{"id":97990,"title":"DroneTector: high-resolution radars to detect small drones","tagline":"We build sensors to detect the most challenging drones.","body":"**TL;DR:** Drone threats have evolved. Detection technology hasn’t and makes lots of mistakes. We solve this with a suite of sensors, including our millimeter-wave radar, purpose-built for the hardest targets. If you’re responsible for countering drone threats, get in touch at [founders@dronetector.com](mailto:founders@dronetector.com).\n\n**The problem**\n\nSmall drones are now a security problem. They’re cheap, widely available, and increasingly capable. As a result, they’re showing up in places they shouldn’t – from airports and critical infrastructure to prisons and defense environments.\n\nDetecting them reliably, however, is still a hard problem.\n\nMost drone detection systems weren’t designed for small, low-cost drones. False positives are common, and real threats are missed.\n\nThat’s why we’re building [@DroneTector](https://bookface.ycombinator.com/company/31144).\n\n**Our solution** \n\nDroneTector provides millimeter-wave radar engineered to detect small drones that others miss. Integrated with our camera and acoustic arrays, we deliver reliable detection against the most challenging targets.\n\nSee our technology in action: \u003chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50xAb06cyq4\u003e\n\nOur sensors can operate as a standalone solution or as part of a distributed detection network. They’re highly scalable, adaptable to complex environments, and able to detect drones that other solutions simply can’t. \n\n**The team**\n\nWe’re a team of PhDs from top UK universities with highly relevant expertise. We’ve been supported by the **UK MoD’s Defence and Security Accelerator**, **NATO DIANA** and the **Royal Academy of Engineering**. \n\n**Dr Matthew Moore (CEO) -** Matthew holds a PhD from the University of St Andrews, specializing in millimeter-wave radar for drone detection. He has extensive RF engineering experience and is a Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellow. \n\n**Dr Thomas Doherty (CTO) -** Thomas holds a PhD from the University of Oxford, and has a decade of experience in optical and laser technologies. He brings engineering physics expertise and is a Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellow. \n\n**Dr Jordina Frances de Mas (COO) -** Jordina holds a PhD from the University of St Andrews, focusing on automated reasoning. She brings deep expertise in machine learning and algorithmic optimization.  \n\n**Our ask** \n\nIf you’re responsible for countering the drone threat – **in airports, critical infrastructure, venues, VIP protection, or defense** – we’d love to talk. Contact us at [founders@dronetector.com](mailto:founders@dronetector.com).","slug":"PUU-dronetector-high-resolution-radars-to-detect-small-drones","created_at":"2026-02-19T22:20:18.365Z","updated_at":"2026-05-25T01:08:47.919Z","total_vote_count":9,"url":"https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/PUU-dronetector-high-resolution-radars-to-detect-small-drones","share_image_url":"//bookface-static.ycombinator.com/assets/ycdc/yc-og-image-c440a0ad1dacfb86eeeb343717479cc54d256614449b4ef719977a0a451f8bc8.png","company":{"id":31144,"name":"Milliray","slug":"milliray","url":"https://milliray.com/","logo":"https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/a4a1552aeba914f75657392e47de071913dbe0bc.png","batch":"Winter 2026","industry":"Industrials","tags":[],"search_path":"https://bookface.ycombinator.com/company/31144"}}