The verified answer
As of Aug 2026, DEPLOY verifies Epirus: 1 model, $250.0M raised. 1 source back the record.
Overview
Epirus is a Torrance, CA-based defense technology company developing the Leonidas high-power microwave (HPM) system for counter-drone and counter-electronics applications. Leonidas neutralizes swarming, fiber-optic, and autonomous drone threats using directed energy, with contracts from the U.S. Army including a 6.1M prototype contract and a 3.5M IFPC-HPM Gen II contract. Founded by Joe Lonsdale (co-founder of Palantir) and Grant Verstandig, Epirus has raised over 50M in total funding through a 50M Series D.
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- None on file
- Active incidents
- None on file
Key facts
Co-founders
Total fundingsee investors →
Products
CEO
Founders
Key product
U.S. Army contract
Data & sources
Web sources
1
1 source backing this record.View all →
Models (1)
View all models →Epirus on the deployment map
View the global mapEpirus has no verified deployments on the DEPLOY registry yet. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
No verified deployments for Epirus on the DEPLOY record yet. Track Epirus to know the moment the first one is verified.
Relationships
Current leadership (2)
- Andy Lowery Chief Executive Officerreported, not verified
- Joe Lonsdale Co-Founderreported, not verified
Founders (2)
- Joe Lonsdalecofounderno longer at company
- Nathan Mintzcofounderno longer at company
Former / Previously (1)
- Nathan Mintz Co-founder and Former CEOsecondary-verified
Safety record
No incidents on record for Epirus.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Recent coverage
Epirus in third-party press
US Marines sets sight on Epirus’ microwave weapon to defeat drone swarms
Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems and Kodiak AI Unveil New Autonomous HPM System for Counter-UAS
Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems Partner on Leonidas Autonomous Robotic for Mobile Counter-UAS
Peer companies
- Roborock20 models
- DJI7 models
- Boston Dynamics5 models
- Robotphoenix5 models
- Earendil Robotics4 models
- AstroForge3 models
Financial state
- Reporting basis
- private_reported
- Lifecycle stage
- growth
- Counterparty risk class
- moderate
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Partnerships (1)
- Epirus x U.S. Army (IFPC-HPM) with U.S. Armydeployment
Funding rounds (2)
Epirus’s 2 disclosed rounds, $450M in total, oldest to newest.
- Series D2025-01-01
$250M(reported)
Investors: 8VC
- Series C2022-02-15
$200M(reported)
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdJun 27, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJan 23, 2023
Leonidas HPM at United States
Sources (1)
Common questions
What is Epirus?
What does Epirus make?
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Who is the CEO of Epirus?
Where is Epirus headquartered?
How much funding has Epirus raised?
Where does Epirus operate robots?
Is Epirus a top robotics company?
When was Epirus founded?
Is Epirus safe?
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-05
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-08-05
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Epirus.Peer companies
- Roborock20 models
- DJI7 models
- Boston Dynamics5 models
- Robotphoenix5 models
- Earendil Robotics4 models
- AstroForge3 models
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Epirus from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
US Marines sets sight on Epirus’ microwave weapon to defeat drone swarms
Drone swarms approaching US Marine Corps positions could soon face an invisible wall of electromagnetic...
Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems and Kodiak AI Unveil New Autonomous HPM System for Counter-UAS
Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV) combines Epirus’ Leonidas high-power microwave platform, the Kodiak Driver autonomous system and General Dynamics Land Systems’ system…
Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems Partner on Leonidas Autonomous Robotic for Mobile Counter-UAS
Epirus and GDLS partner to integrate Leonidas on autonomous robotic platform for mobile counter-UAS.
Epirus' Leonidas High-Power Microwave Defeats 49-Drone Swarm at Live-Fire Demonstration
Leonidas HPM system defeated 100% of 49 drones flown at live-fire demonstration.
Epirus Receives 3.5 Million Contract from U.S. Army for IFPC-HPM Generation II Systems
Epirus secured a 3.5M U.S. Army contract for next-generation Leonidas IFPC-HPM counter-drone systems with longer range and greater power.
Epirus Closes $250M Series D to Hyperscale Leonidas Production
Epirus raised $250M Series D led by 8VC to scale Leonidas production capability.
Defense tech startup Epirus raises 50M Series D to counter drone swarms
Epirus raised 50M in Series D, bringing total funding to over 50M for its Leonidas counter-drone HPM system.
Epirus: 50 Million (Series D) Closed To Scale Production of Leonidas
Epirus closed an oversubscribed 50M Series D funding round, bringing total venture funding to over 50M to scale production of the Leonidas HPM system.
Epirus Business Breakdown and Founding Story
Contrary Research report on Epirus founding story, product suite, and government contracts.
US Army Awards Epirus 66.1M Contract for Leonidas Directed Energy System
US Army awarded Epirus 66.1M for four Leonidas HPM prototypes.
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/epirus.md
- RSS feed: /companies/epirus/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/43c80509-ae08-4a4f-b593-7ada9fa7465f
- Revision history: /companies/epirus/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- Roborock20 models
- DJI7 models
- Boston Dynamics5 models
- Robotphoenix5 models
- Earendil Robotics4 models
- AstroForge3 models
Reality vs attention
Epirus draws attention at the 10th percentile but verifies reality at the 12th percentile among other robots. Hype Gap -1.8, 26th widest among other robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Clean safety record across 1 verified deployment. Well-capitalized with $450M raised. Deployment footprint remains limited relative to category peers.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Aug 18, 2026