LOS ANGELES, May 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Furientis, a defense technology startup developing cost-effective defensive munitions, today emerged from stealth and announced a $5 million pre-seed fundraise. The round was led by Silent Ventures with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, SV Angel and others, including repeat founders of companies including Anduril, Erebor, and Armada. The company is actively flight-testing ship-based interceptors designed for scalable production to supplement high-cost systems produced in limited volumes.
Founded in 2025, Furientis is led by co-founders Brody Franzen and Aris Simsarian, who each bring a decade of experience in rocket design and testing at high-growth aerospace companies. Simsarian previously served as a Propulsion Engineer and Manager of Rocket Engine Test at Virgin Orbit, while Franzen held roles including Deputy Chief Engineer at Virgin Galactic and, most recently as a Senior Engineer at Castelion, a defense startup building hypersonic missiles.
“During the 2024 Red Sea crisis, the U.S. Navy used more than 200 interceptor missiles to defend ships against Iranian-backed threats,” said Franzen. “That matters not only because of the cost imbalance — using $4 million missiles to intercept $40,000 drones — but also because of the scale challenge, with only around 200 of these interceptors delivered annually versus their thousands per year. Our desire to build cost effective, scalable, and reliable interceptor systems en masse to address this deficiency is what inspired us to start Furientis.”
Furientis operates a 9,000-square-foot facility in Los Angeles and follows a rapid, end-user-driven spiral development model. Over the past six months, the company has conducted six flight tests and 10 static-fire tests of its demonstrator missile platform, reflecting a high cadence of development for early-stage defense systems.
“To meet the demand stemming from recent stockpile shortfalls and to support long-term U.S. magazine coverage objectives, Furientis is rapidly building and testing its interceptors,” said Jackson Moses, Managing Partner of Silent Ventures. “Brody and Aris have significant experience across design, propulsion, and testing, and they’ve structured the company around quick iteration in lockstep with end users. This combination gives them a legitimate path to scale production. Their low price point provides a credible pathway to procurement.”
Furientis has established multiple partnerships with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army. Earlier this year, the company was selected as one of five finalists, alongside Anduril and Kratos, in the Tactical Missile Innovation Challenge led by the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in collaboration with the Office of Naval Research. The company also recently signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the NPS, focused on maturation of their system and refinement of government reference architectures. Furientis is continuing to develop its products in close coordination with end-user feedback.
“Current conflicts continue to highlight the mismatch between the cost, availability, and scale of defensive systems and those of the threats they are designed to defeat,” said Maj. Dillon Pierce, Ph.D., Chief Engineer, Marine Corps Rapid Capabilities Office, and Research Assistant Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School. “Forming CRADAs with industry partners like Furientis allows us to address that gap at the NPS through testing and rapid iteration of viable solutions. It also broadens the defense industrial base to deliver capabilities at greater speed and scale — a win-win.”
Furientis will use the funding to expand initial production, accelerate testing of its interceptor system, and grow its team across engineering, manufacturing, and operations. Learn more at https://Furientis.com/ or contact careers@Furientis.com for opportunities.
Boilerplate
Furientis is a defense technology company building cost-effective ship-based interceptor systems designed for high-volume production and reliability. Founded by Brody Franzen and Aris Simsarian, former engineers from Virgin Orbit and Castelion, the company is focused on closing the cost and scale gap in U.S. defensive munitions. Its investors include Silent Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Liquid 2, SV Angel, Humba Ventures, Multiball Capital, and others. Furientis operates a 9,000-square-foot facility in Los Angeles and maintains an active flight testing cadence.
Media Contact
Morgan Malone
media@furientis.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/26985269-a87a-40c1-b23b-d1b2755234fb
