# Perseus Defense

> Perseus Defense is a YC S25 aerospace and defense startup building low-cost, man-portable guided micro-missiles to shoot down small drones. Its Harpe interceptor targets Group 1 and Group 2 drones at a claimed cost of under $10,000 per shot - roughly a 20x reduction versus existing systems - closing the cost gap where a $500 drone can threaten multi-million-dollar assets. Founded by ex-NASA aerospace engineer Jason Cornelius and ex-Boeing autonomy lead Steve Messinger, the company is building an affordable, mass-producible 'Iron Dome for drones' for U.S. defense and homeland security customers.

- **Founded:** 2025
- **Headquarters:** Buda, Texas, United States
- **Founders:** Jason Cornelius (Co-Founder & CEO), Steve Messinger (Co-Founder & CTO)
- **Team size:** 9
- **Products:** Harpe Interceptor, Perseus Launcher, Mk-I / Mk-II guided rockets
- **Notable:** Built first two spin-stabilized guided rockets (Mk-I, Mk-II) in June 2025, Won Y Combinator's S25 batch preview day (June 2025), Achieved fully guided flight and a hit-to-kill drone intercept by January 2026

## Products & services

- **Harpe Interceptor** — A guided micro-missile roughly 24 inches long with a ~2km range, designed to autonomously detect, identify, and intercept Group 1 and Group 2 drones at a target cost under $10,000 per shot.
- **Perseus Launcher** — A portable, networked launcher weighing under 80 lbs, set up in under 60 seconds and capable of 24-hour operation, deployable on trucks, boats, or fixed installations.
- **Mk-I / Mk-II guided rockets** — The company's first spin-stabilized guided missile prototypes, built in June 2025 as early steps toward the Harpe system.

## Achievements

- Built first two spin-stabilized guided rockets (Mk-I, Mk-II) in June 2025
- Won Y Combinator's S25 batch preview day (June 2025)
- Achieved fully guided flight and a hit-to-kill drone intercept by January 2026
- Demonstrated radar-cued, multi-launch engagement during the Army's Golden Shield exercise
- Closed a $6M seed round with Bow Capital, Rebel Fund, Paul Graham and others

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Achieved fully guided flight for a direct hit-to-kill drone intercept.
- **2025-09** — Closed a $6M seed round led by Bow Capital.
- **2025-07** — Launched publicly out of Y Combinator and established Buda, Texas as headquarters.
- **2025-06** — Built first Mk-I and Mk-II guided rockets and won the YC S25 batch preview day.

## Links

- Website: https://perseusdefense.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/perseusdefense

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/perseus-defense-yc-s25
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-30