What Firestorm does

Firestorm Labs, Inc. is a San Diego-based defense technology company founded in 2022 that builds containerized, expeditionary manufacturing systems for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) used by the U.S. military and allied forces. Its core product, the xCell platform, is a portable factory-in-a-box housed in shipping containers equipped with HP industrial Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 3D printers that can produce and repair combat-ready drones at the tactical edge within 24 hours, operating entirely off-grid and transportable by road, air, or sea. The company manufactures the Tempest, a fixed-wing UAV with a 400-mile range, six-hour endurance, and ten-pound payload, and in February 2026 launched the Firestorm Squall, a Group 1 First Person View quadcopter produced in partnership with Orqa using NDAA-compliant components. Firestorm holds exclusive HP MJF distribution rights for defense applications, giving it a differentiated position in addressing the Pentagon's designated Critical Technology Area of Contested Logistics Technologies.

The company's revenue model is built around U.S. government defense contracts, primarily IDIQ and APFIT awards, sold through direct enterprise field sales to military customers. Key contracted revenue includes a $100 million Air Force IDIQ contract (with ceiling through 2031) for 3D-printed UAS development, and a $30 million APFIT award (boostable to $50 million) for xCell deployment and Tempest UAS production to an undisclosed Indo-Pacific customer. The company has deployed two xCell units domestically with the Air Force Research Laboratory and Air Force Special Operations Command, and is competing for the $1 billion Drone Dominance Program. Firestorm's customer base is concentrated in U.S. government defense agencies, with strategic investors including NEA, Washington Harbour Partners, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Booz Allen Ventures, In-Q-Tel, and J.P. Morgan signaling strong institutional validation. The company has raised approximately $153 million in total funding across seed, Series A, and Series B rounds, with an additional $100 million in debt and investments reportedly under negotiation to support international growth.

Firestorm is led by CEO and co-founder Dan Magy, with co-founders Chad McCoy (a former Air Force Pararescueman) and Ian Muceus (CTO). The company operates with 101–250 employees, was incorporated in Delaware in 2022, and is privately held (declining to disclose revenue in its March 2026 SEC Form D filing). Its primary go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales directly to U.S. Department of War, Air Force, and Indo-Pacific military customers, supplemented by participation in formal Pentagon programs (Drone Dominance, Gauntlet) and defense industry events. The company targets full operational deployment in the Indo-Pacific within two years, signaling an intent to scale its expeditionary manufacturing model from a primarily domestic footprint to an allied-nation, multi-theater deployment.

Name

Firestorm

Legal name

Firestorm Labs, Inc.

Website

https://launchfirestorm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Firestorm Labs is a San Diego-based defense technology company that builds containerized, off-grid additive manufacturing systems (xCell) using HP MJF 3D printing to produce combat-ready unmanned aerial systems, including the Tempest fixed-wing UAV and the Orqa-partnered Squall FPV quadcopter, for the U.S. Department of War, Air Force, and allied Indo-Pacific military customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Unmanned Aerial Systems

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Aircraft Manufacturing (336411)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Aircraft & Parts (3720)

akta.pro primary industry

Anti-Ship & Coastal Defense Missiles (IMABAHAE)

Keywords

• Unmanned aerial systems
• Expeditionary manufacturing
• Containerized 3D printing
• Tactical edge drones
• NDAA-compliant UAS

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. U.S. Government Defense Contracts: Firestorm derives revenue primarily through large U.S. government defense contracts including IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity) contracts and APFIT awards. Key contracts include a $100M Air Force IDIQ contract for 3D-printed UAS development and a $30M APFIT award for xCell deployment and Tempest UAS production.
2. Co-developed Product Sales (Partnerships): Revenue from co-manufactured products developed through partnerships (e.g., Firestorm Squall with Orqa) sold to U.S. Department of War customers at scale.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Firestorm develops and sells a containerized additive manufacturing platform (xCell) equipped with HP industrial Multi Jet Fusion 3D printers that can produce and repair combat-ready fixed-wing unmanned aerial systems at the tactical edge within 24 hours. The company also manufactures the Tempest fixed-wing UAV and the Firestorm Squall FPV quadcopter, sold primarily to the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military forces under government contracts.

Product overview

Firestorm Labs offers an expeditionary manufacturing ecosystem anchored by the xCell containerized production platform, which uses HP industrial 3D printing (MJF) technology to produce combat-ready drones at the tactical edge within 24 hours. The platform manufactures specific UAS products including the Tempest fixed-wing UAV (400-mile range, 10 lb payload) and, via partnership with Orqa, the Firestorm Squall Group 1 FPV quadcopter (NDAA-compliant). The product portfolio spans containerized manufacturing hardware, finished drone platforms, and sustainment/repair capabilities for distributed forward operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• xCell: Containerized manufacturing platform using HP industrial 3D printing technology that enables rapid production of combat-ready drones at the tactical edge in under 24 hours. Can operate off-grid and be transported by road, air, or sea.
• Tempest
• Squall

Products and services

• xCell Containerized, portable manufacturing platform housed in shipping containers and equipped with HP industrial Multi Jet Fusion 3D printers that enables forward-deployed military units to manufacture, sustain, and repair combat-ready unmanned aerial systems on-site within 24 hours, operating off-grid and transportable by road, air, or sea.
• Tempest Fixed-wing unmanned aerial system produced on the xCell platform, offering a 400-mile range, six-hour endurance, and ten-pound payload capacity, designed for long-range strike and reconnaissance missions in contested logistics environments.
• Firestorm Squall Group 1 First Person View (FPV) quadcopter drone produced in partnership with Orqa, U.S.-built with NDAA-compliant components, designed for delivery to U.S. Department of War customers and allied forces at scale.

Quantifiable outcome

• Drone production time reduced from weeks to under 24 hours
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OrqacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Firestorm and Orqa partnered to produce the Firestorm Squall, a Group 1 First Person View quadcopter drone combining Orqa's battle-tested FPV technology with Firestorm's expeditionary manufacturing capabilities. The U.S.-built, NDAA-compliant drone will be mass-produced and distributed to U.S. Department of War customers at scale. The partnership sets the stage for further technology sharing and in-theater platform development. Orqa's production capacity reaches up to 280,000 drones annually with a roadmap to one million per year.
• HP (Hewlett-Packard)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 July 2025Firestorm Labs secured exclusive distribution rights from HP for Mobile Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology, focused on the xCell system for expeditionary manufacturing of drones in remote and military applications. The partnership enables localized manufacturing at front-line locations, potentially transforming logistical and supply chain processes for defense operations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Red Cat Holdings: Military drone manufacturer (Teal Drones) supplying U.S. DoD and allied forces with NDAA-compliant small UAS. Shares investors (Lockheed Martin Ventures, Decisive Point) and pursues similar defense procurement channels.
• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions: Designs and produces high-performance military drones and target systems at attritable price points. Competes in the same tactical UAS segment as Firestorm with a focus on affordable, mass-producible platforms.
• Anduril Industries: Defense tech company building autonomous systems and UAS for the DoD. Like Firestorm, Anduril targets contested environments with attritable platforms and pursues large-scale government contracts across the Pentagon.
• AeroVironment: Established military UAS manufacturer producing loitering munitions (Switchblade) and tactical drones (Puma, Raven). Most directly comparable as a pure-play military drone OEM with deep DoD customer relationships.
• Shield AI: Develops AI-piloted autonomous UAS (Hivemind, V-BAT) for military customers. Operates in the same DoD autonomous-systems procurement market as Firestorm and competes for similar defense-tech capital and contract dollars.

Broad incumbents

• L3Harris Technologies: Major defense prime with a portfolio that includes tactical UAS, loitering munitions, and integrated air defense systems. Represents the type of large incumbent that could leverage scale to enter expeditionary drone manufacturing.
• General Atomics: Large defense prime and leading manufacturer of military UAS (MQ-9 Reaper, MQ-1C Gray Eagle). Competes broadly in the military drone space with deeper budgets and entrenched DoD program positions.

Emerging players

• Hadrian: Defense manufacturing automation company applying software-driven precision machining to defense parts production. Thematically adjacent to Firestorm's expeditionary manufacturing thesis, though focused on factory automation rather than tactical-edge production.
• Skydio: Autonomous drone manufacturer expanding from commercial markets into defense and public safety. Overlaps with Firestorm on autonomy and NDAA-compliant small UAS for U.S. government customers.
• Saronic: Autonomous surface vessel company building attritable maritime systems for the U.S. Navy. Comparable defense-tech growth profile with similar venture backing and DoD contract momentum in the autonomous-systems category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/firestorm_labs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/firestorm-labs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors30 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Firestorm