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Beehive Industries

HardwareHeadquarters: Centennial, CO. Other facilities: Knoxville, TN; Cincinnati, OH.Founded 2020· One of 1708 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Small Expendable Turbine (SET) Engines for UAVs, drones, and munitions, additive manufacturing contract services for complex components, and vertically integrated propulsion systems.

CEO / Founder
Mohammad Ehteshami
Team Size
51-200
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$42.16M
Key Investors
US Air Force

Technology & Products

Key Products

Small Expendable Turbine (SET) Engines for UAVs, drones, and munitions; additive manufacturing contract services for complex components; vertically integrated propulsion systems.

Technological Advantage

Proprietary additive manufacturing techniques that achieve significant part consolidation, reduced production cycles, and lower costs.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Enables cost-effective and rapid production of high-performance jet engines and components through advanced additive manufacturing, reducing costs by over 50% compared to traditional methods.

How They Differentiate

Focus on small, expendable turbine engines produced via additive manufacturing, offering faster production cycles and significantly lower costs than traditional techniques.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

US Department of Defense (Air Force), defense contractors, aerospace OEMs, and power generation companies.

Industry Verticals

["Aerospace","Defense","Power Generation"]

Competitors

Ursa Major Technologies; Kratos Defense & Security Solutions; GE Aerospace; Pratt & Whitney

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Expanded footprint to ~170,000 sq ft across four locations; team grown to 200+ employees; secured $12.46M USAF contract (Oct 2024) and $29.7M USAF contract for Frenzy engine family (Apr 2026); achieved 2,000+ engines/year production capacity.

Major Milestones

["Founded in 2020","Acquired Volunteer Aerospace in November 2021","Demonstrated 500 lbf thrust engine in 13 months","Opened Knoxville, TN facility in May 2024","Awarded $12.46M USAF contract in October 2024","Opened new headquarters in Centennial, CO in December 2024","Awarded $29.7M USAF contract for Frenzy engine family development in April 2026"]

Notable Customers

US Air Force; University of Dayton Research Institute; Boeing; Lockheed Martin; Northrop Grumman; NASA

https://www.beehive-industries.com

Recent coverage of Beehive Industries

Why this company matters

Beehive Industries occupies a narrow but critical niche in defense propulsion: small expendable turbine (SET) engines for UAVs, drones, and munitions, produced via metal additive manufacturing. Founded in 2020, the company combines design, AM production, and testing under one roof, a vertically integrated model that reduces reliance on traditional casting and forging supply chains. Its core value proposition is cost reduction of over 50% and dramatically shorter production cycles compared to conventional jet engine manufacturing.

The company's technological advantage lies in proprietary AM techniques that enable significant part consolidation and rapid iteration. Beehive demonstrated a 500 lbf thrust engine in 13 months, a timeline difficult to achieve with subtractive methods. Joint intellectual property developed with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Dayton Research Institute underpins its process know-how, though specific design methodologies are not publicly disclosed.

Primary customers include the US Department of Defense, defense primes such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, as well as NASA. Beehive also offers additive manufacturing contract services for complex aerospace components. A $12.46 million US Air Force contract awarded in October 2024 and partnerships with the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office signal strong government demand for AM-produced propulsion systems.

Key competitors include Ursa Major Technologies, Kratos Defense, GE Aerospace, and Pratt & Whitney. Beehive differentiates by focusing exclusively on small, expendable turbine engines where speed and cost matter more than long service life. The company has expanded to roughly 170,000 square feet across four facilities in Colorado, Tennessee, and Ohio, and grown its workforce to over 200 employees. An open question is whether its vertically integrated model can scale to meet larger production volumes without sacrificing the cost advantage that makes it attractive for expendable applications.