Aventra Exits Stealth with $3M Seed Round to Convert Unguided Munitions into Precision Long-Range Weapons
Aventra, a defense technology startup specializing in affordable glide and guidance systems for ultra long-range precision strikes, has announced its emergence from stealth mode following a $3 million seed funding round led by Lavrock Ventures. Funding will accelerate product development, enhance testing operations, and support team growth as Aventra readies its advanced guidance technology for deployment to meet evolving defense requirements.
Aventra’s modular guidance kits enable standard unguided munitions to be converted into AI-enhanced precision weapons capable of engaging targets up to 3,000 miles away, thereby addressing the United States’ urgent need for cost-effective mass fires in peer competitor conflicts. The company’s proprietary technology integrates a wing and guidance system onto existing ordnance, producing long-range weapons that exploit high-altitude winds to travel substantial distances via high-altitude balloons. Its high-altitude deployment enables attack vectors that evade traditional air defense measures, while straightforward assembly and deployment facilitate distributed operations from remote environments with minimal infrastructure. Aventra’s AI-driven terminal guidance system operates independently of GPS, maintaining effectiveness against advanced adversaries employing electronic warfare tactics.
Aventra’s Piranha glider kit is priced significantly lower - by a factor of 100 to 400 - compared to other long-range precision munitions, facilitating sustained firepower that meets the demands of contemporary warfare and remains effective in electronically contested environments.
Aventra’s emergence from stealth coincides with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s directive “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance,” which advocates for rapid expansion of domestic drone manufacturing. The directive highlights the disparity between adversaries’ capacity to produce millions of inexpensive drones annually and previous delays in fielding affordable systems to U.S. forces.
Aventra’s modular system accommodates both kinetic warheads and non-kinetic payloads such as electronic warfare packages, empowering military personnel to conduct precision strikes, harassment fires, and multi-domain operations from distributed locations. This capability addresses a critical operational challenge: conventional cruise missile inventories may be depleted within days during sustained peer-level conflict, underlining the necessity for persistent fires to deny adversaries access to vital infrastructure.
Aventra was founded by former Army officers and experienced defense technology entrepreneurs, Michael Weigand, Brian Retherford, and Jessup Meng. Michael Weigand, Co-founder and CEO of Aventra, stated, “The U.S. government has emphasized the immediate requirement for affordable, rapidly deployable weaponry capable of operating in contested and degraded environments. Our comprehensive experience collaborating with operators domestically and on the frontlines in Ukraine has confirmed this demand. We have observed firsthand that success in conflict hinges on speed, volume, and persistence, and our technology makes these achievable for American forces in an economically viable manner.”
Alex Poulin, Partner at Lavrock Ventures, commented, “What distinguishes Mike, Brian, and Jessup is their unique blend of proven startup leadership, extensive combat experience, and outstanding technical proficiency. They bring not only battlefield insight but also the engineering acumen required to deliver reliable, scalable, and cost-efficient solutions. Their experience positions them well to address one of the defense sector’s most significant challenges.”