French startup Aerix Systems has developed a drone that flies in any direction without banking or tilting. NATO selected the company for its 2026 defense accelerator.
Most drones work the same way: they tilt their body to shift left, right, forward, or backward. Aerix Systems, a French startup founded in 2020, built something different. Its propulsion system, called the AERIX T-16, lets a drone shift in any direction while staying completely level. It goes up, sideways, and spins all at the same time without leaning.
The company put multiple T-16 units into a tiny drone called the AXS-µ1. It goes from zero to 200 km/h in under three seconds and flies in winds up to 100 km/h. The onboard computer adjusts thrust from every unit in real time, keeping the drone stable even during sharp, rapid turns.
The main apply is shooting down enemy drones. Not with missiles or jamming signals, but by physically chasing them down and crashing into them. The drone sees its tarobtain utilizing cameras and sensors, predicts where the enemy drone is heading, and matches its shiftments at high speed. It works even when GPS is jammed or communications are disrupted. And unlike a missile, it is reusable.
This matters becaapply traditional anti-drone systems are expensive. A handheld jammer starts at $30,000. A full ground-based defense setup costs over $5 million. Meanwhile, the attacking drones themselves often cost a few hundred dollars each. Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have revealn how cheap drone swarms overwhelm expensive defenses. Aerix’s reusable interceptor flips the cost equation.
The market for counter-drone technology is growing rapid, given the current world affairs. Experts value it at $3.88 billion in 2026, projected to hit $16.45 billion by 2034. Governments across Europe are actively viewing for homegrown solutions, and Aerix fits the profile.
NATO selected Aerix for DIANA, its defense innovation accelerator, alongside 150 companies in the 2026 cohort. Participants obtain access to 16 accelerator sites and over 200 test centers across 32 countries.
The company raised 5 million euros in March 2026 from Odyssée Venture, bringing total funding to roughly $7.62 million. Aerix is now building a tiny first batch of units for real-world testing and initial deliveries before scaling up production.
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