Drone stocks, such as ZenaTech (NASDAQ: ZENA), AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV), Red Cat Holdings (NASDAQ: RCAT), Ondas Holdings (NASDAQ: ONDS), and Unusual Machines Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: UMAC) are just starting to take flight.
In fact, with the Trump Administration’s focus on drones for defense, a proposed $892.6 billion defense and national security budget, which is expected to boost spending on drones, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s latest policy directive, the sky’s the limit for drone demand.
As also noted by analysts at William Blair, “This administration has made domestic drone production a strategic goal,” a quoted by CNBC, with President Trump’s “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” executive order a key catalyst for the industry.
In addition, President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” unlocks federal funding for domestic production, makes US skies safer by eliminating Chinese-made drones and components, cuts outdated certification and procurement barriers, and fast-tracks deployment directly to frontline units. It also provides $33 billion in direct spending for advanced drones, autonomous systems, and broader US defense modernization.
In addition, thanks to the latest DoD policy directives from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, companies, such as ZenaTech just confirmed that its entire portfolio of ZenaDrone drones qualify as Group 1–2 expendable assets and are now enabled for direct purchases even for prototypes, by field commanders for both training and real-world missions.
Not only will that help ZenaTech attract new defense customers, but so will its latest partnership with Eagle Point Funding.
ZenaTech subsidiary ZenaDrone just signed a strategic partnership agreement with Eagle Point Funding, a specialized consultancy for technology and defense-focused companies, to help win US defense contracts.
This will allow ZenaDrone to gain further support in identifying and preparing competitive proposals, and in establishing and expanding relationships within key US defense and government agencies.
Strengthening its role with ZenaDrone, Eagle Point Funding helps technology companies secure non-dilutive federal R&D grants and contracts from agencies such as the DoD, Air Force, Navy, and others. They specialize in programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Air Force Works (AFWERX), and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), guiding clients through the application process to win contracts.
As noted by Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO, “Our collaboration with Eagle Point Funding will accelerate testing, pilot deployments, and enable long-term procurement discussions—helping ZenaDrone to advance as a key provider of American-made drone solutions. Their expertise in navigating federal R&D funding programs such as SBIR and Department of Defense solicitations (DoD BAA), gives us a powerful advantage as we develop next-generation drone technologies aligned with US defense priorities.”
“This partnership enhances our ability to accelerate product development, expand defense agency relationships, and unlock new growth without equity dilution,” he added.
It’s also creating a $355.55 billion Drone as a Service (DaaS) market opportunity.
Over the next several years, the DaaS market could be worth about $355.55 billion, as noted by Research and Markets. All thanks to expanding government support from President Trump’s latest bill and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s latest policy directive.
Within the industry, we can look at unique companies, like ZenaTech, for example.
Unlike its peers, ZENA offers a unique DaaS AI-powered drone solution, where clients don’t need to purchase or even manage their own drone hardware and software.
In addition, ZenaTech’s Drone as a Service (DaaS) business model offers both business and government customers reduced costs and convenience to utilize drones to streamline legacy processes and manual tasks such as inspections, surveying, maintenance, precision agriculture and inventory management.
There also no need to purchase drone hardware and software, find a drone pilot, manage maintenance and operation, or acquire regulatory approvals.
Other related developments from around the markets include:
AeroVironment announced that its Wildcat uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) has achieved a series of development milestones in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration (EVADE). Wildcat has successfully completed VTOL-to-forward-flight transitions, validated its core flight and propulsion systems, and begun integrating critical mission payloads—demonstrating rapid progress toward an operationally relevant capability. Wildcat is a Group 3, tail-sitting vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft designed for launch and recovery from ship decks in denied and distributed maritime environments. Its compact footprint, autonomous launch and recovery, and robust flight performance across high sea states make it a flexible and scalable solution for contested littoral operations.
Red Cat Holdings, a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations, today issued a statement of support for a series of executive orders from the White House that advance U.S. leadership in uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and reinforce the resilience of America’s domestic industrial base. The executive actions are expected to remove regulatory barriers and modernize federal approval processes to prioritize U.S.-manufactured drones. Additional provisions include expanded detection and mitigation authority, and streamlined regulations to accelerate the deployment of UAS across federal and commercial sectors. “These executive orders send a clear signal that the U.S. is serious about enabling a secure domestic drone industry that supports mission-critical outcomes for the U.S. and its allies,” said Brendan Stewart, VP of Regulatory Affairs at Red Cat. “This level of policy alignment removes barriers to fielding trusted, American-made systems at scale. Red Cat stands ready to meet this moment with its proven, electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing systems that utilize advanced AI and computer vision solutions from partners including Palantir, Palladyne AI, Athena AI and Primordial Labs.”
Ondas Holdings, a leading provider of private industrial wireless networks and commercial drone and automated data solutions, announced a new partnership agreement with Klear, Inc., a financial technology company offering non-dilutive working capital and treasury management solutions purpose-built for businesses serving critical supply chains. Under the terms of the agreement, Klear will serve as Ondas' preferred working capital finance partner across its expanding platform of subsidiaries, affiliates, and acquired companies. The partnership aims to accelerate liquidity access for innovation-focused companies operating within the Ondas ecosystem and to support Ondas' strategic growth through acquisitions of capital-constrained but high-potential defense and security related drone and AI technology platforms.
Unusual Machines, a leader in drone technology and component manufacturing, announced its inclusion in the Russell Microcap® Index, effective today. The addition reflects the company's accelerating growth and aligns with its ongoing strategy to scale U.S. operations and strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities. “Being added to the Russell Microcap Index marks an important milestone in our growth journey," said CEO Allan Evans. "It reflects increasing visibility in the market and underscores the strategic steps we're taking to advance a strong, U.S.-based foundation for long-term success."
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