Technological Wave in Defense: Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs Move to DefenceTech

Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are increasingly moving from classical IT to the defense technology sector, creating high-tech companies focused on developments for the army and security agencies.

One example of this movement is the American entrepreneur Steven Simoni, who recently took over as president of Allen Control Systems, Reuters reports.

A little over a year ago, 39-year-old Simoni was a typical Silicon Valley success story: in 2022, he sold his payment company, DoorDash, for $125 million.

Today, he co-founded a different kind of startup, Allen Control Systems, which is developing a product far removed from QR menu codes: an autonomous artificial intelligence-based machine gun system called Bullfrog, designed to destroy drones in the air.

“The future is essentially Skynet,” Simoni said, drawing a parallel with the fictional artificial intelligence system from the Terminator movies that becomes self-aware and opposes humanity.

Simoni is part of a new generation of entrepreneurs who are capitalizing on Silicon Valley’s transformation into a military technology powerhouse: the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as increased tensions with China, have underscored the need for the United States to prepare for future security challenges.

Following the example of the approaches popularized by Anduril founder Palmer Lucky and Palantir CEO Alex Karp, former consumer app developers are now creating swarms of drones, reconnaissance satellites, autonomous boats, and other high-tech military systems, attracting the attention of both venture capitalists and the Pentagon.

Simoni noted that he is not personally in favor of war, but considers work on defense technologies necessary, as the relevant systems will eventually appear on the market, and companies are striving to offer the state modern means of protection.

The entrepreneur also admitted that he should have paid more attention to cooperation with the executive branch earlier. According to him, the key in the defense technology sector is to convince the White House and Congress, sometimes even before the Department of Defense initiates official procurement.

In June, Gen. James Rainey, commander of Army Futures Command, which is responsible for modernizing the Army and procuring advanced solutions, joined Simoni on his podcast, “The Drone Ultimatum,” to discuss the Pentagon’s efforts to partner with private technology companies. In a statement, the U.S. Army said it is in the process of awarding a contract to Allen Control Systems to evaluate Bullfrog’s integration potential into existing Army platforms.

The company presents Bullfrog as a solution to a persistent threat on the battlefield – shooting down compact, cheap, and poorly protected drones before they can strike.

The estimated price of the Bullfrog autonomous AI-based machine gun system is approximately $350,000 per unit. It is considered a potential piece of equipment for autonomous ground platforms, unmanned boats, and stationary perimeter security posts. In addition to machine gun systems, Allen Control Systems is testing a prototype laser dazzler that can disable drone sensors and video streams. Simoni also stated that the company is developing an airborne version of the Bullfrog, known as Scourge.