Aurelius Gets $10M to Supercharge Its Drone-Zapping Laser

The modern battlefield has a serious and unsustainable math problem. Small, cheap, and lethal drones are reshaping warfare, forcing defenders to use missiles that cost thousands of times more to shoot them down. As Axios told us, A San Francisco startup, Aurelius Systems, just landed a $10 million funding round to solve that problem with the most futuristic solution imaginable: an autonomous laser cannon.

The company is scaling up production of its Archimedes system, a compact, AI-guided laser turret designed to blast rogue drones out of the sky “at the speed of light.” It’s a game-changing piece of tech that is already turning heads at the highest levels of the US military.

Archimedes: Defense at the Speed of Light

Named after the ancient Greek genius who reportedly torched Roman ships with mirrors, the Archimedes system is a modern marvel. It’s a directed-energy weapon that integrates advanced optics, AI-powered tracking, and a powerful laser into a single, rugged unit. It’s designed to be deployed virtually anywhere—mounted on a truck, a bunker, or even a large drone like the MQ-9 Reaper.

According to CEO Michael LaFramboise, the system is already wowing military brass. During tests at US bases, generals have watched in real-time as the laser locks onto a target and the drone simply “explodes.”

This isn’t just a concept; it’s a field-ready solution. The new $10 million in funding, led by heavy-hitters like General Catalyst and Draper Associates, will allow Aurelius to hire more engineers, expand its production lines, and get the Archimedes system into the hands of soldiers faster.

Solving the Battlefield’s Math Problem

The core problem Aurelius is tackling is the insane cost imbalance of drone warfare. As the company themselves put it, “the battlefield is changing faster than legacy defenses can keep up.” Why fire a $100,000 missile at a $1,000 drone? It’s a losing game.

The Archimedes system from Aurelius flips the script. It offers defense at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems. Instead of an expensive, single-use missile, you have a laser that can fire shot after shot for pennies on the dollar, powered only by electricity. It’s a sustainable, affordable, and scalable way to counter the growing threat of drone swarms.

Paul Kwan of General Catalyst, one of the lead investors, acknowledges that this is a tough market. Success requires a rare blend of “technical capability, sales savvy, and warfighter know-how.” Aurelius’s modular and cost-effective system gives them a powerful edge.

The Future is Autonomous

What makes Archimedes truly next-level is its autonomy. The system uses AI-guided tracking to detect, identify, and lock onto a threat in a fraction of a second. According to reports, its sensors can spot a drone from over two kilometers away and engage it with the laser at over a kilometer.

This takes the human operator’s guesswork out of the equation, allowing for near-instantaneous reaction times. In a fight against a high-speed drone or a coordinated swarm, that speed is the difference between a successful defense and a catastrophic failure.

DroneXL’s Take

You know, I’m constantly reading about the incredible evolution of drone technology, but the counter-drone space is where some of the most mind-bending innovation is happening. We, as pilots have the responsibility of learn how to protect our drones. The Aurelius Archimedes system is a perfect example. It’s a beautiful, terrifying, and brilliantly logical solution to the biggest problem in modern warfare.

The company’s own mission statement says it all: they are building a weapon to fight at the “speed of light.” As a pilot who has experienced the split-second nature of drone flight, that phrase really hits home. There is no outrunning a laser.

“Real talk,” directed energy weapons have their own challenges. Bad weather like fog, rain, or a battlefield full of smoke and dust can seriously impact a laser’s effectiveness. But the sheer economic advantage of a system like this is undeniable. It’s not just a new weapon; it’s a new way of thinking about defense.

This is the kind of technology that will define the next decade of warfare. It’s a testament to the power of a small, focused team of engineers to create something that can change the entire strategic landscape. While we droners love our tools for their creative power, we have to respect the relentless push and pull of the defense world that is producing innovations as incredible as this. Aurelius isn’t just building a product; they’re building the future of defense.

Photographs courtesy of Aurelius Systems