UAV maker turns to auto industry as source of domestic components By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill While Silicon Valley is well-known as a mecca for the launch of flashy high-tech firms, and Detroit as the home of the older, more staid and much less exciting automotive industry, for one autonomous security drone startup the move from the former area to the latter made … [Read more...] about From Cars to Drones: Birdstop Taps Detroit’s Auto Supply Chain to Scale U.S. Manufacturing
domestic drone production
Batteries Were Boring. That Was a Feature. It’s Gone.
The shift toward a more secure domestic drone supply chain is forcing manufacturers to rethink components they once took for granted. In this guest post, Howard Alt, CEO of Micantis, argues that changing battery requirements present drone OEMs with more than a compliance challenge: they offer an opportunity to take greater control of battery design, performance, data and supply … [Read more...] about Batteries Were Boring. That Was a Feature. It’s Gone.
Heven AeroTech Stands Up Hydrogen Drone Factory in 90 Days
New 56,000-square-foot Virginia facility launches a planned nationwide UAS manufacturing networ Heven AeroTech has opened a 56,000-square-foot production facility in Winchester, Virginia. The site is the company’s first manufacturing operation on the East Coast. The facility launches a planned national network for producing hydrogen-powered unmanned aircraft systems. It also … [Read more...] about Heven AeroTech Stands Up Hydrogen Drone Factory in 90 Days
First Breach Completes First Drone Flight as Company Begins Nasdaq Trading
Maryland defense manufacturer targets large-scale U.S. production of two attritable drone platforms beginning in 2027 First Breach Inc. has completed the first flight of a proprietary drone prototype, marking a step in the company’s expansion from ammunition manufacturing into unmanned aircraft systems. The milestone comes days after First Breach began trading on the Nasdaq … [Read more...] about First Breach Completes First Drone Flight as Company Begins Nasdaq Trading
BRINC Public Safety Drone Maker Closes $125M Round Led by Motorola
Seattle-based BRINC secures a Motorola Solutions-led round, pushing total capital past a quarter billion dollars and targeting all 80,000 U.S. public safety stations. BRINC announced July 14, 2026, a $125 million financing round led by Motorola Solutions, with participation from Index Ventures and Dylan Field, chief executive and founder of Figma. The Seattle-based public … [Read more...] about BRINC Public Safety Drone Maker Closes $125M Round Led by Motorola
