# Naweed Tahmas

> Naweed Tahmas is the founder and CEO of Aeon (Aeon Industrial), an Austin-area defense startup building Zeus, a software-defined, 3D-printed modular guided missile priced around $50,000 - a fraction of legacy tactical munitions. Before defense, he was a Special Assistant to the President and Associate Director in the Trump White House, coordinating policy and personnel across 15 federal agencies. Years earlier he was the combative vice president of the Berkeley College Republicans at the height of the 2017 campus free-speech battles, a fight he carried all the way to a DOJ-backed lawsuit. He has since traded the campus quad for a Cedar Park factory floor, where Aeon aims to turn out more than 10,000 missiles a year.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Aeon (Aeon Industrial)
- **Organizations:** Aeon (Aeon Industrial), Umbra Space, Firehouse Strategies, The White House, Berkeley College Republicans
- **From:** Oceanside, California, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Political Science, University of California, Berkeley
- **Known for:** Founded and leads Aeon, an 86-person defense startup, in roughly three years., Raised approximately $18.6 million from investors including Quiet Capital, Silent Ventures, 1789 Capital, SC Master Fund, What If Ventures, and Vanderbilt University., Brought to market Zeus, a software-defined modular guided missile targeting roughly $50,000 per unit and production exceeding 10,000 units per year.

## Career timeline

- **2017** — Vice president and spokesman of the Berkeley College Republicans during the campus free-speech battles; filed a lawsuit over UC Berkeley's speech policies that was later backed by the Department of Justice.
- **2018** — Graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in political science.
- **2017-2020** — Worked with Campus Reform; appeared on national media on free-speech issues.
- **2020** — Held director roles at Firehouse Strategies.
- **2020-2021** — Served as Special Assistant to the President and Associate Director in the Trump White House, coordinating policy and personnel across 15 federal departments and agencies, including OMB and OSTP.
- **2022** — Director of Strategy at Umbra Space.
- **2023** — Founded Aeon, a defense company building modular, low-cost precision weapons.
- **2025** — Spoke at eMerge Americas on autonomy and additive manufacturing in the defense industrial base; Aeon unveiled the Zeus missile system.
- **2026** — Aeon relocated its headquarters and manufacturing to Cedar Park, Texas, and announced plans to double its workforce; launched a strategic partnership with X-Bow.

## Achievements

- Founded and leads Aeon, an 86-person defense startup, in roughly three years.
- Raised approximately $18.6 million from investors including Quiet Capital, Silent Ventures, 1789 Capital, SC Master Fund, What If Ventures, and Vanderbilt University.
- Brought to market Zeus, a software-defined modular guided missile targeting roughly $50,000 per unit and production exceeding 10,000 units per year.
- As a college student, filed a free-speech lawsuit against UC Berkeley that was ultimately backed by the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Served as a Special Assistant to the President in the Trump White House, coordinating across 15 federal agencies.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Aeon Industrial relocated its headquarters and manufacturing operations to Cedar Park, Texas, and announced plans to roughly double its workforce.
- **2026-01** — Aeon unveiled the $50,000 Zeus modular guided missile and announced a strategic partnership with X-Bow.

## Links

- Website: https://www.naweed.me/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ntahmas/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/naweed
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guisJ8cB48I
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ntahmas/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/naweed-tahmas
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-25