Knightwerx Inc. is a specialized aerospace research and development firm focused on the production of tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and advanced sensor technology. Headquartered in Camarillo, California, with corporate offices in Santa Barbara, the company operates within the “hard tech” sector, prioritizing the development of autonomous systems designed for contested environments.
Company History and Structural Evolution

Established in March 2019, Knightwerx was formed through the consolidation of several earlier entities, including Armada Aerospace, Moonwerx, and Von Dach International. The company is led by its Founder and CEO, Daniel Baumgartner, whose professional background includes serving as an officer in the Swiss Special Operations Command (KSK) from 2007 to 2017. Baumgartner’s academic credentials include a Master of Science in Strategic Security and Protection Management, alongside specialized certifications in Artificial Intelligence from MIT and Innovation from Stanford.

The firm maintains a lean organizational structure with approximately 11 employees, including specialists in guidance, navigation, and control (GNC). Financially, Knightwerx transitioned into a revenue-generating stage following a $5 million seed funding round completed in September 2022. The company currently holds 15 patent documents, with 12 granted, covering foundational flight control systems and atmospheric sensing methods.

The Sandman is the company’s flagship tactical UAS, characterized as a tail-sitting vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) platform. It is designed to provide Group 2 performance capabilities—specifically regarding endurance and range—while remaining within a backpackable Group 1 form factor.
The system’s primary operational advantage lies in its flight architecture:

• Transition Dynamics: The aircraft launches vertically on its tail and rotates 90 degrees mid-air to fly as a fixed-wing asset, which is more aerodynamically efficient and quieter than standard multirotors.
• Zero Logistics Footprint: The Sandman is engineered for runway independence, operating without the need for launch rails, catapults, or specialized recovery equipment.
• Modularity: The platform supports interchangeable payloads, making it suitable for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), search and rescue, and kinetic strike missions.
  Advanced Sensing and AI Integration

Knightwerx has developed the DarQmatter sensor suite to augment the Sandman’s capabilities. DarQmatter is an ultra-low size, weight, and power (SWaP) direction-independent wind probe. It provides real-time atmospheric data used to maintain flight stability during the transition from hover to fixed-wing flight and to improve the accuracy of kinetic deployments.

In August 2024, Knightwerx entered a strategic partnership with Ateliere Creative Technologies. This collaboration integrates Generative AI into the drone’s software stack to facilitate near real-time threat detection and advance human-machine teaming (HMT) by automating the analysis of high-volume video feeds.

The company utilizes military experimentation events to advance its Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). At the Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX) 25-1 in November 2024, Knightwerx tested its KWX ALPHA Micro VTOL prototype. To validate high-speed transition dynamics, the team utilized a truck-release method, accelerating a vehicle to 80 mph on a runway before releasing the aircraft. These tests were intended to elevate the system from TRL 5 to 6.

Additionally, Knightwerx maintains academic collaborations with institutions such as Utah State University to conduct research into next-generation UAS propulsion systems, seeking to further increase the energy density and endurance of portable drones