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7 Space and Defense Tech Startups to Watch From TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200

Seven standout space and defense tech startups from Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200, spanning eVTOL aircraft, GPS-free navigation, and AI systems.

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Graphics symbolizing innovative space and defense tech: eVTOL, GPS-free navigation, AI systems, and satellites.
Discover seven innovative space and defense tech startups highlighted at TechCrunch Disrupt.
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Space and defense innovation is increasingly defined by software, autonomy, and new approaches to mobility and operations—often built by small teams moving faster than traditional contractors. From electric aircraft concepts to GPS-independent navigation and edge AI designed for machines, a new cohort of startups is aiming to solve practical problems in aerospace and national security.

Each year, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch competition draws thousands of applicants. Those applications are narrowed to 200 selectees—then to 20 finalists that compete on the main stage for the Startup Battlefield Cup and a $100,000 cash prize. But the other 180 companies selected for Startup Battlefield 200 are also highlighted for their potential, with category groupings that include space and defense tech.

Below are seven notable space and defense tech startups selected for Startup Battlefield 200, along with what each company does and why it stood out.

Why Startup Battlefield 200 matters for space and defense tech

Space and defense have historically been dominated by capital-intensive programs, long procurement cycles, and high barriers to entry. In recent years, that picture has shifted as startups apply commercial technology—AI, electric propulsion, sensors, and modern software practices—to problems like navigation, maintenance, safety monitoring, and spacecraft operations.

Startup Battlefield 200 matters in this landscape because it functions as a highly visible filter: thousands apply, 200 are selected, and only 20 reach the main stage. For space and defense companies—where credibility, technical differentiation, and a clear path to deployment can mean everything—being selected can be a meaningful signal to partners, customers, and investors.

The 7 top space and defense tech startups from Startup Battlefield 200

Airbility

What it does: Airbility is developing two-seat, manned electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Why it’s noteworthy: The company’s design combines a fixed-wing-based VTOL approach with a distributed electric fan-jet propulsion system. The aim is an aircraft that’s lightweight, maneuverable, and adaptable across different use cases—attributes that can be particularly attractive in aerospace scenarios where performance and operational flexibility matter.

Astrum Drive Aerospace

What it does: Astrum Drive Aerospace says it has created a propellantless, electricity-only space propulsion system.

Why it’s noteworthy: The company says its patented technology removes the need to carry fuel onboard. If achieved at scale, that could extend spacecraft lifespans and reduce costs—two persistent constraints in space operations. Astrum also positions the approach as a potential enabler for deep space exploration, where mission duration and mass efficiency are especially critical.

Charter Space

What it does: Charter Space offers a fintech-style risk analysis platform for spacecraft, designed to help them secure insurance coverage.

Why it’s noteworthy: Charter Space’s broader ambition is to use “insurability” as a foundation for unlocking new forms of credit tailored to the space sector. In practical terms, better risk modeling and clearer underwriting signals can influence not only whether a mission gets insured, but also the cost of capital and the willingness of financing partners to participate.

Endox

What it does: Endox builds AI systems intended to support inspection and maintenance of systems and equipment for the U.S. military.

Why it’s noteworthy: The company combines proprietary data capture systems with robotics technology. That pairing matters because inspection and maintenance aren’t just analytics problems—they’re also “data-in-the-real-world” problems. Capturing consistent, high-quality data in operational environments is often the hardest step, and robotics can help standardize or scale that process.

Hance

What it does: Hance is building an AI neural network focused on processing and enhancing real-time audio.

Why it’s noteworthy: Real-world audio is messy: background noise, room reverberation, and constantly changing conditions can degrade communication and situational awareness. Hance’s approach is designed specifically for live audio, including challenging, uncontrolled environments such as those encountered by the military, where clarity and reliability can be mission-critical.

Skylark Labs

What it does: Skylark Labs has developed a self-learning AI aimed at machine use cases and safety applications.

Why it’s noteworthy: The company is targeting a core hurdle of physically embodied AI: processing information fast enough at the edge. In many defense and safety contexts—think sensors on vehicles, installations, or infrastructure—data needs to be interpreted locally with minimal latency, and not all deployments can rely on cloud connectivity or heavy compute.

Skyline Nav AI

What it does: Skyline Nav AI has built navigation software designed to work without GPS.

Why it’s noteworthy: GPS denial and interference are real threats in modern conflict environments. Skyline Nav AI uses AI to recognize a scene quickly without relying on expensive GPUs, and it is positioned as effective against GPS jamming technology. For defense and aerospace operators, GPS-independent navigation can be a strategic capability—supporting resilience when satellite signals are degraded or deliberately attacked.

Key themes across this cohort

While these seven startups span very different product categories, they cluster around a few high-level themes that reflect where space and defense technology is headed:

  • Resilience in contested environments: Skyline Nav AI’s GPS-independent navigation highlights a broader push toward systems that keep working when assumptions (like reliable satellite signals) break down.
  • Edge intelligence and real-time performance: Skylark Labs and Hance both point to a need for AI that functions in real time, on-device, and under unpredictable conditions.
  • Operational readiness and lifecycle efficiency: Endox focuses on inspection and maintenance—areas where better tools can reduce downtime and improve safety.
  • New mobility and propulsion bets: Airbility and Astrum Drive Aerospace are pursuing aircraft and spacecraft technologies that, if validated, could reshape cost and capability constraints.
  • Financial infrastructure for the space economy: Charter Space’s risk platform underscores that commercialization isn’t only about hardware—insurance and credit can determine whether missions launch at all.

Conclusion

From eVTOL aircraft and propellantless propulsion concepts to AI that improves navigation, maintenance, and real-time audio, these Startup Battlefield 200 selectees reflect how quickly space and defense are evolving. Collectively, they show a sector increasingly driven by software-defined capability, edge computing, and systems designed to operate reliably in the real world.

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Based on reporting originally published by TechCrunch. See the sources section below.

Sources

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