Defense tech startup 9 Mothers from Y Combinator's P26 batch is recruiting for 12 open positions in Austin, Texas. The company builds counter-drone systems that combine AI perception with kinetic engagement capabilities, operating with hardware development speeds typically seen in software. Roles span hardware engineering, audio ML, DSP, systems, and software engineering.

The startup emphasizes rapid iteration cycles driven by real telemetry data rather than traditional multi-year defense contracts. Engineers work directly with operators from week one, incorporating human factors, mass, and setup time as primary design constraints. This approach marks a shift toward more agile defense technology development where cost-per-shot and manufacturability are built into the design process.

Their Austin facility operates 'range adjacent' with live-fire testing capabilities, allowing teams to iterate on systems daily. The work environment blends traditional engineering tasks like soldering and bench rework with modern AI development, creating weapons systems that the U.S. and allies can afford to deploy at scale.

Nine Mothers represents a growing trend of Silicon Valley-style rapid prototyping entering defense applications, where software engineers build physical systems that must perform reliably under real-world conditions.