About Drones sector in United States
The Drones sector in United States comprises 1.44K companies, including 425 funded companies having collectively raised $15.5B in venture capital money and private equity. Out of these, 224 are Series A+ funded, and 5 have achieved unicorn status.
Drones sector in United States has seen 111 acquisitions and 10 IPOs. This represents almost 8.4% of all such companies - which is higher than the 5.3% 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 United States
There are 1,439 Drones startups in United States which include Anduril, Skydio, Zipline, Sentera, Shield AI. Out of these, 425 startups are funded, with 224 having secured Series A+ funding, and 5 achieving unicorn status.
Over the past 10 years, an average of 64 new companies have been launched annually. Notably, several of these startups have been founded by alumni of Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
Here is the list of top Drones startups in United States
1. Anduril
Provider of AI-based drone surveillance solutions for defense and maritime sector. It provides users with a company that offers an autonomous operational platform based on sensor fusion, machine learning, and mesh networking to monitor and control warfare assets and provide security across land, sea and air. It also provides an autonomous single-rotor drone security systems that can be controlled through a web platform or mobile app. It also provides underwater vehicles for deep water survey and inspection.
Key facts about Anduril
- Founded Year: 2017
- Location: Orange (United States)
- Stage: Series G
- Total Funding till date: $6.26B
- Investors: Founders Fund, Sands Capital and 60 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series G, Jun 05, 2025, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 77/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 2 of 489 Competitors
2. 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 E
- Total Funding till date: $715M
- Investors: Andreessen Horowitz, IVP and 26 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series E, May 13, 2024, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 75/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 726 Competitors
3. Zipline
Operator of autonomous aircraft delivery service for commercial and medical products. The company facilitates deliveries by unmanned aerial vehicles. These aircraft hover during delivery, lowering packages to the ground. The service aims to provide on-demand delivery of goods. It focuses on integrating its delivery system into various industries. The company also provides resources, guides, and information for cities.
Key facts about Zipline
- Founded Year: 2011
- Location: San Francisco (United States)
- Stage: Series F
- Total Funding till date: $900M
- Investors: Google Ventures, Katalyst Ventures and 59 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series F, Apr 28, 2023, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 74/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 57 Competitors
4. Sentera
Provider of a drone-based solution for agricultural monitoring. It provides drones, sensors, and software for the agriculture, infrastructure, and public safety industries. It has developed the Phoenix drone, a fixed-wing drone. It offers a software platform that provides harvest field crop information, field scouting, and diagnosis. It offers a desktop for the cellular and broadcast tower industry to manage big data associated with aerial inspection imagery.
Key facts about Sentera
- Founded Year: 2014
- Location: Saint Paul (United States)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $54.7M
- Investors: S2G Investments, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and 8 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series C, May 09, 2023, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 72/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 272 Competitors
5. Shield AI
Developer of AI fighter jet pilot and manufacturer of autonomous drones for surveillance and patrolling. It has developed a deep neural network-based system to create a fully autonomous drone for battlefield applications. It delivers GPS-denied navigation, mapping, exploration, multi-robot collaboration, robot interfaces, and target detection and tracking capabilities. The company has also developed a quadcopter by leveraging its proprietary AI framework. It caters to the need of service members, law enforcement personnel, and first responders.
Key facts about Shield AI
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: San Diego (United States)
- Stage: Series F
- Total Funding till date: $1.17B
- Investors: U.S. Innovative Technology Fund, riot.ventures and 26 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series F, Mar 06, 2025, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 72/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 6 of 386 Competitors
Companies founded year-on-year in the Drones sector in United States
152 Drones startups in United States were founded in 2016 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2025 | 1 |
2024 | 8 |
2023 | 26 |
2022 | 38 |
2021 | 55 |
2020 | 74 |
2019 | 101 |
2018 | 87 |
2017 | 98 |
2016 | 152 |
Stage-wise distribution of Drones sector companies in United States
Out of the total 1,439 Drones companies in United States, 425 have secured funding. Among them, 224 have reached Series A or higher, and 162 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 1,439
Funded - 425
Series A+ - 224
Series B+ - 162
Series C+ - 138
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 1,439 |
Funded | 425 |
Series A+ | 224 |
Series B+ | 162 |
Series C+ | 138 |
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Funding Trends in the Drones sector in United States
Total funding year-on-year in the Drones sector in United States
The Drones sector in United States saw a total funding of more than $15.2B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2025 at more than $3.56B.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2025 | $3.56B |
2024 | $2.1B |
2023 | $1.14B |
2022 | $2.91B |
2021 | $1.72B |
2020 | $1.01B |
2019 | $672M |
2018 | $466M |
2017 | $524M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Drones in United States
In the year 2025, till November 2025, Drones companies in United States have raised $3.8B in equity funding across 37 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till November 2024), Drones companies in United States had raised $2.02B across 43 rounds.
So, 2025 has seen a 87.49% rise in funding in Drones companies in United States as compared to 2024.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Drones companies in United States:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Series B | 8236 | Nov 19, 2025 | - | |
Seed | 4963 | Nov 17, 2025 | and 1 more | |
Series B | 7264 | Nov 10, 2025 | ||
Series B | 6923 | Nov 04, 2025 | ||
Series A | 6425 | Oct 23, 2025 |
Top Investors in Drones in United States
Techstars is the top investor in Drones companies in United States based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Drones companies in United States:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
New York City (United States) | ||
Arlington (United States) | ||
Mountain View (United States) | ||
New York City (United States) | ||
Boston (United States) |
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M&A activity in Drones sector in United States
In the year 2026, till January 2026, 1 acquisition happened in Drones sector in United States. Last year, in 2025, a total of 7 acquisitions happened in Drones sector in United States.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Drones sector in United States:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Jan 05, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jul 31, 2025 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jun 16, 2025 | ||
Business Acquisition | May 23, 2025 | ||
Business Acquisition | Apr 28, 2025 |
Acquisition trends in Drones sector in United States
Here are the acquisition trends in Drones sector in United States:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2025 | 7 |
2024 | 11 |
2023 | 11 |
2022 | 10 |
2021 | 20 |
2020 | 10 |
2019 | 7 |
2018 | 12 |
2017 | 7 |
2016 | 5 |
IPOs in Drones in United States
In the year 2025, till December 2025, 2 IPOs happened in Drones sector in United States.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Drones sector in United States:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Dec 08, 2025 | London Stock Exchange (LSE) | |
Jun 06, 2025 | OTC Markets (OTCMKTS) | |
Nov 18, 2022 | Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) | |
Sep 23, 2021 | Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TLV) | |
Jun 14, 2019 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) |
Colleges which produce the most Drones companies in United States
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Drones in United States
Most number of Drones startups in United States have been founded by alumni from Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Stanford University | 29 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 25 |
Harvard University | 12 |
University of California (Berkeley) | 11 |
Harvard Business School | 8 |
University of Pennsylvania | 8 |
Carnegie Mellon University | 7 |
Cornell University | 5 |
Duke University | 5 |
IIT Bombay | 5 |
Total funding in Drones companies founded by alumni from top colleges in United States
In the last 10 years, Cornell University graduates' Drones companies in United States have raised the most funding among top colleges. Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni are second, and Harvard University alumni are third.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Cornell University | $6.32B |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $2.74B |
Harvard University | $2.66B |
Stanford University | $2.07B |
University of California (Berkeley) | $882M |
Carnegie Mellon University | $870M |
Duke University | $659M |
University of Cambridge | $389M |
Harvard Business School | $326M |
University of Toronto | $139M |
Top News in Drones in United States
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FlightWave Aerospace Systems Triples L.A. Footprint with New Office Lease in South BayCommercial Observer•Oct 09, 2025•FlightWave Aerospace
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Swiss-US Drone Software Firm Auterion Raises $130 Million with Support from Rheinmetall Partnermanager magazin•Sep 23, 2025•The Mosaic Company, Auterion, Lakestar, Bessemer Venture Partners and 7 others
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Cardi B's album Sales soar through Wing Walmart drone delivery tie-upRetail Technology Innovation Hub•Sep 22, 2025•Wing, Walmart
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Ascent AeroSystems Unveils SPARTAN™: Next Generation of Heavy Weight NX30 UAV PlatformFinancial Post•Sep 03, 2025•Ascent AeroSystems
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Red Cat’s Teal Drones Achieves Globally Recognized AS9100 AccessibilityGlobeNewswire•Aug 13, 2025•Teal Drones
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GoalVest Completes First Close of Venture Growth Fund II Targeting $50 MillionGlobeNewswire•Aug 13, 2025•OLIPOP, CoreWeave, Anduril, GoalVest Advisory
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Heven's Zepher Flight Labs Demonstrates Fuel Cell UAV Flight at 12,000 ftUAS Vision•Jul 25, 2025•Zepher Flight Labs
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DEXA Secures National FAA Waiver for Beyond Visual Line of Sight Drone Operations
accessnewswire.com•Jul 14, 2025•Drone Express
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