About Drones sector in Bay Area, United States
The Drones sector in Bay Area, United States comprises 195 companies, including 96 funded companies having collectively raised $2.86B in venture capital money and private equity. Out of these, 50 are Series A+ funded, and 1 has achieved unicorn status.
Drones sector in Bay Area, United States has seen 23 acquisitions and 1 IPO. This represents almost 12.3% of all such companies - which is higher than the 4.0% exit rate of tech companies in general.
This sector includes drones are defined as any powered unmanned aerial heavier-than-air vehicle (manual or autonomous) and excludes unmanned ground, undersea and surface vehicles.
Drones sector is also known as Unmanned Aerial Systems, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Flying Robots or Quadcopter.
Includes manufacturers of consumer, commercial and military, fixed-wing, rotor and tethered unmanned aerial vehicles; providers of software for general operation and control, navigation, autopilot, collision avoidance, fleet management, airspace and flight path mapping; UAV-enabled service providers such as drone/drone pilot marketplaces and rental platforms; drone hardware parts, accessories and peripherals including spare parts, payloads and sensors; drone detection and anti-drone technologies including anti-drone geofencing companies. Excludes unmanned ground vehicles (military, commercial and consumer RC toys), unmanned underwater vehicles; online stores in multi-brand drone retail; drone resellers and distributors; drone-focused online discussion and review forums, and drone-focused social media platforms.
Top Drones Companies in Bay Area, United States
There are 195 Drones startups in Bay Area, United States which include Skydio, DroneDeploy, Vantage Robotics, Hivemapper, Pyka. Out of these, 96 startups are funded, with 50 having secured Series A+ funding, and 1 achieving unicorn status.
2026 has seen the creation of 2 Drones startups in Bay Area, United States. Over the past 10 years, an average of 6 new companies have been launched annually. Notably, several of these startups have been founded by alumni of Stanford University, University of California (Berkeley) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Here is the list of top Drones startups in Bay Area, United States
1. Skydio
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.
Key facts about Skydio
- Founded Year: 2014
- Location: San Mateo (United States)
- Stage: Series F
- Total Funding till date: $825M
- Investors: Andreessen Horowitz, IVP and 37 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series F, Apr 28, 2026, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 73/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 2 of 1,041 Competitors
2. DroneDeploy
DroneDeploy provides a cloud software platform for commercial drones. It enables businesses to collect, manage & interpret drone data and also features imagery & analysis, 3D modeling & other capabilities from multiple drones remotely. Also offers a flight app compatible with iOS & Android devices to capture maps, photos, panoramas, and videos. It has applications across different industries, including agriculture, construction, mining, inspection, and surveying.
Key facts about DroneDeploy
- Founded Year: 2013
- Location: San Francisco (United States)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $142M
- Investors: AngelPad, Energize Capital and 16 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series E, Feb 04, 2021, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 71/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 2 of 227 Competitors
Creates unmanned aircraft systems. Government and business clients are served. They provide a portable, light, and military-grade ISR drone.
Key facts about Vantage Robotics
- Founded Year: 2013
- Location: San Francisco (United States)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $8.94M
- Investors: Bulldog Innovation Group, Hone Capital and 6 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, May 08, 2023, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 66/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 5 of 1,052 Competitors
4. Hivemapper
Network of contributors providing real-time street-level mapping data and applications. The network incentivizes the collection of imagery and verification of outputs. Data usage requires the redemption of tokens, a portion of which are permanently removed from circulation. Applications leverage geospatial data for various commercial and enterprise purposes.
Key facts about Hivemapper
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: San Francisco (United States)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $23M
- Investors: Multicoin Capital, Spark Capital and 21 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Jun 23, 2025, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 64/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 2 of 130 Competitors
5. Pyka
Autonomous electric aircraft for agriculture, cargo, and defense applications. It is a robotics company focused on building useful autonomous aircraft. They develop next-generation aircraft for crop protection and multi-mission performance in long-range, heavy-lift operations. Their technology emphasizes redundancy, reliability, and autonomy. They offer solutions for aerial application, cargo transport, and defense applications. The company is involved in manufacturing zero-emission autonomous aircraft and has secured approvals for commercial operations. They are focused on innovation in autonomous systems and electric aviation.
Key facts about Pyka
- Founded Year: 2016
- Location: Palo Alto (United States)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $88.1M
- Investors: Obvious Ventures, Prelude Ventures and 17 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Sep 23, 2024, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 64/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 2 of 356 Competitors
Companies founded year-on-year in the Drones sector in Bay Area
2 new startups have been founded so far in 2026 in the Drones sector in Bay Area. 14 Drones startups in Bay Area were founded in 2017 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 2 |
2025 | 4 |
2024 | 4 |
2023 | 6 |
2022 | 4 |
2021 | 5 |
2020 | 7 |
2019 | 8 |
2018 | 11 |
2017 | 14 |
Stage-wise distribution of Drones sector companies in Bay Area
Out of the total 195 Drones companies in Bay Area, 96 have secured funding. Among them, 50 have reached Series A or higher, and 38 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 195
Funded - 96
Series A+ - 50
Series B+ - 38
Series C+ - 29
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 195 |
Funded | 96 |
Series A+ | 50 |
Series B+ | 38 |
Series C+ | 29 |
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Funding Trends in the Drones sector in Bay Area
Total funding year-on-year in the Drones sector in Bay Area
The Drones sector in Bay Area saw a total funding of more than $2.45B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2022 at more than $521M. There has been a total funding of $240M in 2026 till date.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2026 | $240M |
2025 | $168M |
2024 | $345M |
2023 | $55.3M |
2022 | $521M |
2021 | $443M |
2020 | $193M |
2019 | $112M |
2018 | $126M |
2017 | $245M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Drones in Bay Area
In the year 2026, till August 2026, Drones companies in Bay Area have raised $234M in equity funding across 11 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till August 2025), Drones companies in Bay Area had raised $136M across 8 rounds.
So, 2026 has seen a 72.68% rise in funding in Drones companies in Bay Area as compared to 2025.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Drones companies in Bay Area:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Series A | 5783 | Aug 30, 2026 | ||
Series B | 7070 | Aug 25, 2026 | ||
Series A | 1957 | Aug 04, 2026 | and 3 more | |
Seed | 6777 | Jun 02, 2026 | ||
Series B | 7348 | May 28, 2026 |
Top Investors in Drones in Bay Area
Y Combinator is the top investor in Drones companies in Bay Area based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Drones companies in Bay Area:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
Mountain View (United States) | ||
Menlo Park (United States) | ||
Sunnyvale (United States) | ||
San Mateo (United States) | ||
Cambridge (United States) |
M&A activity in Drones sector in Bay Area
In the year 2026, till August 2026, 4 acquisitions happened in Drones sector in Bay Area. Last year, in 2025, a total of 1 acquisition happened in Drones sector in Bay Area.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Drones sector in Bay Area:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Aug 10, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jul 30, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jul 07, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Feb 09, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jun 16, 2025 |
Acquisition trends in Drones sector in Bay Area
Here are the acquisition trends in Drones sector in Bay Area:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 4 |
2025 | 1 |
2024 | 1 |
2023 | 1 |
2022 | 5 |
2021 | 5 |
2020 | 1 |
2019 | 1 |
2018 | 4 |
2017 | - |
IPOs in Drones in Bay Area
In the year 2022, till November 2022, 1 IPO happened in Drones sector in Bay Area.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Drones sector in Bay Area:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Nov 18, 2022 | Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) | |
Jun 14, 2019 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) |
Colleges which produce the most Drones companies in Bay Area
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Drones in Bay Area
Most number of Drones startups in Bay Area have been founded by alumni from Stanford University, University of California (Berkeley) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Stanford University | 17 |
University of California (Berkeley) | 9 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 8 |
Columbia University | 3 |
Harvard Business School | 3 |
Harvard University | 3 |
Carnegie Mellon University | 2 |
Imperial College London | 2 |
Stanford Business School | 2 |
University of California (Los Angeles) | 2 |
Total funding in Drones companies founded by alumni from top colleges in Bay Area
In the last 10 years, Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates' Drones companies in Bay Area have raised the most funding among top colleges. Stanford University alumni are second, and The University of Edinburgh alumni are third.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $1.11B |
Stanford University | $386M |
The University of Edinburgh | $141M |
Harvard Business School | $88.9M |
Harvard University | $88.9M |
Imperial College London | $73.1M |
Carnegie Mellon University | $66.2M |
Stanford Business School | $50M |
University of California (Berkeley) | $43.4M |
Yale University | $16.1M |
Top News in Drones in Bay Area
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AVI-SPL and Matternet Partner on Autonomous Drone Delivery for Mission-Critical Service LogisticsGlobeNewswire•Sep 15, 2026•AVI-SPL, Matternet
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Papa John’s Partners with Alphabet’s Wing for Drone Delivery Test in North CarolinaFOX Business•May 13, 2026•Papa John, Wing
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Sunflower Labs Receives FAA Approval for One Pilot to Operate Six DronesBusiness Wire•May 05, 2026•Sunflower Labs
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Wing is bringing drone delivery to 150 more Walmart storesThe Robot Report•Jan 12, 2026•Wing, Walmart, Amazon
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NEXCOM, Stereolabs Partner to Develop AI Vision SolutionsPhotonics Media•Dec 26, 2025•NEXCOM, Stereolabs
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Wing and Walmart launch rapid delivery via drones across Metro AtlantaRetail Technology Innovation Hub•Dec 04, 2025•Wing, Walmart, Feeding America, Atlanta Community Food Bank and 1 other
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NEXCOM and Stereolabs collaborate to advance AI vision for industrial applicationsNew Electronics•Nov 26, 2025•NEXCOM, Stereolabs
