Best Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech Companies in Los Angeles, United States
The 71 best Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Los Angeles, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: CHAOS Industries.
Our analysis of 50 Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies
$31.9b in tracked funding; 90% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2021.
Ranked: Best Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Los Angeles
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Employees | Founder | Web popularity | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHAOS Industries 🦄 Manufacturer of advanced sensing, detection, and effects technologies for defense 76Funding top 14%AI top 15%Growth top 28%Talent top 28% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 14% AItop 15% Growthtop 28% Talenttop 28% Moattop 37% Patentstop 46% Innovationtop 49% Markettop 50% Techbottom 49% Globalbottom 46% Funding: Raised $1.0B across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 3 yrs (1.3/yr) AI: Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 76/100 | $1.0B | 7 mo ago | Series D | 33 | Gavin Hood Co-Founder | Top 5M | 3 patents Precise time sync for distributed sensor arrays and multimodal zero-shot AI prompting | 1 partnership · 1 award |
| 2 | Epirus 🦄 Developer of high-power microwave systems for electronic warfare and air defense 78Patents top 17%Innovation top 22%Funding top 22%Moat top 22% All 11 signals ▾Patentstop 17% Innovationtop 22% Fundingtop 22% Moattop 22% Talenttop 28% Markettop 41% Techtop 45% AItop 45% Growthtop 50% Globalbottom 40% Newsbottom 24% Patents: 122 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 110 filings since 2022 vs 12 in 2017-21 Innovation: 122 patents (top 16% of patent-holders) · 110 filings since 2022 vs 12 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 78/100 | $289M | 8 mo ago | Series D | 218 | Nathan M Co-Founder | Top 5M | 122 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 3 | Arc Boats Manufacturer of electric ships 53Funding top 27%Growth top 35%Tech top 36%Moat top 39% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 27% Growthtop 35% Techtop 36% Moattop 39% Producttop 40% Newstop 45% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 38% Globalbottom 32% Funding: Raised $137M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 5 yrs (0.6/yr) Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 53/100 | $137M | 3 mo ago | Series C | 55 | Mitch Lee Co-Founder & CEO | Top 5M | — | 2 job openings · 1 internship · 1 launch |
| 4 | Apex 🦄 Manufacturer of configurable satellite platforms designed for various mission requirements | $118M | 9 mo ago | Series D | 35 | Maximilian Benassi Co-Founder & CTO | Top 5M | 63 patents Deterministic real-time shared-memory communication and memory allocation for embedded systems | 1 launch · 2 partnerships · 1 award |
| 5 | STAX Provider of emission control and treatment system 29Funding top 27%Patents top 32%Innovation top 35%Talent top 38% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 27% Patentstop 32% Innovationtop 35% Talenttop 38% Moatbottom 49% Growthbottom 42% Globalbottom 40% Marketbottom 21% Techbottom 19% Newsbottom 18% Funding: Raised $40.0M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 2 yrs (1.5/yr) Patents: 12 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 12 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 29/100 | $40M | 15 mo ago | Series C | 3 | Bob Sharp Founder & President | Top 5M | 12 patents High‑efficiency fluid mixing and liquid atomization devices using high‑helix mass‑flow technology | 2 job openings |
| 6 | Reflect Orbital Space-based solar power generation solutions | $35M | 13 mo ago | Series A | 4 | Tristan Semmelhack Co-Founder | Top 500k | — | 1 job opening |
| 7 | Starpath Developer of technology for in-situ resource utilization to produce rocket propellant | $14M | 23 mo ago | Seed | — | Mihir Gondhalekar Co-Founder | Top 10M | — | — |
| 8 | Neros Manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles and ground control station systems 50Growth top 28%Funding top 30%Talent top 38%News top 49% All 8 signals ▾Growthtop 28% Fundingtop 30% Talenttop 38% Newstop 49% Techbottom 42% Moatbottom 38% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 36% Growth: Web rank 10,000,000 → 5,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo Funding: Raised $10.9M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 2 yrs (1.5/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 50/100 | $11M | 7 mo ago | Series B | — | Soren Monroe-Anderson Co-Founder & CEO | Top 5M | — | 2 launchs · 1 partnership · 1 expansion |
| 9 | Inversion Space Developer of autonomous reentry vehicles delivering payloads to ground surface | $10M | 19 mo ago | Series A | 20 | Austin Briggs Co-Founder & CTO | Top 10M | — | 4 job openings |
| 10 | Moonware Automated ground operation systems for the aviation industry | $10M | 27 mo ago | Seed | 11 | Saunon Malekshahi Founder & CTO | — | 5 patents Autonomous electric aircraft for aviation applications | — |
| 11 | Outpost Provider of reusable spacecraft for cargo delivery and in-orbit manufacturing | $7M | 45 mo ago | Seed | 20 | Aaron Kemmer Co-Founder | Top 10M | — | 3 job openings · 2 launchs |
| 12 | Array Labs Provider of high-quality 3D imagery on a global scale services | $5M | 5 mo ago | Series A | 10 | Isaac Robledo Co-Founder | Top 50M | 68 patents Mounting, securing, and stowing photovoltaic modules for installation and weather protection | — |
| 13 | AnySignal Communication hardware for military applications | $5M | 12 mo ago | Series A | 4 | John Malsbury Co-Founder & CEO | Top 50M | — | 4 job openings · 1 expansion · 2 awards |
| 14 | Trans Astronautica Corporation Provider of mining services for space systems | $4M | 57 mo ago | Seed | 37 | Joel Sercel Founder | — | 73 patents In-space resource extraction, manufacturing, and propulsion systems with autonomous object tracking | — |
| 15 | Exosonic Low boom supersonic aircraft manufacturer | $4M | 49 mo ago | Seed | 16 | Tim Macdonald Co-founder and CTO | Top 10M | — | — |
| 16 | Flyby Developer of multi-utility drones | $4M | 38 mo ago | Seed | 8 | Cat Orman Co-Founder & COO | — | — | — |
| 17 | Flyby Robotics Manufacturer of programmable drones with edge machine learning capabilities for developers | $4M | 38 mo ago | Seed | — | Jason Lu Co-Founder & CEO | Top 50M | — | — |
| 18 | TRL11 Developer of video and networking solutions for space applications | $3M | 37 mo ago | Seed | 8 | Nicolaas Verheem Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 19 | JetPack Aviation Manufacturer of personal VTOL vehicles | $3M | 79 mo ago | Seed | 7 | Nelson Tyler Co-Founder | Top 10M | 5 patents Personal jet‑powered VTOL aircraft and back‑mounted propulsion systems | — |
| 20 | KSI Data Sciences Provider of a cloud-based video and data management and broadcasting solution | $1M | 65 mo ago | Series A | 7 | Jon Gaster CEO | — | — | — |
| 21 | Talyn Developer of autonomous aircraft systems for cargo and passenger transportation | $125K | 75 mo ago | Acquired | 22 | — | — | — | — |
Top 12 Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Los Angeles
#1
Series D · Los Angeles, California · founded 2022 · 33 employees$1Braised▾
Manufacturer of advanced sensing, detection, and effects technologies for defense. It is redefining modern defense with a multi-product portfolio that gives the ultimate advantage—domain dominance. Its products are powered by Coherent Distributed Networks, empowering warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly, and stay ahead of evolving threats.
- Nov 2025Series D$510M
- Apr 2025Series C$275M
- Nov 2024Series B$145M
- Mar 2023Series A$70M
#2
Series C · Los Angeles, California · founded 2021 · 55 employees$137Mraised▾
Manufacturer of electric ships. It designs and develops boats using marine-grade aluminium materials. Its features include aluminium hulls, custom-built batteries, and electric propulsion engines.
- Mar 2026Series C$50M
- Sep 2023Series B$70M
- Nov 2021Series A$30M
- Oct 2021Seed—
#3
Epirus 🦄Series D · Los Angeles, California · founded 2017 · 218 employees$288.7Mraised▾
Developer of high-power microwave systems for electronic warfare and air defense. The company combines solid-state, long-pulse high-power microwave systems with artificial intelligence and advanced electronics. It offers systems for layered short-range air defense and maneuver short-range defense. The company also provides testing and validation for electronic effects on long-range targets. It develops capabilities to defend high-value assets and provides compact electronic warfare. The company delivers air domain awareness using perception capabilities.
- Oct 2025Series D—
- Mar 2025Series D$250M
- Jan 2022Series C$200M
- Dec 2021Grant (prize money)$243K
#4
Apex 🦄Series D · Los Angeles, California · founded 2022 · 35 employees$118.5Mraised▾
Manufacturer of configurable satellite platforms designed for various mission requirements. The company offers productized bus platforms to increase reliability and accelerate mission timelines. These platforms are designed with built-in configurability to meet specific mission needs. The company focuses on speed and scale to support faster time-to-orbit. End-to-end mission services are available to simplify the path to orbit.
- Aug 2025Series D$200M
- Apr 2025Series C$200M
- May 2024Series B$95M
- Jun 2023Series A$16M
#5
Series A · Los Angeles, California · founded 2019 · 10 employees$5.1Mraised▾
Provider of high-quality 3D imagery on a global scale services. It uses clusters of radar satellites operating in formation to capture multiple perspectives of the same location, enabling detailed 3D reconstruction of terrain, infrastructure, and urban areas. The platform delivers frequent, cost-effective, and accurate data suitable for applications in defense, autonomous navigation, insurance risk modeling, environmental monitoring, urban planning, and extended reality (XR).
- Jan 2026Series A$20M
- 2024Series A$10M
- 2023Seed$428K
- Oct 2022Seed$5M
#6
Series B · Los Angeles, California · founded 2023$10.9Mraised▾
Manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles and ground control station systems. The company designs and produces drones with modular payloads and resilient communication capabilities. These systems are built for electronic warfare resistance and long-range missions. The company focuses on scalable products with secure supply chains.
- Nov 2025Series B$75M
- Mar 2025Series A$35M
- May 2024Seed$10.9M
#7
Series A · Los Angeles, California · founded 2021 · 4 employees$35.2Mraised▾
Space-based solar power generation solutions. It builds and provides space reflectors to generate power. The platform develops solar panels to provide sunlight for existing solar panels. It builds reflectors to provide solar power for solar farms. It develops space-based mirror systems designed to deliver sunlight on demand.
- Apr 2025Series A$28.7M
- Sep 2024Seed$6.5M
- 2023Seed—
#8
Series C · Los Angeles, California · founded 2016 · 3 employees$40Mraised▾
STAX engineering is a provider of emission control and treatment system for maritime. It is a mobile diesel emission reduction system that removes all NOx, SOx, PM, and CO2 from both oceangoing vessels and backup generators. It can also remove emissions from ships at anchor and boiler emissions at berth.
- Feb 2025Conventional Debt$60M
- Feb 2025Series C$10M
- Jul 2024Series C$40M
#9
Series A · Los Angeles, California · founded 2022 · 4 employees$5Mraised▾
Communication hardware for military applications. It offers end-to-end solutions for advanced aircraft, satellites, and national security, covering communications, radar, navigation, and RF sensing.
- May 2025Series A$24M
- Feb 2025Grant (prize money)$84.3K
- Dec 2024Series A$6.7M
- Aug 2024Grant (prize money)$84.3K
#10
Series A · Los Angeles, California · founded 2021 · 20 employees$10.1Mraised▾
Developer of autonomous reentry vehicles delivering payloads to ground surface. The company designs and manufactures autonomous reentry capsules that store cargo in orbit and enable precision delivery to predefined ground locations through controlled atmospheric reentry and integrated recovery systems.
- Nov 2024Series A$44M
- Nov 2021Seed$10M
- Sep 2021Seed$125K
#11
Seed · Los Angeles, California · founded 2022$14.5Mraised▾
Developer of technology for in-situ resource utilization to produce rocket propellant. It builds a full-stack solution for propellant production. This includes hardware that acquires and processes extraterrestrial materials. The system is designed to produce rocket propellant at commercial scale. The purpose is to refuel vehicles on the surface. Converting extraterrestrial materials into propellant ensures vehicles never run out of fuel.
- Jul 2024Seed$12M
#12
Seed · Los Angeles, California · founded 2020 · 11 employees$9.5Mraised▾
Automated ground operation systems for the aviation industry. It helps in managing turnarounds, block times, flight throughputs, and asset utility. It automates ground operations for various sectors like passenger, cargo, defense, and advanced air mobility. It also helps to minimize delays and improve safety by reducing the risk of accidents due to overcrowding.
- Mar 2024Seed$7M
- Jul 2023Seed$2.5M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Launch Vehicles is moving in the United States
A read on the academic research around Launch Vehicles — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 1,518 United States-affiliated papers.
- Marshall Space Flight Center339
- Langley Research Center111
- Jacobs77
- Purdue University West Lafayette61
- Ames Research Center61
- Detonation1→8
- Trajectory2→6
- Rocket (weapon)16→20
- Combustor1→4
- Propellant13→14
- Detonation10→40
- Propulsion26→34
- Liquid-propellant rocket20→28
- Combustor10→15
- Combustion11→16
- Detonation2→11
- Rocket (weapon)20→21
- Rocket engine12→13
Where launch vehicles 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 launch vehicles patents in the United States
United States launch vehicles patent filing is accelerating — 333 filings from 249 assignees (2016–2025), led by Boeing, BLUE Origin, United Technologies; annual filings 29→46.
- Boeing47
- BLUE Origin44
- United Technologies33
- Venus Aerospace25
- 8 Rivers Capital19
- Aerojet Rocketdyne15
- Aerojet General13
- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne13
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.