# Epirus **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/epirus **Vertical:** Defense / Space **Subcategory:** Directed Energy / Counter-Drone **Tier:** Challenger **Website:** epirus.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary Raised $250M Series D (Mar 2025). $43.6M Army follow-on contract. Leonidas Gen 2 autonomous high-power microwave counter-drone system completing Army testing Feb 2026. GD partnership for HPM on autonomous vehicles. ## Company Overview Epirus develops Leonidas — a high-power microwave (HPM) directed energy system for counter-drone operations — which uses pulsed microwave energy to defeat drone swarms by disrupting electronics simultaneously across multiple targets. The company raised $250 million in Series D financing and secured a $43.6 million Army follow-on contract, with Leonidas Gen 2 completing Army testing in February 2026 and the Gen 2 Autonomous Ground Vehicle variant unveiled at Global Force 2026 in March 2026 through a partnership with General Dynamics. HPM counter-drone technology addresses a specific gap in existing air defense: kinetic interceptors (missiles, bullets) can engage individual targets but are economically unsustainable against drone swarms (a $50,000 interceptor destroying a $500 drone is not a winning exchange rate). Leonidas's single shot can simultaneously defeat multiple drones across a 60+ degree field of view, making it economically viable for swarm defense in a way kinetic systems cannot replicate. The General Dynamics partnership for integration onto autonomous ground combat vehicles represents the next phase of HPM deployment: rather than fixed installations, mobile directed energy weapons on autonomous vehicles can provide maneuver force protection that follows ground units through contested territory. This operational concept has been validated in the Army's Multi-Domain Task Force concept and positions Leonidas as a key enabling technology for future large-scale combat operations. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What does Epirus make? Leonidas high-power microwave (HPM) counter-drone system — pulsed microwave energy defeats multiple drones simultaneously across 60+ degree field of view. Autonomous vehicle variant in development with General Dynamics. ### How much has Epirus raised? $250M Series D. $43.6M Army follow-on contract. Leonidas Gen 2 completed Army testing February 2026. ### Why is HPM better than kinetic interceptors for drones? A $50K interceptor killing a $500 drone is an unsustainable exchange rate against swarms. Leonidas uses one shot to defeat multiple drones simultaneously — economically viable swarm defense. ### What is the GD partnership for? Integration of Leonidas onto General Dynamics autonomous ground combat vehicles — enabling mobile directed energy protection that follows maneuver forces through contested territory. ### What is Epirus's core technology? Epirus develops high-power microwave (HPM) directed energy weapons systems, primarily its Leonidas product line. These systems use focused microwave energy to disable or destroy drone electronics at scale, providing an effective and low-cost-per-engagement counter-drone solution. ### What makes Epirus's approach to counter-drone defense different? Traditional counter-drone methods (kinetic interceptors, jamming) are expensive per engagement or limited against swarms. Epirus's Leonidas uses solid-state HPM technology to disable multiple drones simultaneously at very low cost per shot, making it scalable against large swarms that would overwhelm conventional defenses. ### What funding has Epirus raised? Epirus has raised approximately $200 million from investors including Bedrock Capital, 8VC, and strategic investors. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles and has received significant contracts from the U.S. Army and Department of Defense. ### What stage are Epirus's products at? Epirus has moved from prototype to fielded systems—its Leonidas HPM system has been delivered to the U.S. Army for operational evaluation, and the company continues to develop higher-power variants and vehicle-mounted configurations for broader military deployment. ### What does Epirus make? Epirus develops high-power microwave (HPM) directed energy weapons designed to disable drones and drone swarms at low per-shot cost — a category gaining rapid military attention as unmanned aerial threats proliferate on modern battlefields. ### How does Epirus's Leonidas system work? Leonidas uses high-power microwave energy to simultaneously disrupt the electronics of multiple drones across a wide area — unlike traditional point-and-shoot kinetic systems or expensive interceptor missiles, enabling cost-effective counter-swarm defense. ### What is Epirus's competitive advantage? Epirus's solid-state power management technology enables higher power output in a smaller, lighter package than competing directed energy systems — making Leonidas deployable on vehicles and ships where size and weight constraints previously prevented HPM weapons. ### What government contracts has Epirus won? Epirus has won contracts with the U.S. Army and other defense agencies for Leonidas development and fielding — benefiting from urgent Pentagon interest in affordable counter-UAS solutions as drone threats expand in Ukraine and other conflicts. ### What does Epirus make and what military problem does it solve? Epirus develops high-powered microwave (HPM) directed energy weapons designed to defeat drone swarms and other electronic threats. The Leonidas system uses directed microwave energy to disable drone electronics without kinetic ammunition—addressing the cost imbalance problem where cheap $500 commercial drones require expensive missiles to destroy. Leonidas can engage multiple targets simultaneously at the cost of electricity rather than expensive interceptor missiles. ### Why is counter-drone capability so strategically important now? Drone swarms have proven devastatingly effective in modern conflicts (Ukraine, Middle East) against both military and civilian targets. Traditional air defense systems (missiles, guns) are too expensive and too slow to reload to defeat large swarm attacks. Directed energy weapons like Epirus's Leonidas offer a cost-effective, high-rate-of-fire alternative that can engage multiple targets simultaneously at low cost per shot. ### What contracts has Epirus won and who funds the company? Epirus has contracts with the US Army and other defense agencies for Leonidas HPM counter-drone systems. The company has raised over $200 million from investors including investors with defense technology backgrounds. Epirus is part of the growing defense tech startup ecosystem that has attracted venture capital interest as geopolitical tensions increase DoD spending on innovative counter-drone and directed energy capabilities. ### How does Epirus compete with Raytheon and Lockheed Martin in directed energy? Traditional defense primes like Raytheon (which has HPM programs) and Lockheed Martin (laser weapons) have developed directed energy weapons, but startup companies like Epirus argue they can iterate faster and at lower cost using commercial technology approaches. The Pentagon has been deliberately funding defense startups for faster delivery of counter-drone capabilities, creating space for Epirus to compete against established primes. ## Tags hardware, manufacturing, b2b --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*