Y Combinator-backed Impact Drones launches missile-intercepting drone service for data centers and grid operators

A new startup has emerged to address a growing vulnerability in modern infrastructure: the threat of drone and missile attacks on data centers and power grids. Impact Drones, backed by venture capital firm Y Combinator, has officially launched its autonomous interceptor drone service, designed to protect critical civilian assets including data centers, airports, and electrical grids.

The company’s core product is a containerized interceptor drone system. Each unit is sealed inside a box that can be deployed at any site requiring protection. When sensors detect a hostile drone approaching, the interceptor automatically launches, piercing the container lid, and tracks its target using onboard visual navigation. According to the startup, this guidance system remains effective even when GPS signals are jammed or unavailable, a critical feature for contested environments.

Impact Drones is the brainchild of co-founders Jasper Lortije and Alessandro Fiume, both based in San Francisco, California. The company currently operates with just the two founders. Lortije brings a background in aerospace engineering, having previously built GNSS-denied navigation systems that allow vehicles and drones to operate when satellite signals such as GPS are blocked. Fiume, meanwhile, previously worked in sales at Bloomberg.

The startup is targeting a pilot deployment of its interceptors by the third quarter of 2026. It has developed two interceptor models: the Hunter, designed for close-range threats, and the Sable, a pursuit interceptor intended for long-range engagements. Both models are designed to launch from shippable containers, providing a rapid-response capability that can be positioned near critical infrastructure.

The launch comes at a time of heightened concern over the physical security of digital infrastructure. The startup’s debut follows a series of strikes on data centers during the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. In the past year, several Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers have been targeted. In early March, it was confirmed that two AWS facilities in the United Arab Emirates had been struck, and a further facility in Bahrain was damaged by a nearby Iranian drone attack. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later claimed responsibility for another strike on an AWS data center in Bahrain, with state-affiliated media reporting a cruise missile attack in late July. AWS has not updated the status of its Bahrain operations since reporting disruptions on April 30.

Iran has framed these attacks as retaliation for US strikes on the Darkhovin nuclear power plant, which is under construction. The US Central Command did not mention the plant as a target in its public statements. The IRGC also reportedly damaged an Oracle data center in Dubai in early April and threatened an attack on an OpenAI facility in the UAE. These actions followed the IRGC’s April 1 threat to target a list of 18 US technology companies with operations in the Middle East, issued in response to US attempts to kill Iranian leadership.

The conflict has not been one-sided. Iranian data centers have also been hit by US-Israeli strikes. On April 6, a high-performance computing (HPC) facility located on the Sharif University of Technology campus in Tehran was struck, causing damage to the university’s website and other educational facilities. At least two additional data centers in Tehran have been targeted, according to the non-profit organization Holistic Resilience, which maps airstrikes on Iran. Details on those facilities remain limited.

Related infrastructure has also suffered collateral damage. In March, a Hezbollah missile struck an SES satellite teleport in Israel, underscoring the broader risks to the region’s digital backbone.

Impact Drones’ offering addresses a clear and present gap in the defensive strategies of data center operators and grid managers, who have historically focused on physical perimeter security, fire suppression, and cyber defenses, but have had limited options for countering aerial threats. The ability to deploy autonomous interceptors in sealed containers near critical sites could offer a scalable, cost-effective layer of protection. As geopolitical tensions continue to put civilian infrastructure in the crosshairs, the market for such defensive systems is likely to expand beyond the Middle East to other regions where data centers are considered strategic assets.