23. Dedrone

Founders: Joerg Lamprecht, Ingo Seebach, Rene Seeber
CEO: Aaditya Devarakonda 
Launched: 2014
Headquarters: Sterling, Virginia
Funding: $127 million
Valuation: N/A
Key technologies: Artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, cloud computing, deep neural networks/deep learning, edge computing, Internet of Things, machine learning, software-defined security
Industry: Defense
Previous appearances on Disruptor 50 List: 0

In the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, military drones are seen as a super weapon, increasingly being used to detect threats in conflict zones.

Dedrone, a Sterling, Virginia.-based airspace security specialist, is on the frontlines of this battle, detecting and countering opposition drones. Last year, it released a series of new products used by the Ukrainian military to detect and jam drones in a quick, easy-to-use and portable way. And it helped the Ukrainian military reverse-engineer a Russian-made drone.

As drones proliferate in combat — and the military competition with China and other rivals becomes more high-tech in nature — the Pentagon has become the largest customer for unmanned aerial systems and annual budget requests include increasing sums for drones and anti-drone defense systems.

Ramping up, Dedrone and several rivals, including DroneShield, D Fend Solution and 2023 No. 7 Disruptor Anduril Industries, have accelerated market expansion, technological innovations and new products. And the opportunity goes well beyond the military.

Already covering half of the U.S. population in 40 cities, 30 airports, 50 stadiums and 50 correctional facilities, Dedrone grew its business last year by more than 300%, doubled its customer count, and increased headcount by over 30%. A force in solving critical national security issues, its work extends to 36 countries, nine U.S. federal agencies and more than 35 law enforcement agencies. 

Aaditya Devarakonda, previously a technology investment banker and a company adviser before becoming CEO of the company in 2020, has made several recent engineer hires in Silicon Valley to strengthen the nine-year-old startup's tech expertise.  

The drone defense specialist's latest funding came in July 2022, raising $30.5 million in a Series C round led by public safety technology company Axon Enterprise (maker of the Taser device), as well as Silicon Valley's Menlo Ventures and Felicis Ventures.

Last year, the specialized security startup launched several high-tech, machine-learning products including mobile drone detector unit DedroneRapidResponse, all-in-one kit DedronePortable and urban drone jammer DedroneDefender.

Notably, the company's primary product, Dedrone Tracker, provided security for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, protecting 900 square kilometers of airspace and 44 key sites. Designed for security professionals, law enforcement and militaries, this tracker can detect some 200 drone models from 65 manufacturers, trigger alarms, and analyze data from incidents to create forensic reports. Additionally, this April, Dedrone debuted a city-wide, drone detection service, available on the web or a smartphone.  

In the fast-escalating and consolidating commercial market, Dedrone sealed a partnership with building smart-tech maker Johnson Controls to detect unauthorized drones. Dedrone also partnered with security technology solutions maker Axis Communications to integrate its surveillance cameras. It also acquired Aerial Armor in Phoenix to create a large airspace security network.