Defense tech startups are having a moment—and big finance is taking note.
A group of defense firms that have achieved, or will likely soon reach, the $1 billion venture capital funding designation for startup “unicorns” got enough attention to earn an acronym like the one given to an earlier group of tech companies.
The newcomers have been coined SHARPE by investment bank Harris Williams and aerospace and defense consultant firm Avascent. It refers to Shield AI, HawkEye 360, Anduril, Rebellion Defense, Palantir, and Epirus.
The previous generation of tech companies were known as FAANG, for Facebook (now