Tech

Skyways Unveils Skyreach for Autonomous Logistics

Well, gosh. Y’all really decided to start the week off with a bang, huh? This morning, long-range cargo drone company Skyways unveiled a new version of its VTOL UAV called Skyreach, which packs in 100 lbs of payload, more than 18 hours of flight time, and a 1,300-mile range. “Skyreach brings the range of a […]

PentagonTech

Joby’s Air Force Autonomy Contracts Increase to $37M

Turns out everyone still really loves a tiny little plane.  Yesterday, autonomous aviation company (and Anduril BFF) Joby Aviation ($JOBY) announced that its US Air Force autonomy contracts have grown to nearly $37M in total commitments, up from roughly $20M previously. The increases come after Joby completed an autonomous flight (on a Cessna Caravan) across […]

InvestmentTech

Exclusive: Aformic Raises $6.95M Led by Veteran Ventures

Looks like the whole reindustrialize wave ain’t over just yet.  This morning, robotics-for-manufacturing startup Aformic announced in an exclusive release to Tectonic that it’s raised a $6.95M seed round led by Veteran Ventures Capital. Aformic CEO Michal Fiuk told Tectonic that from here, the plan is to scale up production of—and customers for—its in-factory intralogistics […]

PentagonTech

Aeon Snags $13.8M SOCOM Contract for Shoulder-Fired Zeus Missiles

Business is truly booming in the boom business. Yesterday, Austin-based new-age missile startup Aeon announced that it’s snagged a $13.8M contract to deliver an initial production batch of its software-defined, shoulder-fired Zeus missiles to US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The deal covers roughly 100 of the systems, expected to be shipped out over the next […]

Tech

Oshkosh and Grid Aero Team Up for Logistics UAVs

Back when we started Tectonic, we wondered (out loud, a lot) when the great wave of prime-startup partnerships would come into full swing. It seems, nearly two years on, that we’re officially in the thick of it. Yesterday, contested logistics UAV startup Grid Aero announced that it’s inked an official partnership with Oshkosh Defense (not […]

PentagonTech

Aevex Inks $41.6M Mine-Hunting Deal with the US Navy

Rumors of Aevex’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.  On Friday, the California-based drone-maker announced that it’s secured $41.6M across two contracts with the Navy for its Fisher and SightGlass mine countermeasure (MCM) systems, designed to be deployed from the company’s Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) and its newer Lynx and Chaser small unmanned surface vessels […]

EuropeTech

Shield AI and Leonardo Team Up for Heli-Drones

Last year, it was all, “Everyone loves a tiny little autonomous plane.” Now it’s all, “Everyone loves a tiny little helicopter.” What’s next? Yesterday, autonomy giant Shield AI announced that it’s inked a partnership with European prime Leonardo to integrate its flagship Hivemind autonomy stack onto Proteus, the prime’s “uncrewed rotorcraft” (read: helicopter drone). “Leonardo […]