Doing “Defense the Silicon Valley Way” Pays for Daylight Solutions
Summary
Paul Larson, who co-founded Daylight Solutions with CEO Tim Day in 2005, said they followed a path that was very different from a classic defense contractor, but not too different from a typical high-tech startup. The co-founders plan to stay on, and Larson (who is president and COO) said the company’s current workforce of 115 full-time employees is expected to grow under Leonardo DRS to 175 by the end of this year. Conventional infrared countermeasures typically involve firing a series of very hot flares intended to lure a missile away from the targeted aircraft. “We began to work with the Army and Navy, along with industrial partners such as Northrop Grumman and DRS, to develop advanced systems for protecting helicopters from shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles,” Larson said. Our motto with the defense industry is ‘Lux Tutamen’ or ‘To Protect with Light.’” To advance the technology, Larson said Daylight Solutions raised less than $40 million, mostly from angel investors and family funds.
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