# Epirus Directed energy weapons company building high-power microwave (HPM) systems for counter-drone defense. Epirus's Leonidas system can disable entire drone swarms with directed energy — no kinetic interceptors needed. Backed primarily by [[Joe Lonsdale]]'s 8VC, not [[Andreessen Horowitz]]. ## Key Facts - **Valuation:** $1B+ (unicorn at Series D, March 2025). - **Total raised:** $595M across 7 rounds from 33 investors. - **$250M Series D** (March 2025) led by 8VC and Washington Harbour Partners, with [[General Dynamics]] Land Systems. - **$43.5M U.S. Army Contract** (July 2025) for IFPC-HPM Generation II systems. - Delivered final batch of IFPC-HPM prototypes to the U.S. Army. ## Products - **Leonidas** — High-power microwave counter-UAS system. Uses directed energy to disable electronic systems in drone swarms. Can take out 100+ drones simultaneously. The Army's primary HPM solution for short-range air defense. - On the verge of becoming an Army **program of record** — the milestone that transforms a prototype into a long-term procurement commitment. ## Why Directed Energy Matters The drone problem is fundamentally an economics problem: interceptor missiles cost $100K–$3M each; drones cost $1K–$50K. You can't win by shooting down $500 drones with $500K missiles. Directed energy flips the equation — the "ammunition" is electricity, and each "shot" costs pennies. Epirus solves the counter-drone cost curve that makes kinetic solutions unsustainable. This puts Epirus in a complementary role with [[Anduril]]'s [[Anduril Roadrunner]] and [[Anduril Anvil]] (kinetic counter-drone) — different approaches to the same threat. ## NOT an a16z Investment Epirus appears on [[Andreessen Horowitz]]'s [[American Dynamism]] 50 list but is NOT an a16z portfolio company. Its lead investor is 8VC ([[Joe Lonsdale]]'s fund), placing it in the Thiel-adjacent camp rather than the a16z orbit. General Dynamics Land Systems as a strategic investor signals legacy-prime interest in the directed energy space. ## Co-Investment Network | Investor | Connection | |----------|-----------| | 8VC | [[Joe Lonsdale]]'s fund — [[Palantir]] co-founder, Thiel network | | Washington Harbour Partners | Defense-focused PE | | General Dynamics | Legacy prime making strategic investment in startup counter-drone | ## See Also - [[Anduril Roadrunner]] - [[Anduril Anvil]] - [[Shield AI]] - [[American Dynamism]] - [[Defense Tech as Asset Class]] - [[Joe Lonsdale]]