Defense start Epirus, Inc. is acquiring new leadership.
TechCrunch has learned that staff were told in an all-hands meeting this morning that CEO Ken Bedingfield was leaving. The news was later confirmed by a company spokesperson, who told TechCrunch that Bedingfield accepted a position at an unnamed public company. He will be replaced by chief operating officer Andy Lowery, effective immediately.
Bedingfield held the title of CEO of Epirus for less than a year. Prior to that role, he served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer since June 2020. He came to Epirus from aerospace and defense giant Northrop Grumman, where he served as chief financial officer.
Epirus, based in Torrance, California, develops “directed energy” weapons that can be used to counter drones and other aerial vehicles. The product line, called Leonidas, uses high-power microwave technology mounted on a gimbal to neutralize nearby or distant systems. Earlier this year, the company landed a $66 million contract with the U.S. military to deliver several Leonidas prototypes this year.
Epirus’ technology has also garnered considerable interest from investors: Last year, the startup closed a $200 million Series C at a post-deal valuation of $1.35 billion, from investors such as T. Rowe Price Associates, 8VC and Bedrock.
“Over the past year, Ken has led the company through a number of important milestones and achievements, most notably the successful delivery of the first IFPC-HPM system to the US Army, cementing a clear path toward delivering a capability high-power microwave operation to the Department of Defense,” an Epirus spokesperson said in a statement.
