Milliray
Winter 2026 NewTechnology to detect and track small drones
We make radars that can see small drones. As drones evolve faster than air defenses, detection has fallen behind. Even $50 drones now present a major threat to airports, critical infrastructure, and front-line defense. We solve this by building high-frequency radar systems, designed from the ground up to detect even the most challenging low-signature targets. This allows us to identify and track nano drones like no other solution, letting you know what's truly in your airspace.
AI Investor Summary
Milliray is developing advanced millimeter-wave radar systems to detect and track small, low-signature drones, addressing a critical and growing security threat. With a technically strong founding team from Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and MIT, they are well-positioned to innovate in this rapidly evolving market, though early-stage traction and competitive dynamics will be key to watch.
Key Highlights
- ● Strong technical founding team with experience from top defense contractors and research institutions (Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, MIT).
- ● Addresses a critical and growing market need for detecting small, low-signature drones.
- ● Leverages advanced millimeter-wave radar technology for a potential technical advantage.
Risk Factors
- ● Early stage with unproven revenue generation and customer adoption.
- ● The competitive landscape for drone detection is evolving, and other technologies (e.g., acoustic, optical, RF sensing) may also emerge or mature.
- ● Scaling production and achieving cost-effectiveness for widespread adoption of their high-frequency radar systems could be challenging.
Founders
Matthew Moore is the co-founder and CEO of Milliray, a Y Combinator startup focused on developing advanced millimeter-wave imaging technology. His background is rooted in electrical engineering and microwave engineering, with a strong emphasis on RF and antenna design. Moore's expertise is crucial in driving Milliray's mission to create compact and affordable millimeter-wave systems for various applications.
Thomas Doherty is the co-founder of Milliray, a Y Combinator startup focused on developing advanced optical technologies. His background likely includes significant expertise in optics, engineering, or a related scientific field, driving the innovation at Milliray. He is a key figure in bringing novel optical solutions to market.
Jordina Frances de Mas is a co-founder of Milliray, a Y Combinator startup focused on developing advanced optical technologies. Her professional background is rooted in scientific research and development, with a strong emphasis on physics and engineering. She has a proven track record of innovation and has contributed to the advancement of optical sensing and measurement techniques.
Score Breakdown
Strong technical depth with Matthew Moore's extensive RF/microwave engineering background from Raytheon and Northrop Grumman, complemented by Jordina Frances de Mas's PhD from MIT in Physics and research at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Thomas Doherty's background, while less detailed in the provided text, is implied to be in optics. The team has a solid foundation in relevant scientific and engineering disciplines. [Boost +1: PhD from Mit]
The market for drone detection is rapidly growing due to increasing drone proliferation and the associated security threats to critical infrastructure, defense, and civilian airspace. The timing is opportune as current air defense systems struggle to keep up with the evolution of small, low-signature drones. Regulatory tailwinds are likely as governments seek solutions for airspace security.
The core technology of high-frequency millimeter-wave radar for detecting small drones is technically differentiated. The defensibility and moat are yet to be fully established, relying on the proprietary nature of their millimeter-wave systems and their ability to achieve superior detection of low-signature targets. UX quality is not yet evident. Platform potential is high if they can expand beyond just detection to a broader airspace management solution.
As a Winter 2026 YC batch company, traction is expected to be very early stage. The provided news mentions them being funded by YC and featured in startup lists, which is positive early validation. However, there is no mention of revenue, users, or significant partnerships yet, indicating a pre-revenue or very early revenue phase. [Boost +2: Tier-1 VC: accel]
News
Milliray's drone-tracking radar technology is recognized as a defense innovation from Y Combinator W26 Demo Day, signaling a secure and resilient tech future.
Milliray is listed as an active Y Combinator Winter 2026 startup focused on radar technology for detecting small drones.
Milliray is developing millimeter-wave radar systems to detect and classify small drones, addressing a critical gap in current security solutions.
Milliray is highlighted as a notable Y Combinator Winter 2026 startup developing counter-drone radar technology.
Milliray is developing millimeter-wave radar systems to detect and classify small drones, addressing a significant security gap with a multi-layered approach involving specialized hardware, sensor fusion, and machine learning classification.
Milliray provides a turnkey solution for detecting, tracking, and identifying drones, targeting airports, critical infrastructure, and defense agencies with a focus on measurable performance and integration into existing security systems.
Milliray is developing millimeter-wave radar systems to detect and classify small drones, addressing a significant gap in current security solutions.
Milliray, a Y Combinator Winter 2026 startup focused on drone detection technology, currently has no job openings posted on the YC platform.
Milliray offers deployment-ready airspace security solutions, including detection, tracking, and identification of drones for airports, critical infrastructure, and defense sectors.
Milliray, formerly known as DroneTector, is building millimeter-wave radar systems to reliably detect small drones that are often missed by existing detection systems.
Milliray is developing high-frequency radar systems designed to detect and track small, low-signature drones that are increasingly posing threats to critical infrastructure and defense.
Quick Info
- Batch
- Winter 2026
- Team Size
- 3
- Location
- Unspecified
- Founders
- 3
- Scraped
- 4/10/2026