Firestorm Labs, the expeditionary manufacturing company that’s redefining distributed, point-of-need production has secured $47 million in Series A funding. The new round was led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and includes participation from prominent defense-focused investors, including Lockheed Martin Ventures, Decisive Point, Washington Harbour Partners, Booz Allen Ventures, and others. The total includes $12 million in venture debt from J.P. Morgan. The new capital, rapid growth, and multiple U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contracts secured by Firestorm, signal investor confidence and build upon the initial $12.5 million seed round.
These investments enable Firestorm to advance its additive-manufacturing platform, by adding engineers, opening a larger production facility, and broadening its partnership program. The new funds will also accelerate in-theater production of versatile, affordable UAS and other mission-critical platforms to meet the evolving needs of U.S. and allied defense organizations.
In alignment with Executive Order 14307, “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,” Firestorm will use its Series A funding to scale xCell, an expeditionary factory-in-a-box that produces modular airframes, mission-specific payloads and replacement components at the point of need. This investment fulfills the President’s directive for rapid field production and sustainment of unmanned systems.
Also Read: BPMI and Gecko Robotics Team Up to Speed U.S. Navy Component Production with AI and Robotics
Combat units must be able to replenish losses and adapt their drone fleets in contested environments, without returning systems to centralized facilities or waiting for spare parts. The xCell platform enables operators to produce a complete Tempest UAS on site and then reconfigure it for ISR, electronic warfare, or strike missions, thereby providing multimission readiness wherever the fight moves.
“We’re thrilled about this milestone, because it empowers Firestorm to deliver critical, battlefield-ready solutions faster and at scale,” said Dan Magy, CEO of Firestorm. “Our unique ability to 3D print modular airframes on-site dramatically reduces production timelines, costs, and logistical constraints, giving the U.S. and allied forces the adaptive technology they urgently need in complex and contested operational environments.”
Aaron Jacobson, partner at NEA, expressed the firm’s strategic commitment to Firestorm Labs stating, “Firestorm’s pioneering use of distributed, additive manufacturing for low-cost, adaptable, and open-architecture UAS solutions is critical for keeping our troops out of harm’s way and establishing the US at the forefront of unmanned systems. Their agility, unique capabilities, and focused approach align with our vision for transformative defense technologies. We are proud to be supporting them in their mission.”
In addition to NEA’s focus on technological agility, defense industry leaders reinforced the operational importance of Firestorm’s capabilities. “Our military needs technology it can trust to be ready when the circumstances demand it,” said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. “Deployable, on-site 3D drone printing is a powerful tool that further extends the warfighter’s ability to secure the battlespace, while advancing U.S. leadership on the frontiers of defense technologies.”
SOURCE: PRNewswire