Defence startup Millibeam lands $4.6m in grants, launching counter-drone tech
Sydney semiconductor startup Millibeam shipped Rakurai, a handheld counter-drone system backed by $4.6 million in Australian federal grants. The breakdown: $2.6 million from the Industry Growth Program, $2 million from the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative.
The product is a portable RF jammer designed for individual soldiers, targeting multiple drone frequencies simultaneously. Most counter-UAS systems use off-the-shelf components. Millibeam built proprietary mmWave beamforming chips to cut weight and power consumption while jamming across separated frequency bands.
Current status: Technology Readiness Level 5. That means prototype demonstrated, field testing next. Not battlefield-ready yet.
Founder and CEO Venkata Gutta positioned this as sovereign capability play: "Australia has a narrow window to own that foundation rather than import it. Designing from the chip up, here in Australia, is how we field sovereign capability at the speed and scale the National Defence Strategy demands."
Sales context
Millibeam sits in the counter-UAS market, selling to defence, border security, critical infrastructure and public safety buyers. Market dynamics: government procurement programs in Australia and the US are funding counter-drone tech, including new U.S. state and local grant programs.
The company secured grants to commercialise FARBEAM (the underlying tech), reach TRL8 (field-tested, manufacturable), add 4 patents, and support customer preorders. Public records show the Supply Chain grant runs through 15 March 2026.
What we do not know: current headcount, sales team size, revenue, or named executives beyond Gutta. The company describes itself as "semiconductor chip to fielded system" but has not disclosed CRO, VP Sales, or AE count.
For sales professionals tracking defence tech: this is early-stage product with government backing and a sovereign manufacturing angle. Watch for field trial announcements and first customer contracts. That will signal whether this moves from grant-funded R&D to commercial pipeline.