Purple Rhombus
Integrator / OEM
Austin defence startup building mass-producible, low-cost fixed-wing UAS (Grackle Group 2, PR-2 Group 3) for affordable mass; US Army/USAF traction, Cortado-backed.
Purple Rhombus designs and manufactures low-cost, mass-producible fixed-wing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for defence and commercial use. Its WASP family includes the Group 2 attritable Grackle and the longer-range Group 3 PR-2, built for rapid configuration and field-level payload changes to support ISR, strike or training missions without redesigning the airframe. The company takes a manufacturing-first approach: precision-formed metal (sheet-metal) airframes using proven US industrial processes and a distributed co-production network, rather than boutique composites or one mega-factory. The goal is 'affordable mass' — fielding operationally relevant aircraft at rates approaching 100,000 a year, now rather than in demonstrations. It is executing Project BOLT, an OTA tailoring the long-range Grackle XR for the US Army in the Pacific.
Research mapping
Digital Sovereignty / Defense Software & Mission Systems / Integrator / OEM
Evidence boundary
Original analysis and independent corroboration remain under development. Commercial scale and durable technical advantage remain under review.
What makes it defensible
Sheet-metal, mass-producible airframes leveraging the existing US industrial base to deliver attritable drones at ~100k/year without building new mega-factories.
Position in the stack: UAS original equipment manufacturer bridging defence design and high-rate production via a distributed co-production network.
Who buys it
Named customers: U.S. Army
Founding team
Mike Benitez — Founder & CEO — Former early leader at Shield AI; US Air Force veteran
SourceFinancing detail
- Last round
- Seed
Investors: Anorak VC; Alpha Delta Ventures; Cortado Ventures
Mapped funds and investors
Direct relationships supported by published evidence.
Reported holdings as-of
No sourced relationships mapped yet.
Disclosed investment history
No sourced relationships mapped yet.
Showing up to four relationships in each group. ETF weights describe the fund’s portfolio, not ownership of this company. Private investment history does not establish current ownership.
Evidence & media
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Why We Invested: Purple Rhombus
What this source supports: Lead-investor thesis: Purple Rhombus building attritable Group 2 drones manufactured from automotive tooling.
What it does not establish: Investor-published thesis; no production output or contract proof.
Source -
Cortado Ventures Invests in Purple Rhombus
What this source supports: Cortado Ventures announcement of its investment in Purple Rhombus.
What it does not establish: Round size/valuation not disclosed here.
Source -
Purple Rhombus - funding, valuation and financial statements
What this source supports: CB Insights company profile aggregates Purple Rhombus funding/valuation data.
What it does not establish: Aggregated estimate; not company-confirmed.
Source
Timeline
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Financing
Seed
Source