[ { "id": 29698, "name": "AutoPallet Robotics", "slug": "autopallet-robotics", "former_names": [ "Anteatr Robotics" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/d2f0c4ca0e1ee62abec263fe32fc601c69e08139.png", "website": "https://autopallet.bot", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "We’re building the next generation of warehouse robotics.\r\n\r\nIn the US today, retailers spend approximately $10B per year paying human laborers to pick up and move cardboard boxes in warehouses. Existing solutions for automating this are expensive and difficult to install, which is why manual operation is still so prevalent.\r\n\r\nOur solution is different. We make swarms of small mobile robots that install into existing warehouses to provide a low-cost and robust automation solution for case picking and mixed-SKU palletization. Our novel technology allows these robots to be installed and operate at significantly lower cost than existing solutions while being both flexible and robust.", "one_liner": "We make robots that move boxes in warehouses", "team_size": 6, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials -> Manufacturing and Robotics", "launched_at": 1723496700, "tags": [ "Hard Tech", "Machine Learning", "Warehouse Management Tech", "Swarm Robotics", "Automation" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2024", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials", "Manufacturing and Robotics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": [ { "question": "How did your company get started? (i.e., How did the founders meet? How did you come up with the idea? How did you decide to be a founder?)", "answer": "Eric and Nathan met at Olin College, where they worked on 15 group projects together. " } ], "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/autopallet-robotics", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2024/autopallet-robotics.json", "year_founded": 2024, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/autopallet-robotics/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": "https://github.com/AutoPallet/", "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/d2f0c4ca0e1ee62abec263fe32fc601c69e08139.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Jared Friedman", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/jared-friedman" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 242906, "full_name": "Nathan Yee", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Nathan is the co-founder and COO of AutoPallet Robotics.\n\nAt 18, he graduated as the valedictorian of College of Alameda and then studied Engineering with Computing at Olin College where he met Eric. He has since built ML models for MBARI, consulted for the DIU (xView2) and WashU (drug discovery), and built core software for lab automation robotics at Trilobio.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielyee/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/6e1472399a54fec10ff193ce2453753f7c5170c4.jpg" }, { "user_id": 1979497, "full_name": "Eric Miller", "title": "Founder/CTO", "founder_bio": "Eric is the co-founder and CEO of AutoPallet Robotics.\n\nAfter graduating from Olin College in 2019, he led the Subject Tracking and Autonomy Infrastructure teams at Skydio, rapidly growing from individual contributor to lead a team of 6 engineers.\n\nEric is a multidisciplinary robotics engineer with significant experience building modern robotics stacks, from hardware and electronics through perception and high-level software.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/olin-eric/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/4fa34c4d02dcef337053aafb9f45b11b7a7c2531.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 83238, "title": "🤖 AutoPallet Robotics: The future of case picking in warehouses", "tagline": "AutoPallet Robotics uses swarms of hundreds of mobile robots to do case picking in existing warehouses.", "body": "# TL;DR\n\n* AutoPallet Robotics unlocks automated case picking for existing warehouses. Our novel system delivers rapid ROI by leveraging the current infrastructure to deploy swarms of hundreds of small, agile, mobile robots.\n* Want to get in touch? [**connect@autopallet.bot**](mailto:connect@autopallet.bot) or [send us an inquiry](https://forms.gle/YT1XLadSpWaKAa668)\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=83238&key=user_uploads/242906/61c0e05b-c2d2-470a-8248-dcb394bbaeaa)\n\n# The Team\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=83238&key=user_uploads/242906/0e93dfda-da4f-43f2-8170-dcbef1c80b90)\n\n**Nathan and Eric** met at Olin College of Engineering 9 years ago, where they collaborated on over 15 projects.\n\n**COO** - [Nathan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielyee/) brings four years of experience in machine learning. In his previous position, he worked on robot software and explored heuristic-based and RL-based methods for multi-robot scheduling.\n\n**CEO** - [Eric](https://www.linkedin.com/in/olin-eric/) has extensive experience creating hardware, electronics, and software for modern robotics systems, including five years at Skydio, founding and growing the Autonomy Infrastructure team.\n\n# The Problem\n\n**Case picking for order selecting**, a critical task in the supply chain for grocery stores, retail, and restaurants, remains largely manual in U.S. warehouses. We estimate that **over 30 billion cases** are manually moved between pallets annually, resulting in labor costs exceeding **$10 billion** each year.\n\nCurrent automation solutions are prohibitively expensive and fall into two main categories:\n\n1. **Build a new warehouse** with extensive conveyor belt systems, industrial robot arms, and high-density case storage. Costs range from **$100M to $350M per warehouse**.\n2. **Install large mobile robots** that directly replace humans in existing warehouses at a cost of **$300k to $500k per unit**. This high capital expenditure and long ROI period make them infeasible for many businesses.\n\n## Our Solution Is Fundamentally Different\n\nWe've developed a way to retrofit existing warehouse infrastructure with swarms of affordable, agile robots to automate the order-selecting process. This approach eliminates the need to rebuild warehouses from scratch or invest in expensive large mobile robots. We are designing our system to:\n\n* **Meet or exceed** your current throughput—our robots work in swarms, easily picking tens of thousands of cases per shift.\n* Ensure **resilience** through a decentralized swarm that continues operating even if several robots fail.\n* Optimize **multi-stop deliveries** and create **maximally dense pallets** using an **AI-powered** pallet-building algorithm.\n* Deliver a typical ROI in **less than** **12 months**.\n\n## How You Can Help\n\nWe’re actively seeking **partnerships and collaborations** to propel our mission forward. If you or anyone in your network is interested in exploring opportunities or learning more, we’d love to connect! We’re especially interested in engaging with:\n\n* Retailers and 3PLs operating distribution centers\n* Grocery and Broadline Foodservice Distributors\n\nIf this resonates with you or someone you know, please don’t hesitate to reach out! [**connect@autopallet.bot**](mailto:connect@autopallet.bot) or [send us an inquiry](https://forms.gle/YT1XLadSpWaKAa668)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/LeY-autopallet-robotics-the-future-of-case-picking-in-warehouses", "votes": 27, "created_at": "2024-08-20T18:44:31.152Z" } ] }, { "id": 32188, "name": "IMPACT Drones", "slug": "impact-drones", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/c7df3a5c9dfd6e7d9865e24f95f172c997a7183b.png", "website": "https://www.impact-drones.com", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "IMPACT builds autonomous interceptor drones that ship in sealed containers. The box sits at the site it protects, data centers, power grids, airports, bases, with no crew on the pad. When sensors cue a hostile drone, an interceptor pierces its own frangible lid, launches, and rams the target, guided by onboard vision that keeps working when GPS is jammed. Legacy effectors cost $1M+ per shot against $30k threats; ours cost less than the threat and scale with the swarm, the same class of interceptor already downing Shahed drones over Ukraine. Sites subscribe to protection instead of buying missiles, hardware, reloads and monitoring included: Air Defense as a Service. 180M+ USD in signed letters of intent.", "one_liner": "Air Defense as a Service for Civilian Infrastructure.", "team_size": 2, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials -> Defense", "launched_at": 1785702345, "tags": [ "Hardware", "Drones", "Swarm Robotics", "AI" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": true, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2026", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials", "Defense" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/impact-drones", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2026/impact-drones.json", "year_founded": 2026, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/impactdrones", "x_url": "https://x.com/impactdrones", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/c7df3a5c9dfd6e7d9865e24f95f172c997a7183b.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Tyler Bosmeny", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/tyler-bosmeny" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 3245067, "full_name": "Jasper Lortije", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Co-founder & CEO, Impact Drones. Aerospace engineer (MSc, TU Delft), over a decade building drones. Built the VTOL drone that won the Hannover Messe VTOL competition. Worked alongside special forces on the counter-drone security plan for the 2025 NATO Summit, protecting heads of state including President Trump.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasper-l/", "x_url": "https://x.com/JasperLort", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/a658fea832c15f888808bdf1131fe0fc62b3df85.jpg" }, { "user_id": 3677968, "full_name": "Alessandro Fiume", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Co-founder at Impact Drones. Columbia MSc. Built the pipeline behind 180M+ USD in signed LOIs. At Bloomberg, drove 80% week-over-week growth in terminal activations closing 2M USD in contracts. Scholarship fellow to Columbia & ESCP, valedictorian of CIV, France.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandro-fiume45/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/afa1db0b96ca55b32dea0b32e29b6a0fe999eda2.jpg" } ], "jobs": [ { "id": 114195, "title": "Founding Engineer, Robotics and Flight Software", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/impact-drones/jobs/dpDZ9V6-founding-engineer-robotics-and-flight-software", "location": "San Francisco, CA, US", "type": "Full-time", "role": "Engineering", "role_type": "Robotics", "salary_range": "$120K - $170K", "equity_range": "0.50% - 1.25%", "experience": "3+ years", "visa": "US citizen/visa only", "skills": [ "C++" ] }, { "id": 114196, "title": "Integration Engineer, Radar and Drone Software (Counter-UAS)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/impact-drones/jobs/LKeth6O-integration-engineer-radar-and-drone-software-counter-uas", "location": "San Francisco, CA, US", "type": "Full-time", "role": "Engineering", "role_type": "Embedded systems", "salary_range": "$100K - $150K", "equity_range": "0.20% - 0.40%", "experience": "1+ years", "visa": "US citizen/visa only", "skills": [ "C++", "Python", "Linux", "Sensor integration" ] }, { "id": 114197, "title": "Autonomy Engineer, Interceptor Drones", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/impact-drones/jobs/yVR7VxO-autonomy-engineer-interceptor-drones", "location": "San Francisco, CA, US", "type": "Full-time", "role": "Engineering", "role_type": "Robotics", "salary_range": "$110K - $160K", "equity_range": "0.25% - 0.45%", "experience": "1+ years", "visa": "US citizen/visa only", "skills": [ "C++", "Python", "Computer Vision", "Embedded Linux" ] } ], "news": [ { "title": "Impact launches Air Defense as a Service: autonomous interceptor drones in a sealed box, deployed at the sites drones are already hitting - EDR Magazine", "url": "https://www.edrmagazine.eu/impact-launches-air-defense-as-a-service-autonomous-interceptor-drones-in-a-sealed-box-deployed-at-the-sites-drones-are-already-hitting", "date": "Aug 17, 2026" }, { "title": "Y Combinator-backed Impact Drones to offer missile-intercepting drone service for data centers and grid operators - DCD", "url": "https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/y-combinator-backed-impact-drones-launches-offers-missile-intercepting-drone-service-for-data-centers-and-grid-operators/", "date": "Aug 17, 2026" }, { "title": "Impact Launches Air Defense As Service Using Drone Interceptors | Aviation Week", "url": "https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/advanced-air-mobility/impact-launches-air-defense-service-using-drone-interceptors", "date": "Aug 17, 2026" }, { "title": "Impact Drones launches autonomous “air defence as a service” for critical infrastructure - Unmanned airspace", "url": "https://www.unmannedairspace.info/counter-uas-systems-and-policies/impact-drones-launches-autonomous-air-defence-as-a-service-for-critical-infrastructure/", "date": "Aug 06, 2026" } ], "launches": [ { "id": 108922, "title": "Impact Drones: Air Defense as a Service for Civilian Infrastructure", "tagline": "Containerized drone interception for airports, ports, data centers and power plants.", "body": "# \n\nWe build containerized cells of autonomous interceptors that protect critical civilian infrastructure from hostile drones. Park the cell next to anything you need to keep running: it detects an incoming threat, launches and physically neutralizes the incoming aerial threat. [www.impact-drones.com](http://www.impact-drones.com)\n\n**OUR LAUNCH VIDEO**\n\n\n\n**TL;DR:** Half this batch is building AI agents. Your agents live in data centers. And these sites are now under threat. In March, drones took three AWS data centers offline in the Middle East and a dozen core cloud services with them. **Amazon lost 200 million USD in one day.** We sell a box you put next to anything you'd rather keep: an interceptor pierces its own lid, and the threat stops existing. We'll keep your agents running.\n\n**Why now:** The drone threat went industrial and air defense math didn't.\n\n**A single patriot missile costs more than 1m USD to shoot down a drone worth 30k USD.** Critical infrastructure needs a defense system that can be deployed at scale without losing the cost-per-interception battle.\n\n**What we're building:** a cell holding autonomous interceptors, always charged, always ready for when a threat arises. Unlike jamming, our system physically intercepts the threat. Unlike conventional air-defense systems, it is designed specifically for protecting civilian infrastructure affordably and at scale.\n\n**Why us:** two founders who ship hardware fast.\n\n[@Jasper Lortije](https://bookface.ycombinator.com/user/3245067): aerospace engineer (MSc at TU Delft), previously founded a Dutch company building GNSS-denied visual navigation for autonomous systems.\n\n[@Alessandro Fiume](https://bookface.ycombinator.com/user/3677968): sales and operations, ex Bloomberg, MSBA at Columbia.\n\n**Our ask:** intros to the people who own the airspace problem: data center security and infrastructure leads (hyperscalers and neoclouds especially, your uptime now has an air defense dependency), airport operations directors, and energy grid security teams. And if you're building agents: we're literally your uptime insurance, come say hi. [jasper@impact-drones.com](mailto:jasper@impact-drones.com) & [alessandro@impact-drones.com](mailto:alessandro@impact-drones.com)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/SKo-impact-drones-air-defense-as-a-service-for-civilian-infrastructure", "votes": 21, "created_at": "2026-08-04T18:02:22.616Z" } ] }, { "id": 32781, "name": "Isengard Industries Inc", "slug": "isengard-industries-inc", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/17f019cfd01fa25a85e88f6a43f39d133e5ecaff.png", "website": "http://isengardindustries.com/", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Isengard Industries is not another drone company.\r\n\r\nWe build sovereign production: the means for allied nations to make precision-strike and counter-drone systems by the thousand, on their own soil, at a fraction of what the primes charge.\r\n\r\nWe call it Weapons of Mass Production. The Arsenal of Democracy, rebuilt for the drone age.\r\n\r\nMore to come, and only where it helps. You know how to reach us.", "one_liner": "Mass-produced AI strike systems and Counter-UAS", "team_size": 30, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials -> Defense", "launched_at": 1782404945, "tags": [ "Swarm Robotics", "Unmanned Vehicle", "AI" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2026", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials", "Defense" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/isengard-industries-inc", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2026/isengard-industries-inc.json", "year_founded": 2026, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/isengard-industries/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/17f019cfd01fa25a85e88f6a43f39d133e5ecaff.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Gustaf Alstromer", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/gustaf-alstromer" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 3554287, "full_name": "Francisco Serra-Martins", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Founder at Isengard Industries Inc. Previously co-founder/CEO at Terminal Autonomy, scaling to $60M revenue with customers including U.S. Army, NATO, and Ukrainian armed forces. Raised $15M+ from investors. Prior CEO at Sonder Design (listed on Forbes) and Combat engineer in Australian Defence Force. Studied Engineering at University of Sydney.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/franciscoserramartins/", "x_url": "https://x.com/FranciscoSerraM", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/d2f29dd1ada67b914d72ae7d29c7908601e110f5.jpg" }, { "user_id": 3752974, "full_name": "James Tennant", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "I'm a co-founder of Isengard Industries. We build attack drones and counter-drone interceptors that allies manufacture locally at a fraction of prime cost. \n\nBefore Isengard I served as an Australian Army Officer. I have spent a decade in private equity and private credit. I ran Balmoral, a Defense Investment Bank, and have led diligence and structuring on defence-tech deals across Australia, Ukraine and the Gulf. \n\nI'm also completing a PhD on economic warfare and hybrid threats.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesjtennant/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/00c28e38e0f0496272a7eb753df9756a88fb9181.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 114670, "title": "Isengard Industries Inc", "tagline": "AI Weapons of Mass Production", "body": "Hi YC, I’m Francisco, co-founder of Isengard (S26). We build precision-strike and counter-drone systems that allied nations can manufacture on their own soil.\\\n\\\n\n\nWe have $10M in revenue and a $350M pipeline spanning the US Army, Ukraine, and allies globally.\n\nI previously co-founded Terminal Autonomy and scaled it to $60M in revenue in Ukraine. Just weeks ago, its Kyiv factory was hit by a Russian ballistic missiles. [The Guardian ](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/30/us-firm-drone-factory-terminal-autonomy-ukraine-russia)article.\n\n**With my family in Ukraine, for me, resilient defense manufacturing is personal.** Isengard designs for affordable, distributed production, giving allies the capacity to build and replenish their own arsenals.\n\nWe call it Weapons of Mass Production.\n\n**Our ask:** Introductions to allied defense procurement teams and manufacturing partners. Contact [hello@isengardindustries.com](mailto:hello@isengardindustries.com).\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=114670&key=user_uploads/3554287/21bb2b9f-c02c-43b6-a778-84a16a1d7414)\n\n", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/TpW-isengard-industries-inc", "votes": 13, "created_at": "2026-09-10T19:30:05.764Z" } ] }, { "id": 33281, "name": "Earendil Robotics", "slug": "earendil-robotics", "former_names": [ "Earendil Robotics Ltd" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/39ec6212427cdf833238bd48eca01f40904ba49f.png", "website": "https://earendil.io", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Earendil Robotics builds cUAS solutions for the modern warfighter, enabling effective air defence at the small-unit level. We deliver spotting, engaging, and destroying capabilities through advanced sensors, autonomous interceptors, and integrated systems.\r\n\r\nOur product lineup covers every stage of the kill chain, complemented by the Drone Warfare Academy that trains soldiers to eliminate enemy drone threats in contested environments.\r\n\r\nBacked by worldwide frontline combat experience, we equip units with combat-proven tools to counter evolving aerial threats.", "one_liner": "Drone swarm defence at a small-unit level", "team_size": 7, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials -> Defense", "launched_at": 1783628748, "tags": [ "Drones", "Swarm Robotics", "AR" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2026", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials", "Defense" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/earendil-robotics", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2026/earendil-robotics.json", "year_founded": 2025, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/earendil-robotics/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": "https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/earendil-robotics", "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/39ec6212427cdf833238bd48eca01f40904ba49f.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Vivian Midha Shen", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/vivian-midha%20shen" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 3723601, "full_name": "James Walton", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "James Walton is Co-founder of Earendil. Former British Army and a UAS specialist with experience in Ukraine, he brings direct operational experience in contested electromagnetic environments and detachment-level drone integration challenges.\n\nPrior to Earendil, he founded and scaled two IT and telecoms companies. His frontline UAS expertise and operational delivery track record position Earendil to close the gap in scalable, NATO-aligned drone warfare training and interception.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-walton-79b35339a/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/fd50381f327469f83306e46ac417ca633252b142.jpg" }, { "user_id": 3723983, "full_name": "Dan Komorny", "title": "Founder/CTO", "founder_bio": "Dan Komorny is Co-founder of Earendil Robotics. He has a decade of experience in drones and security, including direct operational exposure in Ukraine. He has developed AR heads-up display applications and optical systems, and previously led hardware product development on drone payloads and turrets.\n\nThis combination of frontline insight, product development, and computer vision expertise positions Earendil to deliver advanced UAS and soldier systems.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-komorny/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/7fed5227c8ec38cbb843d2210ae2f8e47d2dc39f.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 111175, "title": "Earendil | Autonomous Air Defence", "tagline": "Autonomous, combat-proven interceptors for defending against drone swarms.", "body": "**TL;DR:** We build autonomous interceptors that kill drones for less than the cost of the threat. Aeglos is in active operational use and has scored operational intercepts. The team has hundreds of confirmed combat intercepts. Looking for introductions to NATO-aligned air defence and C-UAS leads.\n\n\n\n**The problem**:\n\nAir defence economics are broken. A Patriot interceptor costs $3-7 million and is routinely used against $50,000 drones. Production rates of a few hundred units a year make these systems too scarce and too expensive for the volume of low-cost threats now in the air. They should be reserved for high-value targets.\n\nExactly like the Sherman tank versus the Tiger: it does not matter how good the system is if there are more threats than ammunition.\n\n**What we do**:\n\nAeglos is a high-speed autonomous interceptor designed end-to-end for the mass drone problem: airframe, autonomy software, and operator model. The operator clicks launch, then selects the intercept in software. No stage of flight requires a pilot and no flying experience is needed. One operator can control up to 64 interceptors. Engagement cost stays below the price of the drone being destroyed.\n\nMost C-UAS offerings are a single interceptor airframe. Operators still need skilled pilots, long training pipelines, and constant attention during the engagement. We built the complete system so any operator can achieve consistent intercepts without those requirements. The result is a system that can be fielded at the small-unit and critical-infrastructure level without the specialist crews or multi-million-dollar missiles that current layered air defence relies on.\n\nAeglos is operationally deployed, radar-agnostic, manufactured in Europe, and NDAA-compliant with no Chinese components.\n\n**Why us:**\n\nThe entire team is ex-military with frontline Ukrainian experience, primarily in elite units and air defence. Collectively, we have hundreds of confirmed drone intercepts across multiple systems. We designed Aeglos from that experience - in the same contested Ukrainian airspace where most Western systems have not yet been stress-tested at scale.\n\n[\\@James Walton](https://bookface.ycombinator.com/user/3723601): British Army and UAS expert with frontline Ukrainian experience who has previously run companies.\n\n[\\@Dan Komorny](https://bookface.ycombinator.com/user/3723983): A decade of experience in Drones and Security directly in Ukraine. Serial entrepreneur with multiple startups under his belt.\n\nThe Team: Commandos, Airborne, Special Forces and Air Defense veterans.\n\n**Ask**\n\nIntroductions to air defence and C-UAS leads in NATO-aligned militaries, national acquisition teams, and operators responsible for protecting forward positions and critical infrastructure.\n\nWe are also open to partnerships with complementary companies.\n", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/Sv9-earendil-autonomous-air-defence", "votes": 4, "created_at": "2026-08-19T15:45:00.136Z" } ] } ]