items, and additional authorized lists.
- Sep 2010Grant (prize money)$300K
#3
Funding Raised · Brooklyn Park, Minnesota · founded 2006 · 35 employees$124Kraised▾
Trusted Semiconductor Solutions Inc. is a company that specializes in the design and delivery of integrated circuits, radiation hardened products, and electronic systems. They leverage the best commercial technology and manufacturing capabilities to create their products.
- May 2011Grant (prize money)$124K
Funding & investor landscape
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Aerospace, Maritime and Defense coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Defense Technology is moving in the United States
A read on the academic research around Defense Technology — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 462 United States-affiliated papers.
- Pennsylvania State University19
- United States Air Force Research Laboratory15
- United States Naval Academy12
- U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology10
- Naval Postgraduate School9
- Photonics2→4
- Jamming6→7
- Electronic warfare55
- Radar36
- Missile32
- Missile defense18
- Jamming12
- Aerospace engineering2→4
- Cruise missile4→5
Where defense tech is researched across United States
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing defense tech patents in the United States
United States defense tech patent filing is accelerating — 57 filings from 65 assignees (2016–2025), led by Raytheon, BAE SYS INF & Elect SYS Integ, AAI; annual filings 3→6.
- Raytheon17
- BAE SYS INF & Elect SYS Integ15
- AAI10
- Leonardo Electronics US10
- Lockheed10
- Rocky Research7
- Huggett James M5
- Stroili Frank D5
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.