SIA New Member Profile: Epirus

New Security Industry Association (SIA) member Epirus is a high-growth technology company that is rapidly developing and building software defined high-powered microwave (HPM) systems and power management solutions for the defense and commercial sectors. Epirus is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with a satellite office in McLean, Virginia.

SIA spoke with Leigh Madden, CEO of Epirus, about the company, the security industry and working with SIA.

Tell us the story of your company.

LM: Epirus was founded in 2018 with a central mission of bringing the most innovative products to market faster than ever before. “Epirus” was the magical bow with an infinite cache of arrows wielded by the Greek hero Theseus. Like our namesake, we strive to be fast, efficient and limitless in our approach to product development. This agility, combined with a culture of innovation in systems development, allows our team to move quickly without sacrificing effectiveness.

After spending over a decade at some of the biggest aerospace and technology companies, our co-founder and chief technology officer, Dr. Bo Marr, realized his vision for bringing next-generation directed energy systems to fruition would get lost in the bureaucratic maze that defines traditional aerospace and defense companies. Following Bo’s invention of what we now call SmartPower and his revolutionary discovery of an exponential trend in power density via the use of Gallium Nitride (GaN), he (along with others) founded Epirus to bring this vision to life. In just three short years, our team has turned that founding vision into a reality.

By gating energy at the microsecond level and incorporating artificial intelligence algorithms, our engineers have achieved unparalleled control over power use. With this innovation, we can push a device to its upper limits or slow energy use down to a trickle. What once took a power plant can now be done with a battery. What used to last for a month can now last for a year. With our patent-protected technological capabilities, Epirus is continuing to take power further to “Power What’s Possible.”

Epirus is fully committed to being an American-made company, and as such, we have active supplier partnerships with 20 companies spanning 9 states. As we continue to grow our footprint across both coasts, advancing American innovation will remain a central priority for the company.

What solutions/services does your business offer in the security industry? And what makes your offerings/company unique?

LM: Epirus designs and builds cutting-edge high-powered microwave systems that have the ability to transform industries. With our foothold in the defense industry, we’ve invented directed energy systems that surpass current capabilities. With this innovation, we are redefining modern-day power systems to increase the velocity of change for our customers. Our initial Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) product offerings are set to deploy later this year.

Our flagship product, Leonidas, is the world’s first solid-state, software-defined HPM system capable of disabling the critical electronics in a vehicle, ship or UAS. Leonidas delivers the power and precision to disable multiple threats across a wide area or neutralize a single system in tight, crowded spaces. Epirus’ approach to HPM shifts the paradigm for directed energy, delivering unprecedented counter-electronics capabilities that would traditionally occupy entire rooms’ worth of space into a flexible, mobile package that can fit in the back of a truck. Leonidas delivers unparalleled safety and control to operators; our state-of-the-art digital beam steering technology enables pinpoint accuracy so that users disable threats – and nothing else.

Leonidas was publicly unveiled at a highly successful field demonstration in February 2021, and the effectiveness of Epirus technology was validated by a seamless execution of Leonidas over the course of 36 hours and in front of VIP guests from DOD and the intelligence community. Our Leonidas family of products is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the promise of Epirus technology.

What is something we might not know about your company – or something new you are doing in security?

LM: A common misconception about Epirus is that we are just a defense company. Yes, our initial Leonidas C-UAS products will be deployed to DOD and members of the intelligence community, and with this momentum, Epirus intends to be the leader in developing agile C-UAS solutions that surpass current capabilities to protect against offensive drones and drone swarms. We are actively working with industry, government leaders and relevant stakeholders to ensure we can bring additional products to market to enable future commercial clients to support use cases such as protecting critical infrastructure, airport safety, mass gathering venue support and more. We view ourselves as a high-growth technology company whose technology will reshape the way the world looks at power consumption.   

What are the biggest challenges facing your company and/or others in the security industry?

LM: Since our inception as a company, Epirus has been laser-focused on protecting against 21st-century threats, with offensive UAS (and drone swarms, in particular) chief among them. The threat posed by rogue UAS continues to proliferate and is, in our view, a central challenge facing the entire national security apparatus of the United States.

In the past year alone, UAS have raised eyebrows following multiple instances of drones flying in restricted airspace of sporting stadiums, with one drone even landing in Wrigley Field and causing a game delay. In August 2020, reports that an unauthorized drone was spotted flying near Air Force One riled security officials. Even more troubling, UAS have become a staple of 21st-century warfare, a reality that was ominously underscored throughout the military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

There is a slew of evidence that shows that our adversaries are investing heavily in the development of tactical drone swarms – something that is not just a challenge facing our industry, but a point of immense concern. Epirus’ Leonidas family of C-UAS products surpass any current C-UAS capabilities and we remain collectively focused on not just addressing this (and other asymmetric threats) but effectively mitigating them through the deployment of our technology.

What do you enjoy most about being at your company – and in the security industry?

LM: At Epirus, we’ve brought together a world-class team that combines the best of aerospace executives with an incredibly skilled and agile engineering team. Our executive leadership has decades of experience working at the intersection of national security and technology at companies such as Microsoft, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and IBM.

Our team is constantly redefining what’s possible and is relentlessly committed to innovation in order to increase the velocity of change for our customers. At Epirus, people always do and will come first. We recognize that the individual success of each and every member of our team is critical to our success as a company, and we are committed to fostering a dynamic culture of constant learning and empowerment and a transparent, inclusive work environment.

In January 2021, Epirus was honored by Built in Los Angeles with key recognitions as one of the Best Places to Work, Best Small Companies to Work for and Companies With Best Benefits in Los Angeles.

What does SIA offer that is most important to you/your company? And what do you most hope to get out of your membership with SIA?

LM: We look forward to working with SIA and member companies to advance the collective goals of the industry. To stay up to date, visit us at epirusinc.com and follow us @EpirusInc. Interested in joining our fast-growing team? Learn more at epirusinc.com/careers.

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association.