Y Combinator Ventures into Defense with Ares Industries

The startup accelerator's first weapons investment aims to disrupt the missile market with low-cost, compact cruise missiles.

Ares Industries promises missiles that are ten times smaller and cheaper than current options.
The startup has successfully tested prototypes and plans to deliver systems by mid-2025.
This marks Y Combinator's first foray into the defense sector, traditionally dominated by software investments.
Ares' technology could be crucial in a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait, according to YC partner Jared Friedman.
Friedman compares Ares' potential impact on the missile market to SpaceX's disruption of the rocket industry.