Defense Cyber Companies in the United States
Security for weapons systems, embedded devices, networks and the defense supply chain. CMMC requirements are reaching contractors of every size, and many startups in this field sell to both the military and critical infrastructure operators. Together they have disclosed $668M in funding, led by Shift5 (~$180M). The newest round on record is Aslan's Seed (Sep 2026).
Tactical operations center during Saber Junction 19, Hohenfels, Germany. Photo: U.S. Army JMRC photo by Spc. Hayden Allega, Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Army).
Latest rounds
| Date | Company | Round | Amount | HQ | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | Aslan | Seed | $20.8M | Washington, DC | Cyber |
| Jun 2026 | Twenty | Series B | $100M | Arlington, VA | Cyber |
| Jan 2026 | Defense Unicorns | Series B | $136M | San Antonio, TX | Cyber |
| Sep 2025 | Shift5 | Series C | $75M | Arlington, VA | Cyber |
| Sep 2024 | Second Front Systems | Series C | $70M | Wilmington, DE | Cyber |
All companies
Full directoryAslan
Washington, District of ColumbiaBuilds human-supervised AI agents that operate undercover in online forums and messaging channels to support national security and law enforcement investigations.
Twenty
Arlington, VirginiaBuilds software that industrializes offensive cyber operations for the US military and intelligence community.
Defense Unicorns
San Antonio, TexasBuilds UDS, an airgap-native, open-source software delivery platform for secure deployment of apps to classified and disconnected mission systems.
Shift5
Arlington, VirginiaProvides onboard cybersecurity and operational intelligence for military platforms and transport fleets by monitoring vehicle data buses.
Second Front Systems
Wilmington, DelawareOperates Game Warden, a managed DevSecOps platform that helps software vendors get authority to operate and deploy on Defense Department networks.
Questions
Who are the biggest defense cyber companies in the US?
By disclosed funding among the companies we track: Shift5, Defense Unicorns, Second Front Systems and Twenty, as of November 14, 2026.
How many defense cyber companies are in the US?
Our directory lists 5 privately held US cyber startups as of November 14, 2026. Large primes and public companies are not included.