Neros
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Olaf Hichwa
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defense industry, Drone manufacturing |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | Soren Monroe-Anderson Olaf Hichwa |
| Headquarters | El Segundo, California |
Key people | Soren Monroe-Anderson (CEO) Olaf Hichwa (CTO) Sean Wood (COO) |
| Products | Neros Archer |
| Website | www |
Neros Technologies is an American defense technology company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Established in 2023 by former professional drone racers Soren Monroe-Anderson and Olaf Hichwa, the company specializes in the design and manufacture of low-cost, expendable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military applications.[1] Its "Archer" drone is a mass-producible system designed to operate without reliance on supply chains from China.[2]
Neros was founded in 2023 by Soren Monroe-Anderson and Olaf Hichwa, who met in 2017 at a drone racing competition in Muncie, Indiana.[1] Monroe-Anderson, a prominent drone racer, and Hichwa, a designer of custom circuit boards for racing drones, were motivated to start the company following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1] Initially operating out of a garage, the founders began by building drones for Ukrainian forces using components sourced from China, personally delivering them to Kyiv in late 2023.[1]
In order to address the strategic vulnerability of relying on Chinese supply chains, the pair moved operations to El Segundo, California, to develop a fully American-made drone platform. Now part of an aerospace and hard-tech industry hub locally known as "Gundo",[3][1] the company attracted significant venture capital investment, raising approximately $121 million by late 2025 from firms including Sequoia Capital and Founders Fund.[1][3]
Products
The company's primary product is the Archer, a small, quadcopter-style first-person view (FPV) drone designed for asymmetric warfare.[2]
The Archer is an 8 in (200 mm) quadcopter capable of carrying a 4.5 lb (2.0 kg) payload with a range exceeding 12 miles (19 km).[2] Unlike commercial drones like those made by DJI, which are often easy to fly but reliant on foreign components, the Archer is designed to be "attritable" (expendable) and resistant to electronic jamming.[1][2] The drone utilizes low-cost, non-military grade chips, such as those used in parking meters, to keep production costs low while avoiding Chinese supply chains.[1]