Thermopylae is a defense-tech startup founded by 21-year-old Ukrainian engineer Yehor Balytskyi in June. The company is building an ultra-lightweight folding quadcopter that launches from a mortar-style tube, reaches speeds of up to 350 km/h, flies for about 20 minutes, and uses thermal guidance to destroy unmanned aerial vehicles. Each interceptor is expected to cost under $10,000 and can be partially reused if it misses its target, offering a cost-effective counter-UAV solution. The startup aims to combine deep technical expertise with rapid development cycles. With fresh capital, management plans to relocate operations back to Ukraine, conduct field tests with frontline units, and scale manufacturing capacity. To date, Thermopylae has secured $1.6 million in external funding; no revenue or user metrics have been disclosed.

Total raised

$2M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Nov 2025