Perseus Defense
Builds mass-manufacturable, low-cost guided micro-missile interceptors to counter small/low-cost drone threats for DoD and DHS.
Perseus Defense is a San Francisco-based company founded in 2025 by Jason Cornelius (CEO, formerly a NASA aerospace engineer on the Titan Dragonfly program) and Steve Messinger (CTO, formerly a Boeing autonomy lead). It builds ~$10,000/unit, 15-inch guided micro-missile interceptors — described as an 'Iron Dome for Drones' — targeted at DoD and DHS counter-UAS needs.
Overview
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, USA
- Founded
- 2025
- Employees
- Total funding
- $6.0M
- Stage
- Seed
- Status
- active
- Domains
- Counter-UAS, Guided micro-missiles, Robotics and autonomy
Founders2
- FounderJason CorneliusCo-founder and CEO of Perseus Defense. PhD in aerospace engineering, Penn State. Formerly a NASA aerospace engineer on the Titan Dragonfly mission, where he secured roughly $500K in NASA HQ funding for an AI/ML/supercomputing advanced-concepts team designing next-generation Mars helicopters; also teaches aerospace engineering at Stanford.
- FounderSteve MessingerCo-founder and CTO of Perseus Defense. MS aerospace engineering, Penn State, where he met co-founder Jason Cornelius; a swarm-robotics researcher and competition winner. At Boeing, built autonomy software enabling aircraft to land themselves; also developed collaborative-behavior software for unmanned boats and one-way attack drones for the U.S. military.
Investors8
- FundAlumni VenturesMulti-manager venture platform giving individual/accredited investors co-investment access alongside lead VCs across sectors.
- FundBow CapitalVenture capital investor; participated in Perseus Defense's $6M seed round.
- FundBatch VenturesVenture capital investor; participated in Perseus Defense's $6M seed round.
- FundLobster CapitalVenture capital investor; participated in Perseus Defense's $6M seed round.
- FundMultimodal VenturesVenture capital investor; participated in Perseus Defense's $6M seed round.
- FundRebel FundVenture capital investor; participated in Perseus Defense's $6M seed round, per the primary Tectonic Defense funding report.
- FundPioneer FundVenture capital fund investing in Y Combinator alumni companies (pioneerfund.vc); participated in Perseus Defense's $6M seed round.
- FundY CombinatorTop startup accelerator actively backing defense technology companies.
Cap table0
Approximate ownership by holder. Indexed holders link to their records.
Raised per round
Percentages marked ~ are not disclosed. Some are a generic VC-pattern model (founders/team weighted heaviest, option pool lightest, other holders evenly) sized to whatever's left undisclosed — a standard industry shape, not this company's actual cap table.
| Holder | Instrument | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Preferred (Seed) | ~12.5% | |
| Preferred (Seed) | ~12.5% | |
| Preferred (Seed) | ~12.5% | |
| Preferred (Seed) | ~12.5% | |
| Preferred (Seed) | ~12.5% | |
| Preferred (Seed) | ~12.5% | |
| Preferred (Seed) | ~12.5% | |
| Preferred (Seed, Largest Check) | ~12.5% |
Contracts0
No linked records yet.
Programs0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- What does Perseus Defense do?
- Perseus Defense is a San Francisco-based company founded in 2025 by Jason Cornelius (CEO, formerly a NASA aerospace engineer on the Titan Dragonfly program) and Steve Messinger (CTO, formerly a Boeing autonomy lead). It builds ~$10,000/unit, 15-inch guided micro-missile interceptors — described as an 'Iron Dome for Drones' — targeted at DoD and DHS counter-UAS needs.
- Where is Perseus Defense headquartered?
- Perseus Defense is headquartered in San Francisco, California, USA and was founded in 2025.
- How much funding has Perseus Defense raised?
- Perseus Defense has raised $6.0M in disclosed funding.
- What does Perseus Defense specialize in?
- Perseus Defense works across Counter-UAS, Guided micro-missiles, Robotics and autonomy.
Sources & citations5
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
Perseus Defense closed a $6M seed round from 15+ investors including Alumni Ventures, Bow Capital, Batch Ventures, Lobster Capital, and Multimodal Ventures
Tectonic Defense: Exclusive: YC-backed Perseus Defense Closes $6M Seed RoundVerified2025-09-18 - 2
Perseus Defense — Building America's Iron Dome for Drones
Y Combinator: Launch YC: Perseus Defense — Building America's Iron Dome for DronesVerified2025-09-01 - 3
Perseus Defense's Harpe micro-guided-missile interceptor was demonstrated in the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division 'Golden Shield' counter-drone live-fire exercise at Fort Hood, TX, performing radar-cued intercepts against live drone targets — a capability demonstration, not a disclosed contract or award
The Defense Post: US Army tests Golden Shield counter-drone system at Fort HoodReported2026-04-14 - 4
Perseus Defense, a Y Combinator S25 company, established Buda, Texas (Tower Business Park) as its headquarters, expected to create jobs locally
Buda Economic Development Corporation: Perseus Defense emerges from Y Combinator, establishes Buda as headquarters to launch aerospace defense startupVerified2025-12-04 - 5
Perseus Defense, a Y Combinator Summer 2025 (S25) batch company, launched publicly as 'America's Iron Dome for Drones'
Y Combinator: Perseus Defense — Company ProfileVerified2025-09-01