Home / Business and Economy / 22-Year-Olds Disrupt Drone Industry, Secure Major Army Contract
22-Year-Olds Disrupt Drone Industry, Secure Major Army Contract
10 Nov
Summary
- Neros, founded by 20-year-old Soren Monroe-Anderson and 22-year-old Olaf Hichwa, selected to supply drones to U.S. Army
- Neros raised $121 million in venture funding, cementing founders' status as "wunderkind of the emerging U.S. drone industry"
- Neros overcame challenges to build a U.S. supply chain and manufacture affordable drones without Chinese parts
In November 2025, Neros, a drone company founded by 22-year-old Soren Monroe-Anderson and 24-year-old Olaf Hichwa, has been selected to supply its signature Archer drones to the U.S. Army. This comes as a significant milestone for the two young entrepreneurs, who just two years ago were turned away by the Pentagon when they tried to sell their drones to the military as 21-year-olds.
Neros, which was founded in 2023, has now raised a total of $121 million in venture funding, cementing Monroe-Anderson's and Hichwa's status as the "wunderkind of the emerging U.S. drone industry." The company has also secured a $17 million contract with the Marine Corps and a deal to supply 6,000 drones to Ukraine.
The Army's selection of Neros as a vendor for its "Purpose-Built Attritable Systems" program, which aims to buy at least one million drones in the next two to three years, underscores the military's scramble to catch up with adversaries who can mass-produce small drones. Neros has overcome significant challenges, including building a U.S. supply chain and manufacturing affordable drones without relying on Chinese parts, to position itself as a leading player in this rapidly evolving market.
