Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
This 16-year-old is building a YC-backed defense company.
It’s called Polemos, and the idea is to tackle a hard problem in defense: precision weapons are expensive, slow to produce and difficult to manufacture in large numbers.
They’re developing AI-guided munitions and connected launch systems, with mass production built into the design from day one.
They also plan to produce their own propellant, a critical supply bottleneck that could otherwise limit how much they can build.
Henrijs, the founder, has already worked with engineering teams building autonomous systems fielded by NATO forces. His team brings experience from NASA JPL, Caltech and the US Army’s research lab.
Still early, and a lot to prove. But that’s a serious undertaking at any age, let alone 16.
🤝 Paid partnership
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
Youngest ever solo founder in YC -> to change defence industry!
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
most defense hardware is built slow, expensive and in small batches
Polemos is going the other way: AI-guided, networked, and designed for mass production from the start
feels like how autonomy actually changes this industry
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
bro is 16, building a defense company and already in YC
next palmer luckey or am i tripping
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
A 16 YEAR OLD IS BUILDING THE FUTURE OF DEFENSE.
yes. 16 years old.
and he's already building Polemos Industries, a Y Combinator backed startup.
the problem with modern defense isn't just precision.
it's scale. cost. production. and systems that weren't designed for how fast warfare is changing.
Polemos is rethinking the entire approach:
→ AI-powered guidance
→ connected defense systems
→ manufacturing designed to scale
→ more control over its own supply chain
and here's the crazy part.
the founder is just 16.
while most people his age are still in high school, he's building a defense startup backed by YC.
the next generation of defense might literally be built by the next generation.
🤝 Paid partnership
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
a 16 year old just got into yc to build ai-guided weapons
henrijs is the solo founder of polemos, with a team out of nasa jpl and caltech
they're even building their own propellant supply
and you're still waiting for the right time to start
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
Everyone is going to focus on the fact that the founder is 16 but the actual engineering background is pretty wild too
Working on autonomous systems and aerospace before starting a company at YC is not exactly the usual path
Wonder how he got into all of this so early
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
went to check who’s behind @polemos_inc and wow
NASA JPL. Caltech aerospace. US Army research. people who’ve shipped autonomous systems NATO actually fields. aerospace hardware production.
that’s not a typical YC F26 founding team. this one’s seriously engineering-heavy
🤝 Paid partnership
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
i think one of the most interesting things happening in tech right now is how much serious engineering talent is moving into industries that have traditionally been slower to innovate.
Polemos is a good example.
a young YC founder, an aerospace-heavy team and a focus on bringing autonomy and manufacturing together
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
ok i did not expect a YC company to be making its own propellant
everyone’s building chatbots and coding agents, and @polemos_inc (YC F26) is out here doing AI guidance plus hardware designed to be mass-produced from day one.
the hard AI problems really are moving into the physical world
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
wait the founder of this is 16
>went to the school elon started
>worked with two defense teams building autonomous systems nato actually uses
>now doing ai-guided precision strike and making their own propellant
>got into yc solo
what was i even doing at 16
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
most of the AI conversation is still chatbots and coding agents. some of the hardest AI problems are moving into hardware and manufacturing
@polemos_inc (YC F26) is one of those: AI guidance plus systems designed from the start to be produced at scale, with their own propellant production
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
a 16 year old just became the youngest publicly backed solo founder in YC history, and he's not building another app.
Polemos is rebuilding precision strike for the age of autonomy, made to be mass-produced from day one
the bar for "young founder" just moved
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
what caught my attention about @PolemosIndustries isn't just the mission
it's the combination of people and experience behind it.
the team has worked across:
・NASA JPL
・Caltech's aerospace research
・US Army research programs
・NATO-fielded autonomous systems
・Aerospace hardware production
this is a very engineering-heavy founding story.
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
The part about building their own production capabilities is actually pretty interesting
Everyone focuses on the engineering side but supply chains can become a massive bottleneck when you're trying to scale hardware
Curious how they're planning to approach that because it's a pretty difficult problem to solve
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Launching @polemos_inc (YC F26) today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale.
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
Henrijs Dandzbergs retweeted
Future of defence!
Launching @polemos_inc today.
Precision strike was built for a different era: expensive, slow to produce and fielded in small numbers. Polemos is building it for the war that’s actually coming, with networked launch systems that strike in mass and AI guidance carrying every round through the terminal phase. It’s all designed to be mass-produced from day one, to protect us from the warfare of tomorrow.
Precision, at scale. YC F26
Shoutout to @zeroonecreative for the video
There's a new version of this post
Frontier
Introducing Astraeus.
High mobility. Long duration operations. Greater freedom to maneuver.
Redefining what spacecraft can do in orbit.
Built by Orbital Operations.
Concept video produced by London Studio @ZeroOneCreative and a special thanks their team @ashkan01C, @Rupert01C and @james_01c
resolution doubling every couple years in consumer drones while defense procurement cycles are 5+years
honestly how do you even spec a requirement that’s obsolete before the contract’s signed
