Built to turn serious allied technology into manufactured and supportable defense products.
Helicon Defense is a founder/operator-led U.S. defense manufacturing and commercialization company. It selects operationally validated Ukrainian and allied technologies, secures defined manufacturing and market rights, builds the production and customer pathway, and manages delivery and sustainment.
Why Helicon exists
Ukrainian and allied innovators are producing important defense capabilities under conditions that traditional acquisition and industrial systems were not designed to absorb quickly. Many technologies remain stranded between operational validation and trusted production. Helicon exists to close that gap as the commercialization and manufacturing operator for selected products.
Led by a founder who has built, manufactured, and transitioned hard technology.
Helicon Defense is led by David Sherrer, a founder, inventor, and hard-tech operator with experience moving advanced technology from invention into manufacturable systems, defense-relevant products, and successful company outcomes.
- Two acquired companies: Haleos / ACT MicroDevices (Rohm and Haas, 2002) and Nuvotronics / PolyStrata® (Cubic Corporation, 2019)
- 125+ issued U.S. and foreign patents across RF, microwave, advanced packaging, optoelectronics, non-lethal defense, and manufacturing processes
- Direct-to-prime program experience with BAE Systems, Raytheon (RTX), Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and L3Harris
- DARPA 3D-MERFS Innovation Award following Phase III execution; PolyStrata platform foundation
- IEEE MTT-S IMS 2019 Best Industry Paper Award — 4,096-element PolyStrata D-band antenna array (with Nokia)
- ISO 9001 and AS9100D production-grade quality systems stood up and operated under SAP-supported lean manufacturing
- Active U.S. defense program experience across DARPA, SBIR, STTR, Navy, Marine Corps, ONR, and related pathways
Attribution
Founder/operator track record at prior companies — Haleos / ACT MicroDevices and Nuvotronics / PolyStrata. These are the founder’s prior-company results, not Helicon certifications, Helicon-held intellectual property, or Helicon production capacity.
People who built serious technology, together.
“I have been fortunate to join David's enterprise, Nuvotronics, back in 2015, and that experience became one of the most life-changing and career-boosting experiences I've had — beneficial to both personal and professional growth. Working with David, what I saw was the discipline, the engineering culture, and the trust placed in talented people. That's the line between simply making introductions and delivering real capability. It's the same founder-operator approach I recognize in Helicon Defense today.”
Current company status
Current status
Helicon is actively qualifying technology partners, negotiating commercialization pathways, building U.S. production capacity, and developing customer and capital relationships. Specific product, partner, customer, and program details remain confidential until authorized for public release.