Perennial
Perennial Autonomy is a California-based defense technology startup founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt that builds AI-enabled counter-drone systems — Merops interceptors, Bumblebee quadcopters, and Hornet strike drones — sold primarily to the U.S. Department of Defense and NATO allies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Perennial does
Perennial (operating as Perennial Autonomy) is a California-based defense technology startup founded in 2022 by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, originally under the name Project Eagle. The company develops AI-enabled counter-drone systems built around three core platforms: the Merops low-cost interceptor (approximately $15,000 per unit), the Bumblebee quadcopter counter-UAS system (V1 and V2 variants), and the Hornet disposable strike drone (a $5,000 unmanned aircraft capable of carrying 5kg of explosives over 200km in a one-way configuration). The central design principle is cost-exchange dominance — producing hardware at roughly one-third the unit cost of adversary drones, particularly Iranian-made Shahed systems priced at $30,000–$50,000, so that layered air defense and deep-strike swarm tactics become economically sustainable at scale.
The business model is direct government procurement. Perennial sells counter-drone and strike hardware to military customers via DoD and allied channels, anchored by a $500 million three-year contract awarded in May 2026 through Pentagon's Joint Interagency Task Force 401. The company is combat-validated: Merops interceptors entered Ukrainian service in June 2024 and have since been adopted by U.S. Army formations (including 82nd Airborne Division training) and NATO allies Poland, Romania, and Lithuania. The U.S. Army purchased 13,000 Merops units within eight days of conflict onset, demonstrating both procurement velocity and operational demand. AI capability is embedded directly in the product — autonomous detection, tracking, and targeting underpin the cost-exchange thesis by removing the need for one-to-one human operator control per interceptor.
The broader market context reinforces the company's positioning: the Pentagon has requested $75 billion for drones and counter-drone technology, described as the largest such investment in U.S. history, and has launched the Drone Dominance initiative to accelerate domestic production. Perennial competes for this spend as one of a small number of suppliers with proven live-fire performance and an established DoD procurement footprint, with founder Eric Schmidt's reputational and capital backing serving as an additional differentiator in Washington and allied capitals.
Perennial firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Perennial
- Legal name
- Perennial
- Website
- https://perennialstl.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Perennial Autonomy is a California-based defense technology startup founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt that builds AI-enabled counter-drone systems — Merops interceptors, Bumblebee quadcopters, and Hornet strike drones — sold primarily to the U.S. Department of Defense and NATO allies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Perennial industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Workshop & Creative Reuse Education
- akta.pro primary industry
- Home & Garden Hobbies (Gardening, Floral Design, Home Decor) (EDAAAGAL)
Keywords
Where Perennial is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Perennial business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Defense Government Contracts: Primary revenue from large-scale Pentagon contracts including the $500 million three-year contract through Joint Interagency Task Force 401 for AI-enabled counter-drone systems including Merops interceptors, Bumblebee quadcopters, and Hornet strike drones.
- Military Hardware Sales: Sale of counter-drone interceptor systems to U.S. military and NATO allies including Poland, Romania, and Lithuania.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Merops Interceptor - $15,000 per unit |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Perennial product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Perennial is a nonprofit community workshop and retail store in St. Louis, Missouri that offers hands-on classes in creative reuse of materials including woodworking, stained glass, mosaics, sewing, dyes, bookbinding, and home repair. The organization also operates a retail shop selling salvaged craft supplies to the public, with annual memberships and donation-based funding supporting its programming.
Product overview
Perennial Autonomy, a California-based defense technology startup founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, develops and manufactures a portfolio of AI-enabled drone systems for counter-UAS (unmanned aerial systems) operations. The core product line includes three distinct drone platforms: Merops (low-cost interceptor), Bumblebee (quadcopter), and Hornet (midrange strike drone). These systems are designed to counter the threat of adversary drones, particularly Iranian-made Shahed drones, through layered battlefield air defense. The company has secured a $500 million three-year Pentagon contract through Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and has deployed its technology across U.S. military operations in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Europe.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Creative Reuse Classes
- Open Studio
- Annual Membership
- Group Workshops and Private Events
- Retail Shop (Salvaged Materials)
- Gift Cards
- Gift Memberships
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully intercepted thousands of Iranian-designed Shahed drones at approximately one-third their cost
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Perennial
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Perennial technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
Perennial partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Perennial competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Artisan's Asylum: Somerville, MA makerspace and craft school offering classes, studio access, and community workshops across a wide range of artisanal disciplines, comparable in mission and operating model.
- Hammerstone School: NYC-based carpentry and woodworking school running hands-on classes for hobbyists and homeowners, overlapping with Perennial STL's woodworking and home-repair programming.
- The Crucible: Oakland-based nonprofit industrial-arts education center offering classes in woodworking, welding, glass, and other crafts — directly comparable as a community craft school with paid classes and a dedicated studio space.
- Scrap (Creative Reuse Center): San Francisco-based nonprofit creative-reuse center that sells salvaged craft materials and runs hands-on classes, mirroring Perennial STL's combination of reuse retail and craft education.
- Brooklyn Brainery: Brooklyn-based adult-education platform offering low-cost, short-format community classes across crafts, DIY, and home skills — directly comparable to Perennial STL's adult hobby-learning model.
- NYC Resistor: Brooklyn-based community workshop and makerspace offering classes and shared studio access, comparable as a community-workshop model with class-driven revenue.
- Repair Cafe: International community movement running local events where volunteers teach repair skills — directly aligned with Perennial STL's reuse, repair, and DIY education mission.
Broad incumbents
- Home Depot Workshops: Free and low-cost in-store DIY workshops at a national big-box retailer; competes for the same DIY-leaning adult audience as Perennial STL's home-repair and craft classes, though at far greater scale and lower price points.
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Large nonprofit retail chain selling salvaged and donated building materials; overlaps with Perennial STL's reuse-retail angle and home-repair programming, but operates at much greater scale and does not run craft classes.
Others
- 826 National: Network of nonprofit writing and tutoring centers combining creative education with a retail storefront; comparable as a creative-education nonprofit with a physical retail component, though in a different subject domain.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Perennial social profiles
Digital presencePerennial financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Perennial leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Perennial funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Perennial M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Perennial
What does Perennial do?
Perennial is a nonprofit community workshop and retail store in St. Louis, Missouri that offers hands-on classes in creative reuse of materials including woodworking, stained glass, mosaics, sewing, dyes, bookbinding, and home repair. The organization also operates a retail shop selling salvaged craft supplies to the public, with annual memberships and donation-based funding supporting its programming.
Is Perennial a public or private company?
Perennial is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Perennial founded?
Perennial was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Perennial based?
Perennial is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Perennial make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Defense Government Contracts are the primary driver. The others are military Hardware Sales.
Who are Perennial's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Artisan's Asylum, Hammerstone School, The Crucible, Scrap (Creative Reuse Center), Brooklyn Brainery, NYC Resistor and Repair Cafe. Broad incumbents are Home Depot Workshops and Habitat for Humanity ReStore. 826 National is listed as an others.
Does Perennial have an API?
No public API is recorded for Perennial.
What industry is Perennial in?
Perennial's product category is Community Workshop & Creative Reuse Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAGAL, Home & Garden Hobbies (Gardening, Floral Design, Home Decor).