Overview
The Austin Market
Army Futures Command, the Army's modernization command, is headquartered in downtown Austin, close to UT Austin and the city's startup community. The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), AFWERX (the Air Force and Space Force innovation arm), NavalX and the Army Applications Laboratory followed, with a shared presence at Capital Factory. Together they give Austin defense startups a direct path to military customers and contracts.
Venture capital followed. Saronic Technologies builds autonomous surface vessels, Apptronik builds humanoid robots with defense applications, and CesiumAstro builds space and defense communications systems from its Bee Cave headquarters. Firefly Aerospace of Cedar Park has landed on the Moon and is a public company. Allen Control Systems expanded its Austin plant to scale production of Bullfrog, its autonomous counter-drone weapon station. BAE Systems opened a large Austin campus to be near Capital Factory and Army Futures Command.
The cluster spans venture-backed defense startups; established prime contractors (BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, Boeing); launch and space services (Firefly, and SpaceX with its Starlink operations in Bastrop); satellites and space communications (CesiumAstro, VORAGO, SkyFi); counter-unmanned aircraft systems, or counter-UAS (Allen Control Systems, Bravo Ordnance); maritime autonomy (Saronic); defense artificial intelligence (AI) and software (Striveworks, Onebrief); and Bill Stone's underwater autonomy work at Stone Aerospace.
The table below lists aerospace, space and defense technology companies with significant Austin metro presence, tagged by primary category, from propulsion and components through prime contractors to software, AI and counter-UAS systems.
Directory
Austin Aerospace and Defense Companies
Type a name, place or category to narrow the list.
| Company | Location | Categories |
|---|---|---|
| Acutronic Aerospace | Austin, Bastrop | PropulsionComponentsMotion Simulation |
| Aeon | Austin | Guided MissilesMunitions |
| Allen Control Systems (ACS) | Austin (HQ) | Counter-UASAutonomous Weapon StationsAI |
| Apptronik | Austin (HQ) | Humanoid RoboticsDefense Applications |
| Astrotech | Austin (HQ) | Space ServicesPayload Processing |
| ATX Defense | Austin (HQ) | Defense ConsultancyNational Security Advisory |
| BAE Systems | Austin | Prime ContractorElectronic WarfareCountermeasuresAircraft Electrification |
| Boeing | Austin | Prime ContractorAerospaceDefense |
| Bravo Ordnance | Bastrop (HQ) | Munitions3D-Printed Warheads |
| CesiumAstro | Austin, Bee Cave (HQ) | Space & Defense CommunicationsSatellitesPhased Arrays |
| Dispel | Austin (HQ) | CybersecurityIndustrial Control SystemsDefense |
| Emergent Space Technologies | Austin | Space Mission SoftwareFlight Dynamics |
| Enflite | Austin | AvionicsAircraft Modification |
| Firefly Aerospace | Cedar Park (HQ) | Launch VehiclesLunar LanderSpacecraft |
| L3Harris Technologies | Austin | Prime ContractorCommunicationsSpace SystemsMissile Solutions |
| McCoy Global | Cedar Park | Precision Components |
| Northrop Grumman | Austin | Prime ContractorSpace SystemsDefense |
| Onebrief | Austin (HQ) | Defense SoftwareMilitary PlanningAI |
| Red Aviation | Austin | Aviation Services |
| Redbird Flight Simulations | Austin (HQ) | Flight Training Simulators |
| RTX (Raytheon) | Austin | Prime ContractorMissilesDefense Systems |
| Saronic Technologies | Austin (HQ) | Autonomous Surface VesselsMaritime DefenseAI |
| Sierra Microwave Technology (HEICO) | Georgetown | RF/Microwave ComponentsSpace & Defense |
| SkyFi | Austin (HQ) | Earth ObservationSatellite Imagery Marketplace |
| SkyGrid (Boeing subsidiary) | Austin (HQ) | Autonomous FlightAAM Airspace Integration |
| Slingshot Aerospace | Austin | Space Domain AwarenessSDA Analytics |
| SpaceX | Austin/Bastrop | Starlink Satellite ConstellationSpace Services |
| Stone Aerospace | Del Valle (HQ) | Underwater AutonomyExploration Robotics |
| Striveworks | Austin (HQ) | Defense AIMLOpsComputer Vision |
| VORAGO Technologies | Austin (HQ) | Rad-Hardened SemiconductorsSpace & Defense ICs |
Record
Dataset Record
- Dataset
- AustinIO Austin aerospace and defense list, 30 companies
- Scope
- Companies headquartered or operating in the Austin metro
- Last verified
- Q4 2026