Defense tech startup Blue Halo makes lasers that shoot drones out of the sky. This is how it got the Army to buy them.

• Defense tech startup Blue Halo was founded five years ago by Jonathan Moneymaker, a Gold Star Brother. 
• Its high-energy laser systems are now officially being deployed overseas by the Army to shoot down drones.
• Moneymaker told BI why succeeding in defense tech isn't just about having the most groundbreaking solution.

"Our job is to keep men and women that are putting themselves in harm's way safe and bring them home."

It's the kind of patriotic mission statement echoed by plenty of eager young defense startups. But for Blue Halo CEO Jonathan Moneymaker, it's personal.

"I'm a gold star brother, which means my brother was killed in the Navy," Moneymaker told Business Insider. "Technology could have saved his life. And part of this is making sure that others have that opportunity."