Oculus founder plans to double UK workforce for defence company Anduril
A defence technology company founded by the Californian entrepreneur Palmer Luckey, who sold virtual reality startup Oculus to Facebook in 2014, plans to double its presence in the UK over the next two years.
Anduril, which was founded in 2017, develops a host of defence technology, including anti-drone software and detection equipment, powered by its AI system Lattice OS.
Luckey’s outfit has drawn eyes for its lofty goals as it looks to break into the top tier of a defence industry dominated by the likes of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. It made headlines in 2022 with a huge £1.2bn Series E fundraising and has announced a string of acquisitions since.
In comments reported by the Telegraph, Anduril’s head of global defence Gregory Kausner, said: “We have a strong belief that the UK is rife with engineering in defence and aerospace talent. We plan to continue to hire and grow in that market for the foreseeable future.”
“Our focus is on autonomous systems. Robots capable of acting independently based on conditions set by humans with humans.”
Anduril recently unveiled Roadrunner, a high-tech autonomous air vehicle akin to a fighter jet, designed to intercept aerial threats such as drones or even manned aircraft. The company says the drone can reach “high subsonic speed,” approaching 700mph.
Kausner said the firm aims to double its workforce in the UK, its first international market, to 80 and “plans to design, engineer and to manufacture products in the UK for the UK.” In November, it won a contract with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) worth £17m to explore developing technology for the Royal Air Force and Strategic Command.
It comes amid a boom for the global defence industry as conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East pushes weapons spending up major government’s agenda.
Military drones are providing cheaper solutions for countering Russian threats and a number of weapons manufacturers are developing new drone technologies. BAE Systems is working on a jet-powered stealth drone called Taranis and has partnered with QinetiQ to develop a disposable drone dubbed Jackdaw.
Anduril’s founder Palmer Luckey made his fortune in a blockbuster deal to sell Oculus, his virtual reality headset startup, to Facebook for over £1.6bn in 2014.