Until recently, venture capitalists largely steered clear of defense startups. Investments in the sector were viewed as morally controversial, and the process of securing government contracts was too lengthy and uncertain to justify venture funding.

But that sentiment changed rapidly after conflicts in Ukraine and Iran began to deplete the U.S. military’s missile supply. Startups that prove they can build equipment fast and affordably now stand a real chance of landing a Pentagon contract on an expedited timeline.

Four years into the defense tech boom that arguably began when Russia invaded Ukraine, the storied Silicon Valley venture firm Benchmark is placing its first bet on a pure defense startup.

Benchmark is leading a $25 million seed round into Furientis, a startup on a mission to mass-produce interceptor missiles. Just one year old, the company—whose name means “of fury” in Latin—has already secured a funded Pentagon contract to build mid-range interceptors. The startup was valued at $125 million, according to a person familiar with the company.

Furientis’ seed round follows a $5 million pre-seed that was announced in May.

“What they accomplished with just a pre-seed round was nothing short of remarkable,” Benchmark general partner Chetan Puttagunta, told TechCrunch. “They manufactured prototypes with just $5 million. They had they had already successfully done [a dozen] launches by the time we invested.”

That efficiency is in stark contrast to the slow-moving, high-cost development models used by traditional defense primes. The startup’s velocity is driven by its co-founders, who bring years of aerospace and defense engineering experience.

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