Aventra has raised $3 million to turn unguided munitions into AI-driven weapons capable of striking targets up to 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) away.
The Virginia-based defense startup is developing a modular glide kit, called the Piranha, that retrofits existing ordnance with wings and guidance modules to create a low-cost precision strike capability.
The system can be deployed from high-altitude balloons at roughly 80,000 feet (24,000 meters) and uses stratospheric winds to extend its reach.
Compared with conventional cruise missiles, Aventra said its kit is 100-400 times cheaper, enabling mass fires at a fraction of the cost.
Its AI-driven terminal guidance works without GPS, boosting resistance against jamming and spoofing common on modern battlefields.
Modular by Design
Aventra’s kit accepts both kinetic warheads and non-kinetic payloads, including electronic warfare modules, letting units tailor missions for precision strikes, harassment fires, or multi-domain effects.
The company said the system requires no dedicated launch infrastructure, enabling small distributed units to project power at range from austere locations.
Aventra pitches the concept as a shift toward volume, autonomy, and adaptability instead of reliance on a few large, expensive weapons platforms.
“The US government has made clear the urgent need for affordable, rapidly deployable weapons that can operate in contested and degraded environments,” said Michael Weigand, Aventra Co-founder and CEO.
“Our extensive firsthand experience working with operators both domestically and directly on the front lines in Ukraine has validated this demand signal.”
