Guardian RF
Washington, D.C.-based, Y Combinator-backed startup building passive RF sensors (Scout, Scout-X, Full Spectrum) for drone detection and pilot geolocation; founded by three Georgetown physics students, raised ~$2.3M from General Catalyst, Space Capital, UA1, and Y Combinator, with D3 among its backers, and holds an AFWERX SBIR contract at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Guardian RF is a Washington, D.C.-based defense-technology startup building passive radio-frequency sensing systems for low-altitude airspace security. Products include Scout, a portable RF sensor deployable in ~60 seconds (sub-10W) that detects hostile drones and geolocates operators up to five kilometers away; Scout-X, a fixed-site rooftop/mast variant for months of unattended operation; Full Spectrum, a wideband SDR targeting improvised/home-built drones; and the Mosaic Sensor Network for area-wide drone mapping. Guardian RF was founded in 2024 by Georgetown University physics students Lucas Raskin (CEO), John Andrzejewski (COO), and Eli Kerstein (CTO), who went through Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch; all three were later named to Forbes's 30 Under 30. The company has raised approximately $2.3M from investors including General Catalyst, Space Capital, UA1, Y Combinator, and D3, holds an AFWERX Direct-to-Phase-II SBIR contract supporting airspace awareness at Vandenberg Space Force Base, and was a finalist in the DIU's Falcon Peak 25.2 counter-UAS exercise recognized by USNORTHCOM. Guardian RF sensors have been deployed and combat-tested in Ukraine and at 33 U.S. airports and World Cup venues across states including Florida, Massachusetts, and Texas.
Overview
- Headquarters
- Washington, D.C., USA
- Founded
- 2024
- Employees
- Total funding
- Stage
- Status
- active
- Domains
- Website
- guardianrf.com
Founders3
- FounderLucas RaskinCEO and co-founder of Guardian RF; built the company's first hardware prototype as a Georgetown University physics student.
- FounderJohn AndrzejewskiCOO and co-founder of Guardian RF; Georgetown University physics graduate.
- FounderEli KersteinCTO and co-founder of Guardian RF; Georgetown University physics graduate.
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Frequently asked
- What does Guardian RF do?
- Guardian RF is a Washington, D.C.-based defense-technology startup building passive radio-frequency sensing systems for low-altitude airspace security. Products include Scout, a portable RF sensor deployable in ~60 seconds (sub-10W) that detects hostile drones and geolocates operators up to five kilometers away; Scout-X, a fixed-site rooftop/mast variant for months of unattended operation; Full Spectrum, a wideband SDR targeting improvised/home-built drones; and the Mosaic Sensor Network for area-wide drone mapping. Guardian RF was founded in 2024 by Georgetown University physics students Lucas Raskin (CEO), John Andrzejewski (COO), and Eli Kerstein (CTO), who went through Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch; all three were later named to Forbes's 30 Under 30. The company has raised approximately $2.3M from investors including General Catalyst, Space Capital, UA1, Y Combinator, and D3, holds an AFWERX Direct-to-Phase-II SBIR contract supporting airspace awareness at Vandenberg Space Force Base, and was a finalist in the DIU's Falcon Peak 25.2 counter-UAS exercise recognized by USNORTHCOM. Guardian RF sensors have been deployed and combat-tested in Ukraine and at 33 U.S. airports and World Cup venues across states including Florida, Massachusetts, and Texas.
- Where is Guardian RF headquartered?
- Guardian RF is headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA and was founded in 2024.
Sources & citations6
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
Guardian RF develops passive radiofrequency sensing technology for drone detection and pilot geolocation; products include Scout, Scout-X, and Full Spectrum; founded by Georgetown physicists named to Forbes 30 Under 30; headquartered in Washington, D.C.; holds an AFWERX Phase II SBIR award at Vandenberg Space Force Base and was recognized by USNORTHCOM as a Falcon Peak 25.2 winner.
Guardian RF: Guardian RF — HomeVerified2026-08-11 - 2
Guardian RF was founded by Lucas Raskin (CEO), John Andrzejewski (COO), and Eli Kerstein (CTO) while studying physics at Georgetown; founded 2024; ~15 employees in Washington, D.C.; went through Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch; deploys sensors at Vandenberg Space Force Base under a $1.2M Air Force contract and at 33 airports and World Cup venues across states including Florida, Massachusetts, and Texas; raised $2.3M from General Catalyst and Space Capital.
Georgetown University: 3 Hoyas Reshape Drone Detection With Guardian RF Start-upVerified2026-08-11 - 3
Guardian RF: Drone detection for US defense and national security — Y Combinator (Summer 2024).
Y Combinator: Guardian RF: Drone detection for US defense and national securityVerified2026-08-11 - 4
Guardian RF's investors include Space Capital (lead), General Catalyst, and Y Combinator; the company is headquartered in Marlow Heights, MD, founded 2024, and secured $125K in seed funding per one image caption; its platform integrates mesh networks, multi-modal sensing, and RF analysis for defense communications and detection needs.
Space Capital: Guardian RF | Portfolio companyReported2026-08-11 - 5
D3's own portfolio page lists Guardian RF ('Smart signal processing') among its portfolio companies, under the EW and SIGINT category, linking to guardianrf.com.
D3: D3 PortfolioVerified2026-08-11 - 6
Guardian RF develops radio frequency-based detection systems for identifying and neutralising hostile drones, detecting them from up to five kilometers and locating their operators; key products include Scout and the Mosaic Sensor Network, both tested under combat conditions in Ukraine.
The Defender: D3 comes out of the shadows: inside the fund's 16-startup portfolioReported2025-05-01