Radar · Drones in United States
Best Drones Companies in United States
The 986 best Drones companies in United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Anduril.
By Rohit KhannaTrends & Stories
986companies tracked
$11.5Bdisclosed funding
5unicorns
311have raised
Tracking the best-funded Drones companies in the United States, this directory covers 986 ventures with $11.5B in total disclosed funding across five unicorns. That's a serious capital stack. Anduril leads at $3.8B, followed by Shield AI at $930M and Skydio at $570M, which tells you something about where the money is going: defense, autonomous systems, and counter-drone tech. The global market was valued at roughly $4.4B in 2020 and is forecast to reach ~$5.4B by 2027 at a 10.44% CAGR, with non-military applications in agriculture and construction pulling hard alongside the defense side.
The sector's moving fast this quarter. Hot themes right now are drone electronic warfare, autonomous reconnaissance, and aerial bombardment countermeasures, and investors like In-Q-Tel and the National Science Foundation are showing up alongside Techstars and Y Combinator, which I find telling about the dual-use nature of this space. And it's not just a U.S. story either: Delhivery's autonomous logistics tests and AI-powered mineral exploration drones show the commercial use-case expanding globally in real time. So if you're sizing up where U.S. Drones funding is concentrating, the answer's clear: defense-adjacent autonomy, with commercial verticals accelerating right behind it.
Sources & further reading
- Skyrover X1 drone: Strong DJI competitor comes with 4K and nine miles of range
- Prime members can save $50 on DJI Mini 4K drones
- New State Drone Laws Set Strict Operational Boundaries
FLIAR INTELLIGENCE · DRONES × UNITED STATES
Our analysis of 50 Drones companies
$8.9b in tracked funding; 92% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
50companies analysed
92%cloud-native stacks
2025funding peak (by rounds)
5unicorns
2016median founding year
1Mcombined LinkedIn audience
42%of audience held by top 3
5companies hiring publicly (12 mo)
Ranked: Best Drones companies in United States
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Market signals (1y) | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anduril 🦄 Provider of AI-driven defense and autonomous systems across air, land, sea, and space domains 96Funding top 11%Innovation top 14%Patents top 14%Tech top 17% All 13 signals ▾Fundingtop 11% Innovationtop 14% Patentstop 14% Techtop 17% Markettop 21% Moattop 22% Growthtop 25% Partnerstop 26% AItop 30% Newstop 33% Producttop 38% Talenttop 41% Globaltop 47% Funding: Raised $3.8B across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 7 yrs (1.1/yr) Innovation: 329 patents (top 5% of patent-holders) · 300 filings since 2022 vs 29 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 96/100 | $3.8B | 1 mo ago | 2,193 | Matt Grimm Co-Founder & COO | MediumTypeScriptGraphQL+17 | 25 signals ▼19% Contracts · Hiring · Funding | 329 patents Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes | — |
| 2 | Shield AI 🦄 Developer of AI-powered platforms and software for defense applications 93Funding top 9%Product top 18%Talent top 22%Moat top 26% All 12 signals ▾Fundingtop 9% Producttop 18% Talenttop 22% Moattop 26% Markettop 28% Growthtop 29% AItop 30% Innovationtop 32% Techtop 33% Newstop 36% Partnerstop 43% Globaltop 48% Funding: Raised $930M across 16 rounds · 16 rounds over 11 yrs (1.5/yr) Product: 4 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series G rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 93/100 | $930M | 2 mo ago | 364 | Brandon Tseng Co-Founder | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+24 | 21 signals Capital raise · Funding · Contracts | — | 1 partnership |
| 3 | Zipline 🦄 Provider of drones for on-demand delivery services 96Moat top 15%Funding top 19%Talent top 19%Market top 23% All 10 signals ▾Moattop 15% Fundingtop 19% Talenttop 19% Markettop 23% Producttop 24% Innovationtop 25% Growthtop 26% Customerstop 26% Techtop 32% Globaltop 36% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 9/10 · Unicorn Funding: Raised $900M · 11 rounds over 14 yrs (0.8/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 96/100 | $900M | 37 mo ago | 496 | Keller Rinaudo Cliffton Co-Founder & CEO | StoryblokApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+26 | — | — | 1 launch |
| 4 | Skydio 🦄 Manufacturer of autonomous drones and related software, services, and accessories 94Patents top 13%Funding top 14%Tech top 16%AI top 20% All 13 signals ▾Patentstop 13% Fundingtop 14% Techtop 16% AItop 20% Moattop 22% Innovationtop 24% Talenttop 28% Markettop 30% Growthtop 30% Newstop 31% Producttop 38% Customerstop 49% Globalbottom 48% Patents: 614 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 513 filings since 2022 vs 98 in 2017-21 Funding: Raised $570M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 11 yrs (0.6/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 94/100 | $570M | 1 mo ago | 332 | Abraham Bachrach Co-Founder & CTO | Cart FunctionalityShopifySentry+49 | 6 signals ▲20% Hiring · Funding | 614 patents Autonomous drone navigation, perception, control, and adaptive communication for aerial robotics. | 2 job openings |
| 5 | Workhorse Group Manufacturer of electric vehicles and related components for transportation solutions 60Partners top 12%Patents top 14%Innovation top 16%Funding top 24% All 12 signals ▾Partnerstop 12% Patentstop 14% Innovationtop 16% Fundingtop 24% Newstop 24% Producttop 35% Moattop 35% Growthtop 37% Techtop 43% Marketbottom 46% Globalbottom 36% Fin. healthbottom 23% Partners: 10 contract events in 12 mo · Named contractor/client in 10 deals Patents: 229 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 179 filings since 2022 vs 44 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 60/100 | $519M | 16 mo ago | 298 298 → 248 (-17%) | — | WordPress Block EditorBeaver BuilderWordPress+35 | 37 signals ▲54% Contracts · Announcements · M&A | 229 patents Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes | — |
| 6 | Epirus 🦄 Developer of high-power microwave systems for electronic warfare and air defense 78Patents top 17%Innovation top 22%Funding top 22%Moat top 22% All 11 signals ▾Patentstop 17% Innovationtop 22% Fundingtop 22% Moattop 22% Talenttop 28% Markettop 41% Techtop 45% AItop 45% Growthtop 50% Globalbottom 40% Newsbottom 24% Patents: 122 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 110 filings since 2022 vs 12 in 2017-21 Innovation: 122 patents (top 16% of patent-holders) · 110 filings since 2022 vs 12 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 78/100 | $289M | 8 mo ago | 218 | Nathan M Co-Founder | WebflowGSAPReact+20 | — | 122 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | 1 partnership |
| 7 | Swift Navigation Provider of precise positioning solutions for automotive, mobile, and mass markets 74Funding top 19%Innovation top 20%Patents top 22%Tech top 24% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 19% Innovationtop 20% Patentstop 22% Techtop 24% Moattop 26% Producttop 29% Growthtop 45% Newstop 46% Marketbottom 47% Globalbottom 42% Funding: Raised $200M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 12 yrs (0.5/yr) Innovation: 129 patents (top 9% of patent-holders) · 97 filings since 2022 vs 31 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 74/100 | $200M | 10 mo ago | 102 102 → 130 (+27%) | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+40 | — | 129 patents Real-time GNSS correction, integrity monitoring, and outlier mitigation for precise positioning | 1 award |
| 8 | Helm Developer of AI-first software for advanced driver-assistance systems and autonomous driving 78Funding top 19%Product top 21%Talent top 28%AI top 30% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 19% Producttop 21% Talenttop 28% AItop 30% Growthtop 31% Moattop 31% Innovationtop 32% Techtop 38% Marketbottom 41% Globalbottom 37% Funding: Raised $124M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 6 yrs (0.7/yr) Product: 9 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series D rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 78/100 | $124M | 1 mo ago | 37 | — | WebflowBugHerdBugSnag+21 | — | — | — |
| 9 | SkySpecs Provider of UAVs solutions for inspection 67Funding top 20%Talent top 28%Growth top 35%Product top 35% All 11 signals ▾Fundingtop 20% Talenttop 28% Growthtop 35% Producttop 35% Moattop 35% Globaltop 40% Markettop 42% Techtop 44% Innovationbottom 42% Patentsbottom 26% Newsbottom 24% Funding: Raised $122M across 15 rounds · 15 rounds over 14 yrs (1.1/yr) Talent: Analyst team rating 4/5 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 67/100 | $122M | 15 mo ago | 289 | — | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+32 | — | 2 patents Vehicle collision avoidance systems for autonomous road vehicles | — |
| 10 | Infravision Provider of automated aerial robotic systems for power infrastructure construction 48Funding top 25%Talent top 28%Global top 42%Product top 46% All 6 signals ▾Fundingtop 25% Talenttop 28% Globaltop 42% Producttop 46% Techbottom 44% Marketbottom 37% Funding: Raised $114M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 3 yrs (0.7/yr) Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $114M | 7 mo ago | — | Christopher Cox Co-Founder & Director | WebflowVimeoGSAP+13 | — | — | — |
| 11 | Zeitview Provider of drone-based inspection software platform 76Funding top 18%Tech top 27%AI top 30%Moat top 31% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 18% Techtop 27% AItop 30% Moattop 31% Markettop 42% Growthtop 45% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 39% Newsbottom 32% Funding: Raised $114M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 11 yrs (0.7/yr) Tech: 44 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 76/100 | $114M | 15 mo ago | 194 | Daniel Burton Co-Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+31 | — | — | — |
| 12 | Elroy Air Autonomous aircraft systems for cargo delivery purposes 62Growth top 18%News top 20%Funding top 27%Moat top 31% All 10 signals ▾Growthtop 18% Newstop 20% Fundingtop 27% Moattop 31% Talenttop 34% Partnerstop 40% Producttop 49% Techbottom 47% Marketbottom 40% Globalbottom 39% Growth: Headcount 18 → 48 (+167%) across vintages · Fresh capital in last 24 mo News: 6 BI events in 12 mo (of 31 tracked, 6 types) · +200% YoY rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 62/100 | $110M | 19 mo ago | 48 48 → 45 (-6%) | Clint Cope Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder | Apple iCloud MailGoogle WorkspaceTailwind CSS+10 | 6 signals ▲200% Announcements · Contracts | — | 2 launchs · 2 partnerships |
| 13 | Airobotics Provider of automated drone infrastructure for aerial data and surveillance 67News top 20%Partners top 21%Funding top 25%Growth top 25% All 10 signals ▾Newstop 20% Partnerstop 21% Fundingtop 25% Growthtop 25% Talenttop 38% Techtop 45% Globaltop 45% Producttop 46% Moattop 48% Marketbottom 47% News: 5 BI events in 12 mo (of 54 tracked, 11 types) · +400% YoY Partners: 4 contract events in 12 mo · Named contractor/client in 4 deals rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 67/100 | $101M | 19 mo ago | 40 | Ran Krauss Co-Founder & President | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+35 | 5 signals ▲400% Contracts · Funding | — | — |
| 14 | Heven Technologies Developer of hydrogen-powered unmanned aerial systems 8Funding top 46%Talent bottom 49%Market bottom 25%Global bottom 25% All 5 signals ▾Fundingtop 46% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 25% Globalbottom 25% Techbottom 15% Funding: Raised $100M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 8/100 | $100M | 6 mo ago | — | Bentzion Levinson Founder & CEO | Microsoft 365GoDaddy | — | — | 1 partnership · 1 award |
| 15 | Pyka Autonomous electric aircraft for agriculture, cargo, and defense applications 53Funding top 27%Moat top 31%Growth top 38%Innovation top 40% All 12 signals ▾Fundingtop 27% Moattop 31% Growthtop 38% Innovationtop 40% Patentstop 41% Producttop 49% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 44% Marketbottom 42% Techbottom 41% Partnersbottom 35% Newsbottom 23% Funding: Raised $88.1M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 9 yrs (0.4/yr) Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 9 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 53/100 | $88M | 20 mo ago | 44 | Chuma Ogunwole Co-Founder and COO | WebflowApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+9 | — | 9 patents Autonomous UAV precision spraying systems and aircraft propulsion technologies | 3 launchs |
| 16 | Fortem Technologies Developer of airspace security and defense solutions for drone threats 62Innovation top 23%Product top 30%Moat top 31%Funding top 35% All 10 signals ▾Innovationtop 23% Producttop 30% Moattop 31% Fundingtop 35% Growthtop 42% Talenttop 42% Newsbottom 49% Marketbottom 48% Techbottom 47% Globalbottom 45% Innovation: 5 product lines · Deep-tech classification: Tech Hardware Product: 5 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series B rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 62/100 | $69M | 1 mo ago | 119 119 → 137 (+15%) | Adam Robertson Co-Founder and CTO | JekyllRubyVimeo+19 | 3 signals Leadership · Funding | — | — |
| 17 | Altaeros Provider of wireless network infrastructure solutions 55Funding top 28%Moat top 28%Talent top 38%Innovation top 41% All 11 signals ▾Fundingtop 28% Moattop 28% Talenttop 38% Innovationtop 41% AItop 45% Techtop 50% Growthbottom 48% Patentsbottom 46% Marketbottom 40% Globalbottom 39% Newsbottom 22% Funding: Raised $61.7M across 9 rounds · 9 rounds over 13 yrs (0.7/yr) Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 21 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 55/100 | $62M | 17 mo ago | 41 41 → 44 (+7%) | Ben Glass Co-Founder | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+25 | — | 21 patents Tethered aerostat platforms for energy generation and payload control systems | — |
| 18 | XTEND Developer of AI-assisted tactical unmanned aerial systems for military use 67News top 18%Funding top 23%Growth top 26%Talent top 28% All 12 signals ▾Newstop 18% Fundingtop 23% Growthtop 26% Talenttop 28% Patentstop 37% Moattop 37% Techtop 45% Innovationtop 48% Producttop 49% Marketbottom 49% Globalbottom 44% Partnersbottom 35% News: 8 BI events in 12 mo (of 17 tracked, 6 types) · +300% YoY Funding: Raised $60.0M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 8 yrs (0.6/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 67/100 | $60M | 11 mo ago | 105 | Rubi Liani Co-Founder & CTO | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+18 | 8 signals ▲300% M&A · Funding · Contracts | 86 patents Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes | 1 expansion |
| 19 | Exyn Fully autonomous aerial robotic systems developer 48Funding top 24%AI top 30%Product top 35%Talent top 38% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 24% AItop 30% Producttop 35% Talenttop 38% Moattop 39% Techbottom 42% Marketbottom 41% Growthbottom 39% Globalbottom 39% Newsbottom 24% Funding: Raised $57.0M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 12 yrs (0.3/yr) AI: Classified as an AI company · Product described with: ai-based rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $57M | 23 mo ago | 50 | Vijay Kumar Co-Founder | HubSpot CMS Hublit-htmlcore-js+14 | — | — | — |
| 20 | Nova Sky Stories Operator of drone systems for entertainment and storytelling experiences 55Growth top 28%Talent top 28%Funding top 36%Tech top 40% All 6 signals ▾Growthtop 28% Talenttop 28% Fundingtop 36% Techtop 40% Globalbottom 36% Marketbottom 31% Growth: Web rank 50,000,000 → 10,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 55/100 | $50M | 9 mo ago | — | Lucas Oostrum Co-Founder | WordPress Block EditorWordPressApple iCloud Mail+23 | — | — | — |
| 21 | SkySafe Provider of cloud-connected drone detection systems 67Innovation top 28%Growth top 28%Funding top 30%Patents top 30% All 10 signals ▾Innovationtop 28% Growthtop 28% Fundingtop 30% Patentstop 30% Producttop 30% Moattop 32% Techtop 37% Marketbottom 40% Globalbottom 39% Newsbottom 22% Innovation: 40 patents (top 36% of patent-holders) · 29 filings since 2022 vs 11 in 2017-21 Growth: Web rank 10,000,000 → 5,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 67/100 | $45M | 17 mo ago | 47 | — | Framer SitesSentryZendesk+21 | — | 40 patents Drone detection, monitoring, and mitigation using edge computing and RF frequency-hopping technologies | 1 launch · 2 awards |
| 22 | Matternet Provider of autonomous drone networks 42Moat top 34%Growth top 35%Funding top 42%Patents top 43% All 9 signals ▾Moattop 34% Growthtop 35% Fundingtop 42% Patentstop 43% Innovationtop 47% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 48% Techbottom 38% Marketbottom 35% Moat: IP moat: 25 patents · 9 curated direct competitors tracked Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 42/100 | $40M | 3 mo ago | — | Andreas Raptopoulos Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+14 | — | 25 patents UAV logistics: ground stations and autonomous aerial transport systems | — |
| 23 | Slingshot Aerospace Provider of AI-based satellite tracking, space traffic coordination, and space modeling and simulation… 69AI top 22%Innovation top 27%Talent top 28%Patents top 32% All 11 signals ▾AItop 22% Innovationtop 27% Talenttop 28% Patentstop 32% Moattop 32% Fundingtop 35% Growthtop 35% Techtop 48% Globalbottom 38% Marketbottom 36% Newsbottom 21% AI: Classified as an AI company · Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) Innovation: 30 patents (top 42% of patent-holders) · 24 filings since 2022 vs 6 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 69/100 | $35M | 16 mo ago | — | David Godwin Co-Founder | WebflowVimeoMicrosoft Advertising+15 | — | 30 patents AI-driven space situational awareness and traffic management for satellite orbit data | — |
| 24 | Gather AI Provider of physical artificial intelligence for intralogistics, warehouse, and plant operations 69AI top 26%Funding top 27%Growth top 28%News top 32% All 11 signals ▾AItop 26% Fundingtop 27% Growthtop 28% Newstop 32% Moattop 32% Innovationtop 37% Talenttop 38% Patentstop 46% Techtop 50% Marketbottom 39% Globalbottom 36% AI: Classified as an AI company · Product described with: artificial intelligence, computer vision Funding: Raised $34.0M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 4 yrs (0.8/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 69/100 | $34M | 5 mo ago | 40 | Geetesh Dubey Co-Founder | WebflowApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+22 | 4 signals Funding | 23 patents Targeted advertising and user-driven media publishing platforms | 1 award |
| 25 | Firestorm Developer of modular, mission-adaptable unmanned aerial systems and manufacturing solutions 53Patents top 27%Talent top 28%Innovation top 31%Funding top 36% All 9 signals ▾Patentstop 27% Talenttop 28% Innovationtop 31% Fundingtop 36% Moattop 38% Growthtop 45% Techtop 49% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 33% Patents: 33 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 33 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 53/100 | $32M | 3 mo ago | 22 | Chad M Co-Founder | WebflowApple iCloud MailSplide+13 | — | 33 patents Modular, additively‑manufactured UAV airframes and rapid‑assembly mission‑adaptable drone systems | 4 job openings |
| 26 | Corvus Robotics Autonomous drone systems for warehouse inventory management and disinfection 35Product top 32%Funding top 34%Innovation top 37%Patents top 39% All 11 signals ▾Producttop 32% Fundingtop 34% Innovationtop 37% Patentstop 39% Moattop 42% Growthtop 48% Newsbottom 42% Techbottom 41% Talentbottom 40% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 25% Product: 1 product launch event in 12 mo, 1 the year before · 12 distinct product lines Funding: Raised $28.1M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 9 yrs (0.3/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 35/100 | $28M | 21 mo ago | 10 | Mohammed Kabir Co-Founder & CTO | BootstrapCloudflareNetlify+16 | 3 signals ▼25% Leadership · Announcements · New product | 11 patents Autonomous material handling robots and aerial drone logistics, including navigation, docking, and extreme‑temp operation. | 1 launch |
| 27 | Natilus Develops a large unmanned aerial vehicle for cargo transport 24Funding top 34%Product top 41%Moat top 47%Tech top 48% All 11 signals ▾Fundingtop 34% Producttop 41% Moattop 47% Techtop 48% Newstop 48% Talentbottom 49% Growthbottom 40% Globalbottom 39% Patentsbottom 36% Marketbottom 31% Innovationbottom 31% Funding: Raised $28.0M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 9 yrs (0.1/yr) Product: 1 product launch event in 12 mo · 3 distinct product lines rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 24/100 | $28M | 4 mo ago | 17 | Aleksey Matyushev Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+26 | 5 signals ▼55% Funding · New product | 2 patents Optimized cargo bay configuration for blended-wing-body aircraft | 1 job opening · 2 launchs |
| 28 | Raptor Maps Provider of solar asset management platform using aerial and sensor data 57AI top 15%Funding top 32%Growth top 32%Talent top 34% All 12 signals ▾AItop 15% Fundingtop 32% Growthtop 32% Talenttop 34% Producttop 40% Moattop 41% Techbottom 49% Marketbottom 41% Globalbottom 39% Innovationbottom 33% Patentsbottom 31% Newsbottom 21% AI: Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) Funding: Raised $27.5M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 11 yrs (0.5/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $28M | 18 mo ago | 64 | Edward Obropta Co-Founder & CTO | Framer SitesApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+14 | — | 4 patents UAV‑based remote sensing and edge computing for precision agriculture crop monitoring | — |
| 29 | BRINC Drones Provider of a drone system for first responders 45Funding top 31%Growth top 35%Moat top 43%Tech top 48% All 8 signals ▾Fundingtop 31% Growthtop 35% Moattop 43% Techtop 48% Markettop 49% Globalbottom 36% Innovationbottom 30% Patentsbottom 26% Funding: Raised $27.2M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 6 yrs (0.7/yr) Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 45/100 | $27M | 14 mo ago | 90 | — | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+28 | — | 2 patents Autonomous drones for border surveillance and patrol operations | 2 partnerships · 1 expansion |
| 30 | AirQtel Provider of ultra-high precision aerial surveillance data 27Funding top 38%Talent bottom 49%Global bottom 25% All 3 signals ▾Fundingtop 38% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 25% Funding: Raised $27.0M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 27/100 | $27M | 15 mo ago | — | Vin Loccisano Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 31 | Hoverfly Tech Designs and manufactures tethered unmanned aerial vehicles 45Innovation top 23%Product top 30%Funding top 37%Moat top 39% All 9 signals ▾Innovationtop 23% Producttop 30% Fundingtop 37% Moattop 39% Techbottom 49% Growthbottom 42% Marketbottom 38% Globalbottom 29% Newsbottom 20% Innovation: 11 product lines · Deep-tech classification: Tech Hardware Product: 11 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series B rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 45/100 | $24M | 10 mo ago | 49 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+27 | — | — | 2 job openings · 2 launchs |
| 32 | Hivemapper Network of contributors providing real-time street-level mapping data and applications 64AI top 15%Growth top 28%Tech top 28%Funding top 33% All 12 signals ▾AItop 15% Growthtop 28% Techtop 28% Fundingtop 33% Customerstop 34% Talenttop 41% Producttop 46% Moattop 47% Innovationbottom 40% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 34% Patentsbottom 29% AI: Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) Growth: Web rank 10,000,000 → 5,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $23M | 11 mo ago | 23 23 → 43 (+87%) | Ariel Seidman Co-Founder | SentryZendeskNode.js+19 | — | 2 patents 3D geo-registered mapping from imagery for autonomous navigation | — |
| 33 | Sunflower Labs Provider of AI-driven home security solutions using smart lighting and drones 62Funding top 31%Innovation top 35%Growth top 35%Patents top 36% All 11 signals ▾Fundingtop 31% Innovationtop 35% Growthtop 35% Patentstop 36% Moattop 37% Talenttop 38% Techtop 43% Newstop 44% AItop 45% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 34% Funding: Raised $22.1M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 10 yrs (0.5/yr) Innovation: 18 patents (top 54% of patent-holders) · 5 filings since 2022 vs 3 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 62/100 | $22M | 7 mo ago | 30 | Chris Eheim Founder + CTO | Node.jsNext.jsstyled-components+10 | — | 18 patents Autonomous multicopter drones for security surveillance, auto‑landing, and sensor‑network integration | — |
| 34 | Prodrone Provider of drones 37Growth top 35%Funding top 44%Partners top 45%Innovation bottom 46% All 8 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Fundingtop 44% Partnerstop 45% Innovationbottom 46% Productbottom 45% Marketbottom 40% Globalbottom 36% Techbottom 32% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Funding: Raised $15.8M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 9 yrs (0.4/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $16M | 1 mo ago | 50 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | — | — | — |
| 35 | BrightAI Developer of an AI platform for infrastructure monitoring and management 72AI top 18%Growth top 28%Patents top 31%Funding top 32% All 10 signals ▾AItop 18% Growthtop 28% Patentstop 31% Fundingtop 32% Innovationtop 34% Techtop 38% Moattop 38% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 41% Globalbottom 33% AI: Classified as an AI company · Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) Growth: Web rank 10,000,000 → 5,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 72/100 | $14M | 12 mo ago | 49 | Alex Hawkinson Founder & CEO | WordPress Block EditorWordPressApple iCloud Mail+24 | — | 24 patents AI-driven multi-sensor environmental mapping and real-time object/feature detection | — |
| 36 | Bone Developer of autonomous drones and integrated AI systems for deployment 69Innovation top 16%Patents top 20%Funding top 43%Talent bottom 49% All 5 signals ▾Innovationtop 16% Patentstop 20% Fundingtop 43% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 42% Innovation: 294 patents (top 8% of patent-holders) · 146 filings since 2022 vs 74 in 2017-21 Patents: 294 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 146 filings since 2022 vs 74 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 69/100 | $12M | 7 mo ago | — | D Lee Founder & CEO | — | — | 294 patents Orthopedic fixation implants and bone preparation/augmentation devices for spine and pelvis | — |
| 37 | Allen Control Systems Provider of counter-drone robotic gun systems for military 48Talent top 28%Growth top 35%Funding top 36%Moat top 39% All 7 signals ▾Talenttop 28% Growthtop 35% Fundingtop 36% Moattop 39% Techbottom 44% Marketbottom 36% Globalbottom 32% Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $12M | 14 mo ago | — | Luke Allen Co-Founder & CTO | WebflowTypekitCloudflare Turnstile+10 | — | — | — |
| 38 | Skyfire Provider of AI-powered drone solutions for mission planning and data analysis 57Growth top 35%Funding top 36%Patents top 37%Talent top 38% All 9 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Fundingtop 36% Patentstop 37% Talenttop 38% Innovationtop 39% Globaltop 42% Techtop 43% AItop 45% Marketbottom 25% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Funding: Raised $11.0M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $11M | 1 mo ago | — | Brian Davidson Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer | WordPressMySQLPHP+14 | — | 50 patents Real-time video streaming, encoding, caching, and network monitoring infrastructure | — |
| 39 | Neros Manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles and ground control station systems 50Growth top 28%Funding top 30%Talent top 38%News top 49% All 8 signals ▾Growthtop 28% Fundingtop 30% Talenttop 38% Newstop 49% Techbottom 42% Moatbottom 38% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 36% Growth: Web rank 10,000,000 → 5,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo Funding: Raised $10.9M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 2 yrs (1.5/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 50/100 | $11M | 7 mo ago | — | Soren Monroe-Anderson Co-Founder & CEO | WebflowApple iCloud MailSalesforce+10 | — | — | 2 launchs · 1 partnership · 1 expansion |
| 40 | Censys Technologies Manufacturer of UAVs for commercial and government purposes 37Talent top 28%Moat top 38%Innovation top 41%Funding top 45% All 9 signals ▾Talenttop 28% Moattop 38% Innovationtop 41% Fundingtop 45% Patentstop 45% Producttop 46% Marketbottom 39% Globalbottom 37% Techbottom 28% Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 4/10 · IP moat: 8 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $10M | 1 mo ago | 35 | Payal Chaudhari Co-Founder & COO | — | — | 8 patents Network security monitoring and scanning, focusing on UDP traffic analysis and access control. | — |
| 41 | Ulysses Ecosystem Engineering Developer of autonomous underwater drones 27Talent top 38%Funding top 48%Global bottom 48%Tech bottom 45% All 5 signals ▾Talenttop 38% Fundingtop 48% Globalbottom 48% Techbottom 45% Marketbottom 31% Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated Funding: Raised $9.5M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 2 yrs (1.0/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 27/100 | $10M | 14 mo ago | — | Jamie Wedderburn Co-Founder | Node.jsTailwind CSSReact+9 | — | — | — |
| 42 | Lucid Bots Provider of tech enabled cleaning solutions through autonomous robotic products for dull, dirty, and… 45Funding top 31%Growth top 37%Tech top 45%News top 49% All 8 signals ▾Fundingtop 31% Growthtop 37% Techtop 45% Newstop 49% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 39% Moatbottom 38% Marketbottom 36% Funding: Raised $9.2M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 7 yrs (0.7/yr) Growth: 1 acquisition/expansion move in 24 mo · Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 45/100 | $9M | 2 mo ago | — | Andrew Ashur Co-Founder & CEO | Webflow EcommerceWebflowApple iCloud Mail+20 | — | — | — |
| 43 | PDW Manufacturer of drone systems for defense and public safety applications 60News top 28%Growth top 30%Funding top 35%Talent top 38% All 9 signals ▾Newstop 28% Growthtop 30% Fundingtop 35% Talenttop 38% Partnerstop 40% Moattop 42% Techtop 44% Marketbottom 49% Globalbottom 37% News: 6 BI events in 12 mo (of 9 tracked, 4 types) · +100% YoY Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 60/100 | $9M | 6 mo ago | 137 | Matt Higgins Co-Founder | Apple iCloud MailNode.jsRadix UI+18 | 6 signals ▲100% Funding · Contracts · Capital raise | — | 1 launch |
| 44 | Walaris Developer of sensor fusion software platform for real-time data processing 42Growth top 28%AI top 45%Talent bottom 49%Funding bottom 48% All 7 signals ▾Growthtop 28% AItop 45% Talentbottom 49% Fundingbottom 48% Techbottom 40% Globalbottom 32% Marketbottom 29% Growth: Web rank 50,000,000 → 10,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo AI: Product described with: artificial intelligence rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 42/100 | $6M | 13 mo ago | 21 | Kyle Meloney Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+20 | — | — | — |
| 45 | MightyFly Offers autonomous drone vehicles providing end to end logistics services 35Patents top 39%Funding top 40%Innovation top 41%Moat top 42% All 12 signals ▾Patentstop 39% Fundingtop 40% Innovationtop 41% Moattop 42% Growthtop 45% Talentbottom 49% Newsbottom 45% Productbottom 45% Techbottom 42% Globalbottom 37% Partnersbottom 35% Marketbottom 24% Patents: 8 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 6 filings since 2022 vs 2 in 2017-21 Funding: Raised $5.1M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 5 yrs (0.6/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 35/100 | $5M | 3 mo ago | 10 10 → 14 (+40%) | Manal Habib Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+20 | — | 8 patents Autonomous drone logistics with payload transport and aerial collision‑avoidance systems | — |
| 46 | UVify Developer of drones for consumer, enterprise, and civil applications 45Tech top 26%Product top 30%Growth top 35%Moat top 38% All 10 signals ▾Techtop 26% Producttop 30% Growthtop 35% Moattop 38% Fundingtop 41% Innovationtop 49% Talentbottom 49% Patentsbottom 42% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 24% Tech: 48 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon S3, Amazon Web Services Product: 6 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series B rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 45/100 | $5M | 3 mo ago | 8 | Hyon Lim Co-Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalityShopifyApple iCloud Mail+20 | — | 4 patents Coordinated control and management of UAV fleets for autonomous operations | — |
| 47 | Paladin Drones Drone management tool to give first responders a live feed of emergencies 40Growth top 35%Funding top 38%Tech top 38%Moat top 48% All 7 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Fundingtop 38% Techtop 38% Moattop 48% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 32% Marketbottom 28% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Funding: Raised $4.4M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 8 yrs (0.5/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 40/100 | $4M | 10 mo ago | 10 | Divy Shrivastava Founder & CEO | WebflowLeniscore-js+19 | — | — | 2 job openings · 1 launch |
| 48 | Vermeer Provider of an AR-based drone control system 50Growth top 17%News top 20%Talent top 28%Moat top 38% All 10 signals ▾Growthtop 17% Newstop 20% Talenttop 28% Moattop 38% Patentstop 39% Fundingtop 41% Techbottom 48% Innovationbottom 45% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 28% Growth: 5 acquisition/expansion moves in 24 mo · Fresh capital in last 24 mo News: 9 BI events in 12 mo (of 60 tracked, 10 types) · +800% YoY rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 50/100 | $3M | 7 mo ago | 20 | — | WebflowLeafletMapbox.js+18 | 9 signals ▲800% Acquisition · Hiring · Capital raise | 33 patents Precision soil handling equipment and advanced horizontal directional drilling detection technologies. | 1 launch |
| 49 | Swarm Defense Manufacturer of modular drone systems designed for coordinated swarm operations 22Talent top 38%Funding bottom 48%Tech bottom 46%Market bottom 31% All 5 signals ▾Talenttop 38% Fundingbottom 48% Techbottom 46% Marketbottom 31% Globalbottom 25% Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated Funding: Raised $1.4M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 22/100 | $1M | 2 mo ago | — | Ryan Sigmon Co-Founder | SanityTurbopackNode.js+11 | — | — | 1 launch |
| 50 | Blue Vigil Autonomous aerial lighting solutions for safer, more productive nighttime work zones 37Innovation top 34%Patents top 34%Growth top 35%Talent top 38% All 10 signals ▾Innovationtop 34% Patentstop 34% Growthtop 35% Talenttop 38% Producttop 43% Techbottom 49% Moatbottom 49% Fundingbottom 36% Globalbottom 29% Marketbottom 20% Innovation: 20 patents (top 51% of patent-holders) · 17 filings since 2022 vs 3 in 2017-21 Patents: 20 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 17 filings since 2022 vs 3 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $250K | 2 mo ago | 10 | Robert Schumann Co-Founder & CTO & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+24 | — | 20 patents Thermal management and power systems for tethered and autonomous drones | 1 launch |
Top 12 Drones companies in United States
#1
Anduril 🦄Series H · Costa Mesa, California · founded 2017 · 2193 employees$3.8Braised▾
Anduril 🦄
Series H · Costa Mesa, California · founded 2017 · 2193 employees
Provider of AI-driven defense and autonomous systems across air, land, sea, and space domains. It develops integrated platforms that enhance situational awareness, real-time decision-making, and operational effectiveness for defense and security applications. It delivers a range of autonomous systems and software-defined defense infrastructure, including surveillance systems, unmanned platforms, and command-and-control technologies designed to operate in complex and contested environments. Its solutions support modern military needs such as border security, force protection, and multi-domain mission coordination.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 96how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 11%Innovation
top 14%Patents
top 14%Tech
top 17%Market
top 21%Moat
top 22%Funding: Raised $3.8B across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 7 yrs (1.1/yr) · Last round Series H (May 2026)
Innovation: 329 patents (top 5% of patent-holders) · 300 filings since 2022 vs 29 in 2017-21 · Deep-tech classification: Artificial Intelligence, Tech Hardware
Patents: 329 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 300 filings since 2022 vs 29 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Funding rounds
- May 2026Series H$5B
- Dec 2025Series G$30M
- Jun 2025Series G$2.5B
- Aug 2024Series F$1.5B
Founders & team
Investors
Founders Fund, Sands Capital, Fidelity Investments, Baillie Gifford, Franklin Templeton Investments, Altimeter Capital
Tech stack
Amazon CloudfrontAmazon S3Amazon Web ServicesApolloAws Certificate ManagerCloudflare
#2
Series G · San Diego, California · founded 2015 · 364 employees$930.2Mraised▾
Series G · San Diego, California · founded 2015 · 364 employees
Developer of AI-powered platforms and software for defense applications. The company provides solutions for mission autonomy, surveillance, and object detection. Its offerings include autonomous pilot software, command and control toolkits, and autonomy development platforms. It also manufactures unmanned aircraft for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 93how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 9%Product
top 18%Talent
top 22%Moat
top 26%Market
top 28%Growth
top 29%Funding: Raised $930M across 16 rounds · 16 rounds over 11 yrs (1.5/yr) · Last round Series G (Mar 2026)
Product: 4 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series G
Talent: Analyst team rating 5/5 · 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Audience (LinkedIn): 151k LinkedIn followers — 14.6% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. Hivemind) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Mar 2026Series G$2B
- Feb 2025Series F$591.8M
- Dec 2023Series F$100M
- Dec 2023Venture Debt$200M
Founders & team
Investors
Andreessen Horowitz, Homebrew, Bloomberg Beta, Founder Collective, Riot, Disruptive Ventures
Tech stack
Anime.JsApple Icloud MailCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-JsDocusign
#3
Skydio 🦄Series F · San Mateo, California · founded 2014 · 332 employees$570Mraised▾
Skydio 🦄
Series F · San Mateo, California · founded 2014 · 332 employees
Manufacturer of autonomous drones and related software, services, and accessories. It provides drone platforms, docking stations, attachments, and software for autonomous flight, data capture, and integration. These products serve sectors including public safety, utilities, national security, inspection, transportation, construction, and oil and gas. Services include regulatory and success support, along with developer tools and training.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 94how this company ranks against its industry peers
Patents
top 13%Funding
top 14%Tech
top 16%AI
top 20%Moat
top 22%Innovation
top 24%Patents: 614 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 513 filings since 2022 vs 98 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Funding: Raised $570M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 11 yrs (0.6/yr) · Last round Series F (Apr 2026)
Tech: 90 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon Web Services · Devops: Envoy
Audience (LinkedIn): 136k LinkedIn followers — 13.1% of this cohort's audience
Hiring (LinkedIn): 2 hiring posts in 12 mo (public) · momentum +2 · hiring: Staff Global Supply Manager, Mechanicals, Senior Global Supply Manager, Camera
Funding rounds
- Apr 2026Series F$110M
- May 2024Series E$170M
- Mar 2022Series E$230M
- Feb 2021Series D$170M
Founders & team
Investors
Andreessen Horowitz, Accel, IVP, Deep Learning, Playground Global, Linse Capital
Tech stack
AffirmAmazon CloudfrontAmazon Web ServicesAmerican ExpressApple Icloud MailApple Pay
#4
Series D · Redwood City, California · founded 2016 · 37 employees$124Mraised▾
Series D · Redwood City, California · founded 2016 · 37 employees
Developer of AI-first software for advanced driver-assistance systems and autonomous driving. The company provides comprehensive artificial intelligence solutions for real-time deployment, offline training, and validation. It builds artificial intelligence models using unsupervised learning methods and generative artificial intelligence. The company's technology enables continuous improvement of autonomous driving software for mass production.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 78how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 19%Product
top 21%Talent
top 28%AI
top 30%Growth
top 31%Moat
top 31%Funding: Raised $124M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 6 yrs (0.7/yr) · Last round Series D (May 2026)
Product: 9 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series D
Talent: Analyst team rating 4/5
Funding rounds
- May 2026Series D—
- Dec 2022Series C$55M
- Jan 2022Series B$30M
- Nov 2021Series B$26M
Investors
Sound Ventures, Amplo, Fontinalis Partners, A.Capital Ventures, Binnacle Capital, SV Angel
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCloudflare TurnstileContentfulGatsby
#5
Series B · Provo, Utah · founded 2016 · 119 employees$69.1Mraised▾
Series B · Provo, Utah · founded 2016 · 119 employees
Developer of airspace security and defense solutions for drone threats. The company provides systems that combine sensors, command-and-control software, and autonomous interceptors. These systems defend military, government, and commercial operations from unauthorized drones. The company’s technology has been validated in operational deployments.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 62how this company ranks against its industry peers
Innovation
top 23%Product
top 30%Moat
top 31%Funding
top 35%Growth
top 42%Talent
top 42%Innovation: 5 product lines · Deep-tech classification: Tech Hardware
Product: 5 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series B
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · Soonicorn · 10 curated direct competitors tracked
Audience (LinkedIn): 11k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Apr 2026Series B$25M
- Feb 2023Series B$17.8M
- Mar 2021Series A$15M
- Jun 2019Series A$14.5M
Founders & team
Investors
Signia Venture Partners, DCVC, Lockheed Martin, Hanwha Aerospace, AIM13, Toshiba Corporation
Tech stack
Alpine.JsAnimate.CssBootstrapCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-Js
#6
Epirus 🦄Series D · Los Angeles, California · founded 2017 · 218 employees$288.7Mraised▾
Epirus 🦄
Series D · Los Angeles, California · founded 2017 · 218 employees
Developer of high-power microwave systems for electronic warfare and air defense. The company combines solid-state, long-pulse high-power microwave systems with artificial intelligence and advanced electronics. It offers systems for layered short-range air defense and maneuver short-range defense. The company also provides testing and validation for electronic effects on long-range targets. It develops capabilities to defend high-value assets and provides compact electronic warfare. The company delivers air domain awareness using perception capabilities.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 78how this company ranks against its industry peers
Patents
top 17%Innovation
top 22%Funding
top 22%Moat
top 22%Talent
top 28%Market
top 41%Patents: 122 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 110 filings since 2022 vs 12 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Innovation: 122 patents (top 16% of patent-holders) · 110 filings since 2022 vs 12 in 2017-21 · Deep-tech classification: Tech Hardware
Funding: Raised $289M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 7 yrs (0.9/yr) · Last round Series D (Oct 2025)
Audience (LinkedIn): 51k LinkedIn followers — 5.0% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. Epirus + General Dynamics Land Systems) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Oct 2025Series D—
- Mar 2025Series D$250M
- Jan 2022Series C$200M
- Dec 2021Grant (prize money)$243K
Founders & team
Investors
T. Rowe Price, 8VC, Bedrock, Broom Ventures, I Squared, Gaingels
Tech stack
CdnjsCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCloudflare TurnstileCore-JsDocusign
#7
Series A · Mountain View, California · founded 2011$40.1Mraised▾
Series A · Mountain View, California · founded 2011
Provider of autonomous drone networks. Its drones, such as the Matternet M2, enable the transportation of lab samples, pharmaceuticals, and other medical supplies, as well as consumer goods.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 42how this company ranks against its industry peers
Moat
top 34%Growth
top 35%Funding
top 42%Patents
top 43%Innovation
top 47%Talent
bottom 49%Moat: IP moat: 25 patents · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Funding: Raised $40.1M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 13 yrs (0.5/yr) · Last round Conventional Debt (Mar 2026)
Funding rounds
- Mar 2026Conventional Debt$6M
- Aug 2021Series A—
- Jan 2020Series A$5.7M
- Jun 2018Series A$16M
Founders & team
Investors
Andreessen Horowitz, QueensBridge Venture Partners, UpHonest Capital, McKesson Ventures, Alchemist Accelerator, RattanIndia Finance
Tech stack
AngularApple Icloud MailCart FunctionalityCore-JsGoogle WorkspaceHsts
#8
Series B · San Diego, California · founded 2022 · 22 employees$32.5Mraised▾
Series B · San Diego, California · founded 2022 · 22 employees
Developer of modular, mission-adaptable unmanned aerial systems and manufacturing solutions. The company provides adaptable aerial vehicles and aims to reduce total ownership costs through digital efficiencies. It offers manufacturing cells for unmanned aerial systems, spare parts, and polymer needs. The company's systems feature open architecture, extending modularity to the airframe.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 53how this company ranks against its industry peers
Patents
top 27%Talent
top 28%Innovation
top 31%Funding
top 36%Moat
top 38%Growth
top 45%Patents: 33 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 33 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Innovation: 33 patents (top 40% of patent-holders) · 33 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 · Deep-tech classification: Tech Hardware
Audience (LinkedIn): 38k LinkedIn followers — 3.7% of this cohort's audience
Hiring (LinkedIn): 4 hiring posts in 12 mo (public) · momentum +4 · hiring: Manufacturing Engineer, Senior Systems Engineer, Metal Manufacturing
Funding rounds
- Feb 2026Series B$82M
- Jul 2025Series A$35M
- Jul 2025Venture Debt$12M
- Jun 2025Series A$10M
Founders & team
Investors
Lockheed Martin, Decisive Point, 645 Ventures, Marquee Ventures, Cubit Capital, Backswing Ventures
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementGodaddyGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font Api
#9
Series A · Santa Clara, California · founded 2015 · 50 employees$15.8Mraised▾
Series A · Santa Clara, California · founded 2015 · 50 employees
Provider of drones. It offers various drone systems which can be used for a solution such as a drone surveying & mapping, UAV surveillance, underwater surveillance, and crop spraying.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 35%Funding
top 44%Partners
top 45%Innovation
bottom 46%Product
bottom 45%Market
bottom 40%Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Funding: Raised $15.8M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 9 yrs (0.4/yr) · Last round Series A (Apr 2026)
Partners: 0 partnership announcements in 12 mo (1 in 24 mo)
Funding rounds
- Apr 2026Series A—
- Oct 2023Series A$6.9M
- Sep 2019Grant (prize money)$1.5M
- Sep 2017Grant (prize money)$59.3K
Investors
Nagoya Small and Medium Business Investment & Consultation, Aisan Technology, Canon, KDDI, Mitsubishi Corporation, SHO-BOND Holdings
Tech stack
All In One SeoApache Http ServerCloudflareContact Form 7Font AwesomeGoogle Analytics
#10
Series B · United States · founded 2019$100Mraised▾
Series B · United States · founded 2019
Developer of hydrogen-powered unmanned aerial systems. It is a platform that specialises in designing and manufacturing hydrogen-powered, runway drones for mission-critical operations. It focuses on delivering aerial platforms for defence, commercial, and public safety applications.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 8how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 46%Talent
bottom 49%Market
bottom 25%Global
bottom 25%Tech
bottom 15%Funding: Raised $100M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Series B (Dec 2025)
Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated
Market: Top-50,000,000 web property
Audience (LinkedIn): 12k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships · 1 awards (incl. IonQ) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Dec 2025Series B$100M
Founders & team
Investors
IonQ, Texas Ventures Partners
Tech stack
GodaddyMicrosoft 365
#11
Series E · San Francisco, California · founded 2012 · 102 employees$200Mraised▾
Series E · San Francisco, California · founded 2012 · 102 employees
Provider of precise positioning solutions for automotive, mobile, and mass markets. The company delivers GNSS positioning solutions designed for autonomous applications. It offers a suite of positioning solutions that are accurate, affordable, easily integrated, reliable, and secure. The company designs and assembles products to benefit customers across the globe.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 74how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 19%Innovation
top 20%Patents
top 22%Tech
top 24%Moat
top 26%Product
top 29%Funding: Raised $200M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 12 yrs (0.5/yr) · Last round Series E (Jul 2025)
Innovation: 129 patents (top 9% of patent-holders) · 97 filings since 2022 vs 31 in 2017-21 · 12 product lines
Patents: 129 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 97 filings since 2022 vs 31 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Audience (LinkedIn): 11k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Jul 2025Series E$50M
- Oct 2022Series D$100M
- Feb 2021Series C$50M
- Jun 2017Series B$34M
Investors
First Round Capital, New Enterprise Associates, Eclipse, EPIQ, Global Brain, KDDI Open Innovation Fund
Tech stack
Amazon SesAmazon Web ServicesAtlassian StatuspageBootstrapCart FunctionalityCloudflare
#12
Series B · Austin, Texas · founded 2018$114Mraised▾
Series B · Austin, Texas · founded 2018
Provider of automated aerial robotic systems for power infrastructure construction. The company delivers systems to build and repair transmission lines. It offers unmanned aerial methods to reduce human risk and environmental disruption. The company provides equipment and streamlined crews to deliver projects.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 48how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 25%Talent
top 28%Global
top 42%Product
top 46%Tech
bottom 44%Market
bottom 37%Funding: Raised $114M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 3 yrs (0.7/yr) · Last round Series B (Nov 2025)
Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Global: Legal entities in 2 countries: Australia, United States · Investors from 6 countries beyond United States
Funding rounds
- Nov 2025Series B$91M
- Sep 2023Series A$23M
Founders & team
Investors
GIC, Energy Impact Partners, Activate Capital, Hitachi Ventures, Equinor, Edison
Tech stack
CloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCloudflare TurnstileDocusignGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Workspace
Funding & investor landscape
$11.5Btotal disclosed funding
292companies funded
814disclosed rounds
11rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Y Combinator17 rounds
Notable founders
Matt Grimm
Co-Founder & COO · Anduril
Joseph Chen
Co-Founder · Anduril
Brandon Tseng
Co-Founder · Shield AI
Ryan Tseng
Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer & President · Shield AI
Abraham Bachrach
Co-Founder & CTO · Skydio
Matt Donahoe
Co-Founder · Skydio
Adam Robertson
Co-Founder and CTO · Fortem Technologies
Jon Gruen
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer · Fortem Technologies
Nathan M
Co-Founder · Epirus
Grant Verstandig
Co-Founder · Epirus
Andreas Raptopoulos
Founder & CEO · Matternet
Chad M
Co-Founder · Firestorm
Prism market signals · United States · country-scoped Prism corpus, 738,292 docs
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Drones coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
RESEARCH SIGNALS · United States
How research on Drones & UAVs is moving in the United States
A read on the academic research around Drones & UAVs — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 6,386 United States-affiliated papers.
research sentiment over time
200820172026
enthusiastic · positive · guarded tone
Tone is overwhelmingly optimistic and intensifying — the enthusiastic (strongly-positive) share moved 26% → 51% across 2008–2026.
top research entities
- Purdue University West Lafayette205
- Carnegie Mellon University115
- University of Florida113
- Virginia Tech109
- North Carolina State University109
leading researchers
Mostafa Hassanalian · Jones, Benjamin · Tape, Kenneth · İsmail Güvenç · Walid Saad · Freederia AI Researcher · Masoud Gheisari · Ezuma, Martins
▲
Breakthroughs1,907 · 30%
▲ 21%→31% share
▲1.5× share momentum2 median citations78% since 2021mostly methods-led
Computer security research is surging — papers rocketed from 6 to 99, signaling intensifying UAV cybersecurity breakthroughs.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Computer vision11→104
- Computer security6→99
- Real-time computing8→99
- Key (lock)2→89
- Scalability5→86
Newly emergingReinforcement learning 0→74 · Trajectory 0→67 · Modular design 0→33
Landmark Vehicle Routing Problems for Drone Delivery · 1,199 cites
◆
Advancements2,371 · 37%
▲ 32%→38% share
▲1.2× share momentum2 median citations75% since 2021mostly methods-led
Remote sensing advancements are accelerating — papers grew from 8 to 123, the sharpest rise across all advancement sub-topics.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Remote sensing8→123
- Aeronautics13→115
- Computer vision5→106
- Key (lock)4→92
- Real-time computing12→99
Newly emergingReinforcement learning 0→54 · Object detection 0→43 · Quadcopter 0→38
Landmark Drone Small Cells in the Clouds: Design, Deployment and Performance Analysis · 655 cites
▼
Concerns1,144 · 18%
▼ 35%→16% share
▼0.5× share momentum2 median citations68% since 2021mostly empirical
Concerns field-share collapsed from 35% to 16% despite Computer security papers quadrupling from 20 to 84.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Computer security20→84
- Aeronautics22→77
- Key (lock)8→62
- Robot6→40
- Aviation11→43
Newly emergingPopulation 0→20 · Resilience (materials science) 0→17 · Reliability (semiconductor) 0→16
Landmark Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): A Survey on Civil Applications and Key Research Challenges · 2,157 cites
RESEARCH HOTSPOTS · United States
Where drones uav is researched across United States
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Boston185 · +0.56
SF Bay Area162 · +0.49
New York144 · +0.41
Pittsburgh132 · +0.53
Los Angeles100 · +0.57
Atlanta87 · +0.47
San Diego69 · +0.53
Ann Arbor65 · +0.42
Seattle52 · +0.50
Philadelphia49 · +0.32
PATENT SIGNAL · United States
Who's filing drones uav patents in the United States
United States drones uav patent filing is accelerating — 104,770 filings from 8,000 assignees (2016–2025), led by Boeing, BELL Helicopter Textron, FORD Global TECH; annual filings 6433→8513.
104,770 filings8,000 assigneespeak 13439/yr2016–2025
filing momentum (YoY 2016–2025)
top patent filers
- Boeing15465
- BELL Helicopter Textron4048
- FORD Global TECH3170
- Goodrich2957
- Sikorsky Aircraft2447
- Honeywell INT2326
- Waymo2264
- Deere1947
Common questions
How many Drones companies are there in United States?
Radar tracks 986 indexable Drones companies headquartered in United States that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Drones companies in United States?
The Drones companies in United States on this list have raised a combined $11.5B in disclosed equity funding across 292 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Drones company in United States?
Anduril is the highest-funded Drones company in United States, with $3.8B in disclosed equity funding.
How many Drones companies in United States are funded?
292 of the 986 Drones companies in United States on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Drones unicorns are there in United States?
5 Drones companies in United States on this list are valued at $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in United States Drones companies?
The most active investors in United States Drones companies on this list include Techstars, National Science Foundation, Y Combinator, MassChallenge, In-Q-Tel.
Rohit KhannaTrends & Stories
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.