Hadrian raises $1.37 billion to scale automated U.S. defense factories

Defense manufacturing startup Hadrian has raised $1.37 billion to expand automated factories across the United States, according to VentureBurn. The round pushes the company's valuation close to $8 billion. Hadrian's Opus software stack automates scheduling, machine-tool routing, and quality inspections, and the company says it can bring factories from groundbreaking to operation in under six months. Capital is earmarked for factory expansion, maritime defense components, and advanced automated production. Through a Factories-as-a-Service model, defense prime contractors can use pre-built automated capacity instead of building dedicated plants. Hadrian, founded in 2021 by CEO Chris Power, operates a high-throughput plant in Mesa, Arizona, and is expanding into naval vessel and submarine parts.