Startup · United States
Perseus Defense
Updated HQ Buda, TexasFounded 20251-10 employees
Developer of the Harpe guided micro-missile and an eight-round portable launcher for defeating Group 1 and 2 drones. Y Combinator Summer 2025 company; moved from San Francisco to the Austin area in late 2025.
- Sep 18, 2026News (high significance)The Defence BlogU.S. Army tests a cheap missile made to intercept drones
- Apr 11, 2026NewsThe Defence BlogU.S. Army tests micro-guided missile during Golden Shield exercise
- Sep 18, 2025NewsTectonicExclusive: YC-backed Perseus Defense Closes $6M Seed Round
- Jul 4, 2025CompanyY CombinatorPerseus Defense: Building America's Iron Dome for Drones
Funding2 rounds · $6.0M
- Equity raised
- $6.0M
- Latest
- $6.0MSeed · Sep 18, 2025
| Announced | Stage | Amount | Valuation | Lead investors | Other investors | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2025 | Seed | $6.0M | — | — | Alumni Ventures, Bow Capital, Lobster Capital, Multimodal Ventures, Pioneer Fund, Rebel Fund | Reported |
| 2025 | Pre-Seed | Undisclosed | — | — | Y Combinator | Reported |
- Seed$6.0MSep 18, 2025
- Pre-SeedWith Y CombinatorUndisclosed2025
Raised counts equity rounds; debt, secondary sales and grants are totaled separately. Amounts in other currencies are converted at the announcement month's average rate. A ~ marks an estimated or converted amount.
Programs1 program
Programs1
| Program | Role | Program status | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falcon Peak | Competing bidder | Development | Reported |
- Competing bidder · Development
Systems2
Harpe24-inch guided micro-missile fired from an eight-round portable launcher (under 36 kg) against Group 1-2 drones; stated 2 km range. Earlier test articles were designated Mk-I to Mk-III.Prototype—- Perseus LauncherA portable launcher purpose‑built for rapid deployment and counter‑drone engagements.
Newest unveiled first. Systems that belong to a government program link to the program page, where variants, costs and contracts are.
Capabilities3
| Technology | Role | Maturity | TRL | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air and missile defense | Developer | — | — | classify_sectors run 37, haiku, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Develops the Harpe guided micro-missile and a portable launcher for defeating Group 1 and 2 drones. | Reported |
| Kinetic counter-UAS interceptors | Developer | Prototype | — | — | Reported |
| Strike and munitions | Developer | — | — | classify_sectors run 37, haiku, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Develops the Harpe guided micro-missile and a portable launcher for defeating Group 1 and 2 drones. | Reported |
- Developerclassify_sectors run 37, haiku, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Develops the Harpe guided micro-missile and a portable launcher for defeating Group 1 and 2 drones.—Reported
- Developerclassify_sectors run 37, haiku, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Develops the Harpe guided micro-missile and a portable launcher for defeating Group 1 and 2 drones.—Reported
Maturity and TRL describe this organization's work; the field-wide maturity is on each technology's page.
Supply Chain1 facility
Facilities1
| Facility | Kind | Location | Status | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perseus Defense Buda headquarters | Headquarters | Buda, Texas, United States | Operating | Reported |
- Perseus Defense Buda headquartersHeadquarters · Buda, Texas, United StatesOperatingReported
People2
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| Jason Cornelius · LinkedIn ↗ | Co-Founder & CEO |
| Steve Messinger · LinkedIn ↗ | Co-Founder & CTO |
Sources12
Show all 12 sources and supporting evidence
Profile3
- 1
- 2
Crunchbase via Bright Data · Supports Organization · num employees
“{"num_employees": "1-10"}”
- 3
Systems3
- 4
The Defence Blog · Apr 11, 2026 · Supports Facility, Organization, Organization technology, System
“in December 2025 leased a 17,500-square-foot headquarters facility in Buda, Texas.”
- 5CompanyPerseus Defense - Home
Perseus Defense · Supports System
“THE PERSEUS LAUNCHER # ALWAYS Ready When It matters . A portable launcher purpose-built for speed, simplicity and countering drone threats.”
- 6
Army Recognition · Supports System
“the Harpe interceptor, a 61 cm missile with a stated 2 km engagement range”
Funding4
- 7Regulatory filingForm D: AVSF - Perseus 2025, LLC
SEC EDGAR · Nov 14, 2025 · Supports Funding round · investors
“Issuer: AVSF - Perseus 2025, LLC; Date of First Sale: 2025-10-30; Total Amount Sold: 215000; Related person: Michael Collins (CEO of Alumni Ventures LLC, the Issuers Sole Manager)”
- 8
Tectonic · Sep 18, 2025 · Supports Funding round · amount, Funding round · investors
“they've raised a $6M seed round from over 15 investors, including Alumni Ventures and Bow Capital, to help them scale.”
- 9OtherBlack Flag 100.2
Black Flag · Supports Funding round, Organization, Role
“Some investors Include... Alumni Ventures Pioneer Fund Bow Capital Rebel Fund Y Combinator”
- 10
Y Combinator · Supports Funding round, Organization, Role
“Summer 2025”
Supply chain1
- 11Government recordhttps://www.tdlr.texas.gov/TABS/Projects/TABS2026017707
Supports Facility · street address, Organization · hq city
“Tower Business Park, Building 2 1340 FM 2001 Buda, TX 78610”
People1
- 12
Y Combinator · Jul 4, 2025 · Supports Organization, Role
“Jason and Steve studied aerospace engineering together at Penn State University and founded Perseus Defense in 2025.”
Each fact on this page is attached to the sources that support it. Archived copies are linked when we keep one.