
Drone Companies in the United States
Uncrewed aircraft for reconnaissance, strike, logistics and electronic warfare, from FPV quadcopters to long-endurance fixed-wing systems. The Replicator initiative, launched by the Department of Defense (DoD) in 2023 to field thousands of attritable autonomous systems, and the lessons of Ukraine have pushed the services to buy drones in volume from US makers. Together they have disclosed $1.3B in funding, led by Skydio (~$672M). The newest round on record is Shield AI's Series H (Nov 2026).
US Army Puma UAS in flight over Grafenwoehr, Germany. Photo: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Orion Magnuson, Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Army).
Latest rounds
| Date | Company | Round | Amount | HQ | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | Shield AI | Series H | $1B | San Diego, CA | Drones |
| Aug 2026 | Neros Technologies | Series C | $250M | El Segundo, CA | Drones |
| May 2026 | Darkhive | Series B | $30M | San Antonio, TX | Drones |
| Apr 2026 | Skydio | Series F | $110M | San Mateo, CA | Drones |
| Apr 2026 | Firestorm Labs | Series B | $82M | San Diego, CA | Drones |
| Mar 2026 | Swarm Aero | Series A | $35M | Oxnard, CA | Drones |
| Mar 2026 | Performance Drone Works (PDW) | Series B | $110M | Huntsville, AL | Drones |
| Jan 2026 | Grid Aero | Series A | $20M | San Leandro, CA | Drones |
All companies
Full directoryShield AI
San Diego, CaliforniaDevelops the Hivemind AI pilot and the V-BAT vertical takeoff drone, flying autonomously without GPS or communications for military reconnaissance and strike missions.
Neros Technologies
El Segundo, CaliforniaMass-produces low-cost Archer FPV strike drones and the Bandit interceptor with a vertically integrated, NDAA-compliant component stack.
Darkhive
San Antonio, TexasMakes small software-defined reconnaissance drones such as the REVENANT multirotor and autonomy software for short-range tactical missions.
Skydio
San Mateo, CaliforniaBuilds autonomous small drones such as the X10D for defense, public safety and infrastructure, with production at a factory in Hayward, California.
Firestorm Labs
San Diego, CaliforniaBuilds modular, 3D-printed military drones and xCell, a containerized factory that produces airframes near the front line.
Swarm Aero
Oxnard, CaliforniaBuilds large, long-range uncrewed aircraft for sensing and strike, with Legion software that lets one operator control many aircraft.
Performance Drone Works (PDW)
Huntsville, AlabamaDesigns and manufactures the C100 multi-mission quadcopter and FPV strike drones for the US Army at its Huntsville drone factory.
Grid Aero
San Leandro, CaliforniaBuilds Lifter Lite, a low-cost autonomous cargo aircraft that carries 2,000 to 10,000 pounds over thousands of miles for contested logistics.
Questions
Who are the biggest drone companies in the US?
By disclosed funding among the companies we track: Shield AI, Skydio, Neros Technologies and Firestorm Labs, as of November 14, 2026.
How many drone companies are in the US?
Our directory lists 8 privately held US drones startups as of November 14, 2026. Large primes and public companies are not included.