Tempest Droneworx

Cover Block

Name	Tempest Droneworx
Tagline	Sensor-agnostic platform fusing drone/robot/vehicle data into real-time 3D multispectral visualizations [Tempest Droneworx website, 2026]
Headquarters	Houston, US
Founded	2021 [Tempest Droneworx website, 2026]
Stage	Pre-Seed
Business Model	SaaS
Industry	Defense / Govtech
Technology	AI / Machine Learning
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding Label	Undisclosed

Links

• Website: https://tempestdroneworx.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tempest-droneworx

What an Investor Needs First

Tempest Droneworx is a Houston-based defense software startup building a sensor-agnostic platform to fuse drone, robot, and vehicle data into a unified real-time 3D visualization, a capability that has secured early validation from multiple U.S. Air Force programs [Austin Startups, 2026]. The company was founded in 2021 by Ty Audronis, a Navy veteran with over two decades in unmanned systems software, and Dana Abramovitz, a Stanford GSB alum with a prior founder exit [Tempest Droneworx website, 2026]. Its flagship product, Harbinger, uses a video game engine to create multispectral visualizations viewable on mobile or augmented reality devices, aiming to simplify complex data for applications ranging from base security to precision agriculture [InnovationMap, 2026]. The founders' deep domain expertise, combined with the company's status as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), provides a structural advantage for pursuing government contracts [Tempest Droneworx website, 2026]. Its traction is evidenced by a series of AFWERX SBIR/STTR awards and a named commercial pilot with an agricultural operation [Austin Startups, 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core product claims and government contract wins are corroborated by multiple sources; founder backgrounds and accelerator participation are self-reported.

Inside the Company

Tempest Droneworx was founded in 2021 by Ty Audronis and Dana Abramovitz [Tempest Droneworx, 2026]. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and operates as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) [Tempest Droneworx, 2026].

In March 2024, it won the Best Speed Pitch award at SXSW [InnovationMap, 2024]. Recent public traction comes from a series of U.S. Air Force contracts awarded through the AFWERX SBIR/STTR program, including a Direct to Phase II award with the 321st Contingency Response Squadron and a Phase I STTR [Austin Startups, 2026]. The company also holds an FAA Broad Agency Announcement contract [Austin Startups, 2026]. It is scheduled to exhibit its Harbinger platform at the eMerge Americas conference in April 2026 [Newsworthy.ai, April 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Foundational details are confirmed by the company's website. Milestone dates and contract awards are cited from third-party press or government sources.

Under the Hood

Tempest Droneworx’s flagship product, Harbinger, is a sensor-agnostic system that fuses data from drones, robots, and ground vehicles into a unified, three-dimensional, multispectral visualization [Tempest Droneworx website, 2026]. The platform uses a video game engine to render environments, enabling visualization on mobile and augmented reality headsets [InnovationMap, 2026]. Publicly available information points to at least three product variants: Harbinger ATAK for military command and control, EGL-I for commercial use, and Corvus for research and counter-drone applications [Perplexity Sonar, 2026]. A specific module called HARMONY offers dedicated airspace visualization and conflict detection integrated with the military’s ATAK platform [SBIR.gov, 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are sourced from the company website and scattered press coverage; technical implementation details are limited.

Market Research and Opportunity

Defense and government agencies represent the initial beachhead. The company's participation in multiple Air Force AFWERX SBIR/STTR programs, including a Direct to Phase II award with the 321st Contingency Response Squadron and a follow-on Phase II with the 194th Air Support Operations Squadron, signals active demand for its capabilities in airbase security, contingency response, and airspace deconfliction [Austin Startups, 2026]. A separate FAA Broad Agency Announcement contract further points to specific use cases in national airspace management and 3D mapping [Austin Startups, 2026].

Commercial and agricultural applications form a parallel growth vector. Publicly cited pilot customers include Doubting Thomas Farms and Grand Farm [Austin Startups, 2026].

Metric	Value
Commercial Drone Market (2023)	30.1 $B
Projected CAGR (2024-2030)	13.9 %

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing is drawn from an analogous third-party report for context. Demand drivers are corroborated by the company's own contract announcements and pilot customer names.

Competition and Substitutes

Tempest Droneworx enters a crowded field of defense and commercial software platforms by focusing on sensor-agnostic, real-time 3D fusion for tactical operators.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator
Tempest Droneworx	Sensor-agnostic platform for real-time 3D multispectral visualization.	Pre-Seed; Undisclosed.	SDVOSB status; ATAK ecosystem focus.
Anduril	Full-stack defense technology company.	Late-stage; billions.	Vertically integrated hardware-software stack.
Palantir	Data integration and analytics platform.	Public company.	Dominant position in large-scale legacy system integration.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor profiles are based on public company data; Tempest's differentiation is cited from its own materials and government sources.

Opportunity

Tempest Droneworx is positioned to capture a piece of the emerging market for real-time, sensor-agnostic command and control. Its Harbinger platform aims to fuse data from any drone, robot, or static sensor into a single, real-time 3D visualization [Tempest Droneworx website, 2026]. It has secured an FAA contract for 3D mapping with multi-drone control [Tempest Droneworx website, 2026] and multiple AFWERX SBIR/STTR awards [Austin Startups, 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Growth scenarios are extrapolated from cited government contracts and commercial pilots; comparable valuations are from public sources.

Sources

1. [Tempest Droneworx website, 2026] Tempest Droneworx Home | https://tempestdroneworx.com/
2. [Austin Startups, 2026] Tempest Droneworx, Inc. | https://austinstartups.com/companies/tempest-droneworx-inc
3. [InnovationMap, 2026] 3 Houston innovators to know this week | https://houston.innovationmap.com/madison-long-clutch-ty-audronis-tempest-droneworx-juliana-garaizar-greentown-labs-2659369939.html
4. [InnovationMap, 2024] Tempest Droneworx to release beta after SXSW win | https://houston.innovationmap.com/tempest-droneworx-sxsw-win-2671895903.html
5. [Tempest Droneworx blog, pre-2026] Growing Houston-based drone software company snags government contract | https://houston.innovationmap.com/tempest-droneworx-ty-audronis-saas-2659320330.html
6. [Newsworthy.ai, April 2026] Tempest Droneworx to Showcase at eMerge Americas | https://www.newsworthy.ai/
7. [SBIR.gov, 2026] HARMONY, 'Harbinger™ Advanced Resource for Managing Overhead Navigation and Yield' | https://www.sbir.gov/
8. [Grand View Research, 2024] Commercial Drone Market Report | https://www.grandviewresearch.com/
9. [Aaron T. Becker LinkedIn, 2026] Aaron T. Becker - UH ECE Department | https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-t-becker/
10. [PitchBook, 2025] Anduril Industries Valuation | https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/532467-55