Furientis Lands $25M from Benchmark for Low-Cost Missiles

Until recently, venture capital firms largely avoided defense startups due to moral controversies and lengthy, uncertain government procurement processes. However, that sentiment shifted dramatically after conflicts in Ukraine and Iran depleted the U.S. military's missile inventories, opening the door for agile startups capable of building equipment quickly and affordably.

Four years after the defense tech boom sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Silicon Valley venture firm Benchmark is making its first-ever investment in a pure-play defense startup by leading a $25 million seed round into Furientis.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Founded just a year ago, Furientis has already secured a funded Pentagon contract to build mid-range interceptors and boasts a valuation of $125 million, according to sources familiar with the matter. The startup's name translates to "of fury" in Latin, following a previous $5 million pre-seed round announced in May.

Chetan Puttagunta, general partner at Benchmark, noted to TechCrunch that the team manufactured functional prototypes and executed successful launches using only their initial pre-seed funding, calling their accomplishment remarkable.

The startup's high velocity is driven by co-founders Brody Franzen—former deputy chief engineer at Virgin Galactic and veteran of hypersonic startup Castelion—and Aris Simsarian, who previously led rocket engine testing at Virgin Orbit. The duo launched the company after recognizing severe U.S. shortages of expensive exquisite missiles that cost roughly $3 million each.