From DoorDash to Defense: How Silicon Valley Entrepreneur Steven Simoni is Revolutionizing Military Tech with AI-Powered Drone Defense Systems

Simoni's ACS is selling its AI-powered Bullfrog (as seen on right) for around $350,000 apiece.

Reuters

New York:

"I'm a warlord now, bitch!"

Steven Simoni, dressed in a $4,000 Celine track suit unzipped to reveal his bare chest and silver chain, was entertaining guests at a recent film premiere in Manhattan's East Village, joking about his latest business venture.

The tech entrepreneur had traveled to New York for the screening of "Match in a Haystack," a documentary he funded about a dance troupe overcoming challenges to perform in war-torn Ukraine.

Just over a year ago, the 39-year-old embodied a typical Silicon Valley success story after selling his payments company to DoorDash for $125 million in 2022.

Today, he co-founded Allen Control Systems, a company developing something dramatically different from menu QR-codes: an AI-powered autonomous machine gun called the "Bullfrog" designed to shoot down hostile drones.

"The future is Skynet, basically," Simoni remarked, referencing the self-aware AI system from the "Terminator" films. "I want to supply those products to the government so they can use them."

A few years back, the notion that this "Star Wars" enthusiast and former national champion of "A Game of Thrones: The Card Game" would transform into an outspoken defense contractor might have seemed implausible. However, Simoni has secured $40 million in funding—most recently in a round led by Craft Ventures, the firm co-founded by Donald Trump's AI czar David Sacks—and has prototype contracts with the US Army and Special Operations Forces.

Simoni represents a new wave of entrepreneurs riding Silicon Valley's shift toward military technologies, as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with escalating tensions with China, highlight America's need to prepare for future warfare. Following a playbook championed by Anduril founder Palmer Luckey and Palantir CEO Alex Karp, tech entrepreneurs who previously created consumer applications are now developing drone swarms, spy satellites, autonomous vessels, and other lethal technologies while attracting attention from both venture capitalists and the Pentagon.

Simoni, a Navy veteran, explained that his "warlord" persona, inspired by Bradley Cooper's character in the film "War Dogs," is an ironic approach to drawing attention to his company.

"I hate war, but war is always going to happen anyway," he said. "So, it's like, someone's going to make this product at some point."

During a recent dinner in Washington, DC, with a Reuters reporter, Simoni received a message from staff at Executive Branch, the exclusive club founded by Donald Trump Jr. that charges up to $500,000 for membership. The venue serves as prime networking territory for aspiring defense contractors seeking connections to the Trump administration, and Simoni was hoping to negotiate reduced membership fees.

"I should have spent more time on the Executive Branch," he stated, referring to the Trump administration. "The major thing in defense tech is selling to the White House and Congress. Even before the DoD."

He ultimately decided against joining after learning no discount would be offered. Nevertheless, his ambitious networking continues to generate significant attention for his company. He has appeared on Fox News as a drone expert, launched a podcast featuring interviews with senior military officials, and recently joined venture firm Forum Ventures as a partner to invest in other defense technology companies.

Being supported by Sacks' venture firm has created valuable opportunities, including an invitation to a recent AI summit co-hosted by Sacks' "All-In" podcast where Trump delivered a speech.

He hosts late-night gatherings at the company's Austin penthouse, attended by startup founders and government officials alike. Earlier this year, he organized a fundraiser for Republican congressman John Carter attended by Mike Rogers, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. On another occasion, he recounted going out for karaoke with military officials he declined to identify after a conference. "The generals love me," he said.

In June, General James Rainey, commander at Army Futures, the command responsible for modernizing the Army and acquiring cutting-edge technology, appeared on Simoni's weekly podcast "The Drone Ultimatum" to discuss Pentagon efforts to collaborate with Silicon Valley.

"It's really about getting the fiscal agility to go out to the great US tech companies that exist and start buying stuff and get it in the hands of our war fighters," Rainey said.

In a statement, the US Army confirmed it is "in the process of awarding a contract to Allen Control Systems," before the fiscal year end to "evaluate the potential for The Bullfrog to integrate into existing Army platforms."

Carter, Rogers and Sacks did not respond to requests for comment. Craft Ventures declined to comment.

Allen Control Systems is addressing a growing battlefield challenge evident in Ukraine: neutralizing small, affordable, unjammable drones before they can attack.

While soldiers currently target these drones with conventional firearms, numerous startups have emerged offering solutions ranging from laser beams to microwave pulses. In August, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the formation of an anti-drone task force to address this issue. "There's no doubt that the threats we face today from hostile drones grow by the day," he stated.

The company is marketing its AI-powered Bullfrog for approximately $350,000 per unit, positioning it as an enhancement for autonomous vehicles and unmanned drone boats, or as a stationary guard to secure perimeters, including the US-Mexico border or overseas military installations.

The device, reminiscent of something from the Terminator films, can rotate 400 degrees in under a second. One prototype turret undergoing field testing is named Eminem; another is called Bob, after the late television painter Bob Ross. Inside, custom circuit boards feature printed images of Simoni and co-founder Luke Allen. "If Russia or China recovers one of these eventually, they have to see our faces," Simoni explained. "We're laughing at them."

During a demonstration for the US Army, intelligence community and investors last month at an Austin ranch, the Bullfrog's M240 machine gun mounted on a pickup truck fired at airborne drones. After discharging about half a dozen rounds, one drone plummeted from the sky in flames.

Later, the gun experienced a jam, and the drones approached the weapon before departing unharmed.

Simoni dismissed any concerns, asserting that the product would be ready for deployment by year-end. "It's in its post-adolescent stage," Simoni said. "Almost an adult."

Simoni grew up in a military family in Pennsylvania and enlisted in the Navy as an engineer in 2008 to work on nuclear reactors. There, he met fellow engineer and future co-founder, Luke Allen. After their military service, both relocated to Silicon Valley and—following several unsuccessful ventures—launched the QR code business Bbot in 2019.

The company initially struggled to market its first product—a robotic system delivering drinks to restaurant tables—but found success after shifting to software. Soon afterward, DoorDash acquired the business, providing the founders with substantial financial rewards.

"Putin's second invasion of Ukraine happened within a few days of us selling Bbot," Allen told Reuters. "So as an engineer, you can basically help the good guys, help the bad guys, or do nothing, which is still a choice."

Allen departed DoorDash and, recognizing the emerging drone threat in Ukraine, began developing the Bullfrog with seed investment from Simoni. After some persuasion, Simoni joined as CEO of Allen Control Systems in early 2024. "Every company needs a front man," Simoni remarked.

Since then, Simoni has embraced Silicon Valley's publicity tactics. He mentioned that Allen sometimes compares him to Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced Theranos founder convicted of fraud for misrepresenting her blood-testing technology capabilities.

"It's so true because Holmes and I are brilliant marketers; we get people's attention," Simoni said. "But (Allen) actually made a real product, and she didn't have a real product."

Nevertheless, some observers remain wary of Silicon Valley's promises to revolutionize military operations. "Whether you're talking about a food startup or defence tech, the idea is to get a prototype out there and try to rack up the hype," said Roberto Gonzalez, an anthropologist at San Jose State University studying militarization. "When it comes to defence and weapons systems, the failure could be catastrophic."

Others in the tech sector remain opposed to defense contracting. In August, Simoni emailed a prospective software engineer inviting them to join the company. She responded by posting a screenshot of his message on X with the caption: "Imagine having a $125M successful exit and being set for life and then deciding that building AI-powered guns is ur life mission [crying face emojis]."

Simoni countered by posting a photo of himself smiling broadly, wearing a T-shirt displaying a screenshot of the woman's post. "I don't have to imagine it," he said.

Earlier this year, Simoni stepped down as CEO of Allen Control Systems to become president. The company's third co-founder and chief operating officer, Mike Wior, who also came from restaurant technology and previously sold a startup for $50 million, assumed the CEO role.

"I had a lot more enterprise sales experience," Wior explained. "So the conversations were coming together better for me than they were for Steve."

But Simoni remains the company's public face.

Beyond machine guns, Allen Control Systems has begun testing a prototype laser dazzler capable of damaging sensors and video feeds on drones. Simoni revealed the company is also developing an aerial version of the Bullfrog, called the "Scourge."

He hopes to take the company public via a SPAC next year, betting that retail investors would be drawn to an AI-controlled weapons company. "Whenever I go on Fox News," Simoni said, "my inbox is filled with thousands of messages: What's the ticker?"