120°W110°W100°W90°W80°W70°W25°N30°N35°N40°N45°N50°NStar CatcherHoverfly TechnologiesRed 6XR TrainingOrion EdgeNeura Defense SystemsDefense tech companies and startups in Florida
6 Florida-based defense and dual-use startups we track, working across Counter-Drone, Drones, Electronic Warfare, Space & ISR and Training & Simulation. Together they have disclosed $91M in funding, led by Star Catcher (~$88M). The newest round on record is Orion Edge's Seed (Jun 2026).
Established primes in Florida
Large defense contractors with major sites in Florida. They are not startups, so they have no profile in this directory.
- L3Harris Technologies: Corporate headquarters in Melbourne Source
- Lockheed Martin: Orlando missile defense and training, Ocala and Pinellas Park manufacturing, Titusville space and hypersonics Source
- Northrop Grumman: Sites in Melbourne, Orlando and Tampa Source
- Leonardo: Leonardo Helicopters USA plant in Milton Source
Latest rounds
| Date | Company | Round | Amount | HQ | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | Orion Edge | Seed | $3M | Tampa, FL | Electronic Warfare |
| May 2026 | Star Catcher | Series A | $65M | Jacksonville, FL | Space & ISR |
| May 2026 | Red 6 | Debt financing | - | Orlando, FL | Training & Simulation |
| Oct 2025 | Hoverfly Technologies | Series B | $20M | Sanford, FL | Drones |
All companies
Full directoryOrion Edge
Tampa, FloridaBuilds deployable autonomous electronic warfare and electronic attack systems for contested military environments, founded by an Army veteran.
Star Catcher
Jacksonville, FloridaBuilds an orbital power grid that beams solar energy to satellites with optical power beaming, raising power for defense and commercial spacecraft.
Red 6
Orlando, FloridaBuilds ATARS, an airborne augmented reality system that projects virtual adversaries into the pilot's view during real flight training.
Hoverfly Technologies
Sanford, FloridaMakes Spectre and Sentry tethered drones and HIVE software for persistent surveillance and network extension, and is the only tethered system on the Blue UAS list.
XR Training
Orlando, FloridaBuilds virtual reality crew trainers with AI-driven adversaries for Marine Corps vehicle crews, including an Amphibious Combat Vehicle gunnery trainer.
Neura Defense Systems
St. Petersburg, FloridaDevelops a sensor-agnostic AI counter-swarm platform aimed at fiber-optic and autonomous drones, plus the sub-$200 Raptor interceptor and Sentinel detectors.
In the news
All news
AFWERX SBIR Open Topic in 2026: How to Apply Now That Topics Are Focused
The $75,000 Open Topic is giving way to focused topics with larger awards. Current Air Force windows, amounts, eligibility and the ten steps from SAM.gov to a signed contract.
Blue UAS Cleared List 2026: Every Cleared Drone by Manufacturer, and How the DCMA Process Works
The Pentagon's list of approved small drones moved from DIU to DCMA and now also shields platforms from the FCC's foreign drone ban. Here is who is on it and how to get listed.
SBIR Phase 1 and Phase 2 Award Amounts in 2026: Limits, Durations and DoD Examples
The SBA ceilings, what the Air Force and NSF actually pay, why the old AFWERX $75,000 Phase I is fading, and the matched funding that sits above Phase II.
Questions
How many defense tech startups are in Florida?
We track 6 defense and dual-use startups headquartered in Florida, as of November 14, 2026.
Which Florida defense tech startup has raised the most?
Star Catcher, with ~$88M in disclosed funding among the companies we track.
Which cities in Florida have the most defense tech startups?
Orlando (2), Tampa (1) and Jacksonville (1), counting the companies in our directory as of November 14, 2026.