Ares Industries is a defense startup founded in 2024 and based in El Segundo, California. The company is backed by Y Combinator and focuses on developing anti-ship cruise missiles that are designed to be significantly smaller and less expensive than existing systems. Its technical work spans missile design, systems integration, and manufacturing using commercially available components combined with vertical integration.
The company's products include the Maverick and Goose missiles. Maverick is designed to deliver a roughly 100-pound payload at ranges up to 1,000 miles, while Goose carries a ~20-pound payload out to 100 miles. Both are engineered for mass manufacturability and are launched from standard CONEX shipping containers. Ares achieved its first flight test just 11 weeks after opening and aims for automotive-level production rates, targeting five-figure prices per missile.
Ares Industries operates within the defense and munitions sector, with a stated mission to address the munitions gap facing the United States and its allies. The company's approach rethinks how strike capabilities are delivered, emphasizing rapid development cycles and cost-effective production.
