Neros

Neros was founded in 2023 by Soren Monroe-Anderson and Olaf Hichwa, who met in 2017 at a drone racing competition in Muncie, Indiana. the company attracted significant venture capital investment, raising approximately $121 million by late 2025 from firms including Sequoia Capital and Founders Fund. == Products ==

The company's primary product is the Archer, a small, quadcopter-style first-person view (FPV) drone designed for asymmetric warfare. The Archer is an quadcopter capable of carrying a payload with a range exceeding . Unlike commercial drones like those made by DJI, which are often easy to fly but reliant on foreign components, the Archer is designed to be "attritable" (expendable) and resistant to electronic jamming. The drone utilizes low-cost, non-military grade chips, such as those used in parking meters, to keep production costs low while avoiding Chinese supply chains. == Operations ==

Neros operates a manufacturing facility in the Smoky Hollow district of El Segundo, California, where it produces drones using manual assembly lines. As of late 2025, production rates were scaling rapidly: while The New York Times reported a monthly production of 2,000 units in November 2025, The Economist reported in December 2025 that output had reached around 2,000 drones per day. The company's workforce of some 80 employees includes former engineers from major aerospace and defense firms such as SpaceX, Palantir Technologies, and Anduril Industries. The company emphasizes "hard-tech" manufacturing, distancing itself from the software-centric culture of Silicon Valley. Neros vertically integrates much of its production to ensure compliance with U.S. Department of Defense supply chain requirements, which prohibit Chinese components in critical defense systems. == Contracts and deployments ==

Neros has secured several contracts with U.S. and international defense agencies. The U.S. Army selected Neros as a vendor for the "Purpose-Built Attritable Systems" program, aiming to supply low-cost drones. The U.S. Marine Corps awarded Neros a $17 million contract to supply thousands of drones. In Ukraine, Neros concluded a contract with the International Drone Coalition to supply 6,000 drones for use in the ongoing war with Russia. In December 2024, Neros was placed on a sanctions list by the Chinese government, a designation the company described as a "badge of honor." == References ==