Chariot Defense, a San Francisco-based startup founded by Adam Warmoth, is building battlefield power systems designed to bridge the energy gap for expeditionary forces at the tactical edge. Its Amphora battery system delivers modular voltage and low-signature power for equipment ranging from radios and drones to sensors and directed energy systems.
The company was born from an insight Warmoth had at SOF Week 2024, where he recognized that breakthroughs in high-voltage batteries and silicon carbide power electronics from the electric vehicle and aircraft industries were not reaching the military domain. He previously worked at Archer, Uber Elevate, and Kitty Hawk, giving him exposure to commercial EV and eVTOL technologies.
Chariot's Amphora system targets a critical military need: providing reliable, portable power for advanced battlefield electronics, including emerging directed-energy weapons like lasers. The modular design allows it to adapt to different voltage requirements while keeping a low signature that avoids detection.
The startup operates at the intersection of commercial clean energy tech and defense applications, a growing space as militaries worldwide seek to electrify their operations. Competitors in the portable military power market include larger defense contractors, though Chariot differentiates through its focus on high-voltage capabilities.
A key question remains whether a small startup can scale production to meet military specifications and procurement timelines, especially given the complex certification processes required for defense contracts.