YCombinator Ventures into Weapons Sector, Backs Anti-Ship Missile Startup
Silicon Valley technology incubator YCombinator has entered the weapons industry by backing Ares Industries, a new United States defense startup. This is YCombinator’s first venture into the weapons sector since its founding in 2005 — and it’s a huge leap from companies it has previously helped launch like Airbnb and DoorDash.
Ares Industries, founded this year by Devan Plantamura and Alex Tseng, two veterans of the defense and tech industries, aims to revolutionize anti-ship cruise missile technology.
The company claims to have developed a missile concept that is significantly smaller and more cost-effective than existing options, with a target price of $300,000 per unit compared to the $3 million price tag of current missiles like the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile.
According to a recent press release, Ares began flight testing its compact anti-ship cruise missile prototype within just 11 weeks of the company’s inception. The tests were conducted in the Mojave Desert, demonstrating how fast the startup is moving from concept to practical application.
The development comes amid growing concerns within the US military about potential conflicts with high-end adversaries, particularly China in the Pacific region. Military experts and wargame simulations have highlighted the critical need for long-range anti-ship weapons and cruise missiles in such scenarios.
Ares is pitching the product as a solution to the perceived shortcomings in current US defense capabilities. The company argues that existing anti-ship missiles are oversized and too expensive for modern warfare needs, especially when considering the composition of potential adversaries’ naval forces.
YCombinator partner Jared Friedman believes the startup’s mission is urgent, citing concerns about the US’ ability to sustain prolonged conflicts due to limited stockpiles and insufficient industrial capacity. Ares aims to deliver working missile systems to their first customers by mid-2025.
This partnership between Silicon Valley’s tech incubators and defense startups may signal a new direction in how the United States approaches weapons development and procurement.
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