Starburst Ventures

Aerix Systems specializes in the manufacture of advanced drones. Their products are distinguished by their ability to navigate in any direction and orientation, pushing the boundaries of traditional flight capabilities. These drones are designed to withstand harsh weather conditions and can achieve high speeds, making them suitable for diverse applications in civil, military, and naval sectors. They excel in complex environments like mountains or at sea, offering enhanced safety and the ability to perform both passive and active missions.

Exosonic is an early-stage aerospace start-up based in Los Angeles, California, focused on developing supersonic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to enhance adversary air training missions for both commercial and government clients. Founded in 2019, the company aims to evolve these supersonic UAVs into collaborative combat aircraft, with aspirations to create quiet supersonic airliners informed by the insights and revenues generated from its UAV endeavors. Exosonic has secured over $4.5 million in private capital and over $2 million in funding from AFWERX. The company's team of 15 full-time employees is currently working on a subscale flight test vehicle designed to showcase autonomous capabilities and explore crewed-uncrewed cooperation, with the first flight anticipated in the second quarter of 2023.

infiniDome is a security technology company based in Caesarea, Israel, founded in 2016, that develops GPS protection and navigation resiliency solutions to defend unmanned aerial vehicles and other vehicles, as well as critical infrastructure, from GPS jamming and spoofing. Its products include GPSdome, a GPS anti-jammer and anti-spoofing module, and OtoSphere, an add-on module for protecting GPS position, navigation, and timing systems. The company focuses on GPS signal protection to ensure reliable location and time synchronization in challenging environments, addressing electronic warfare threats and helping organizations maintain resilient operations.

F-drones specializes in developing aviation-grade transition drones designed for heavy payload deliveries to ships and offshore platforms. Their unique design combines vertical take-off capabilities with fixed-wing flight efficiency, enabling safe and reliable deliveries while reducing costs, time, manpower, and carbon emissions.

Archangel Lightworks is a laser communications company specializing in the development of secure, wireless technology aimed at addressing the challenges of space-ground connectivity. The company focuses on creating innovative laser transmission systems that facilitate efficient communication within the aerospace sector. Its product offerings include space terminals designed for satellites, air terminals for drones and manned aircraft, and ground communications terminals. By providing these advanced solutions, Archangel Lightworks enables resilient connectivity that overcomes the limitations of traditional radio communications, which are often bandwidth-constrained and less secure.

Robotic Skies, Inc. is a company that provides certification, maintenance, and repair services for commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles. Founded in 2013 and based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Robotic Skies operates a global network of over 150 independently-owned repair stations with expertise in aviation maintenance. The company's services cater to a diverse range of clients, ensuring that UAS can operate safely, efficiently, and affordably. By collaborating with FAA-approved maintenance organizations that also service manned aircraft, Robotic Skies offers a comprehensive field service program designed to keep these aircraft productive and compliant with regulatory standards.

Founded in 2011, Near Earth Autonomy develops advanced technologies that enable safe autonomous flight for various ground and aerial vehicles. Their innovations include sensor suites, collision detection systems, and navigation aids, serving clients with applications ranging from small drones to full-size helicopters.

Ascent is a multifaceted company focused on revolutionizing transportation and enhancing safety. It operates in two primary sectors: risk management and urban air mobility. In risk management, Ascent specializes in temporary safety staffing, training, consulting, inspections, and case management. Concurrently, in the realm of urban air mobility, the company is developing an ecosystem that utilizes advanced helicopters, drones, and future electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to streamline urban and regional travel. Ascent's services allow customers to book flights quickly and conveniently while enjoying amenities at dedicated vertiports. This innovative approach not only aims to reduce travel costs and time but also enhances the overall customer experience. Additionally, Ascent offers tailored cargo transport solutions, including critical medical equipment delivery across challenging terrains, thereby positioning itself as a leader in the next generation of transportation solutions.

Limatech designs and manufactures lithium-ion batteries for aviation, space, and defense applications, supplying power for general and commercial aviation as well as defense platforms. Its batteries are deployed across aircraft, drones, and related platforms, supporting startup and operation of piston and turbine engines through proprietary technology that prioritizes safety, reliability, and long life. The company emphasizes energy storage options that are more readily available than traditional lead and nickel-cadmium systems, delivering lightweight, durable, high-performance power sources for customers in aviation, space, and defense sectors.

Founded in 2017, Skyways is a Texas-based company developing advanced unmanned aerial systems. They specialize in vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones for cargo transportation, with a payload capacity of up to 45 pounds. Their focus lies in creating autonomous delivery drones equipped with software and AI technology for full autonomy and large-scale fleet operations.

Sightec specializes in developing visual intelligence technologies for autonomous flights, utilizing advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence. The company offers a comprehensive suite of products designed to provide camera-based visual situation awareness at all times, including capabilities for navigation, object detection, and 3D change detection, all without reliance on GPS. Its flagship product, NavSight, is a GPS-free visual aerial navigation system that processes drone camera feeds—both RGB and thermal—to deliver visual positioning in GPS-denied environments. Sightec serves a diverse clientele, including governments, original equipment manufacturers, integrators, and service providers across various unmanned aerial system applications such as aerospace, public safety, security, inspection, and delivery. The company's vision is to enhance the autonomous flights market by offering an affordable and lightweight solution for visual situation awareness, aiming to ultimately reduce the need for human pilots.

WhiteFox Defense Technologies, Inc. is a counter-drone airspace defense company focused on developing solutions to manage drones in sensitive airspace globally. Established in 2015 and headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California, the company offers a range of products including DroneFox, a software designed for automatic detection and mitigation of drone threats, and Scorpion, a technology that identifies and neutralizes drone threats for mobile units. Additionally, WhiteFox provides WISDM, a system that ensures trust and authentication of drones for various UTM systems, available as both a physical attachment and a software protocol. The company's clientele spans critical infrastructure protection, homeland security, public safety, and defense sectors, reflecting its commitment to enhancing airspace security.

Internest develops a precise positioning system for rotating winged vehicles. The system is an embedded solution featuring firmware and hardware that provides robust and accurate positioning information across varying visibility, weather, and environmental conditions via a local landing system. This enables security, military, and maritime operators to support drones and helicopters in critical operations with improved flight safety.

Hionos specializes in developing flight control software for drones, focusing on safety-critical avionics. Their core product is an autopilot system that adheres to international aeronautical standards, enhancing drone safety and enabling operations beyond visual line of sight or over populated areas.

EVA is a technology company based in Brooklyn, New York, founded in 2017. It specializes in developing compact electric automated aircraft, known as X01, aimed at alleviating urban traffic congestion. The company creates a robust infrastructure for drone applications by establishing a network of drone control and charging stations, facilitating efficient connectivity between cities and countries. EVA's product offerings include high-throughput drone docking stations tailored for healthcare logistics, disaster relief, and critical logistics. Additionally, the company provides essential tools such as carry-on landing carpets, vertical and multimodal transfer stations, and drone vans equipped with operational and control centers, ensuring effective mobility solutions for its clients.

Natilus Inc. is a California-based company that specializes in manufacturing aircraft drones for freight forwarding. Founded in 2016 by Aleksey Matyushev and Anatoly Starikov, the company aims to transform the air cargo industry through innovative designs and advanced technology. With a team of engineering experts who have extensive experience in various aviation sectors, Natilus seeks to reduce air freight costs and improve accessibility for underdeveloped areas, ultimately enhancing global supply chain efficiency and sustainability. Its aircraft, including the Kona short-haul UAV, Alisio medium/long-range UAV, and Nordes long-range UAV, are constructed from carbon fiber composites and utilize existing ground infrastructure and standard air cargo containers. This design allows for remote piloting capabilities and positions Natilus to capitalize on a significant market opportunity, projecting an expansion of the air freight sector to $470 billion through cost reductions and increased efficiency.

AirMap, Inc. is a digital airspace and automation company that specializes in software solutions for managing low-altitude airspace and facilitating drone operations. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Santa Monica, California, with additional offices in Europe and Asia, AirMap offers a UAS Traffic Management (UTM) platform. This platform provides critical airspace information, including geometries, restrictions, and situational awareness, to various stakeholders, such as airspace authorities, enterprise operators, and developers. AirMap aims to enable safe and efficient drone flight by organizing and automating airspace management, thereby fostering innovation in applications ranging from agriculture to public safety. The company collaborates with industry partners and is actively involved in initiatives like the Small UAV Coalition and NASA's UTM program, ensuring it plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of low-altitude aviation.

Alta Ares develops an AI-enabled drone detection platform and provides drone imaging-based surveillance services. Its technology analyzes drone footage in real time to detect, recognize, localize, and track elements, including industrial and military objects, enabling clients to gain immediate situational awareness from drone imagery.