Drones
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Wing and Walmart Expand Drone Delivery to Seven New U.S. Cities, Pushing Toward Nearly 20 Markets
Alphabet's Wing added Memphis, Phoenix, San Diego and four other metros to its Walmart drone network, citing more than a million commercial deliveries.
Switzerland's Verity Wins 2026 IERA Award for Autonomous Warehouse Inventory Drones
The International Federation of Robotics gave its 2026 innovation and entrepreneurship award to Verity, whose self-flying drones scan warehouse inventory in 13 countries.
Allen Control Systems Raises $200 Million Series B at $2.2 Billion Valuation to Scale Its Bullfrog Autonomous Counter-Drone Gun
Counter-drone startup Allen Control Systems closed a $200 million Series B at a $2.2 billion valuation to scale Bullfrog, an autonomous weapon station already deployed with the U.S. Army and Navy.
Matternet Begins NHS Drone Deliveries in Central London, Bringing FAA-Certified Medical Logistics to Its First UK Hospitals
Matternet has launched commercial drone deliveries between two Central London NHS hospital campuses, marking its UK debut and the first urban deployment of an FAA Type-Certified delivery aircraft on British airspace.
Vertical Aerospace Completes First Piloted Thrustborne Transition of a Full-Scale eVTOL Aircraft
Test pilot Paul Stone flew Vertical Aerospace's VX4 prototype through a vertical takeoff-to-wingborne flight transition at Cotswold Airport on April 2, marking a first for a piloted, full-scale eVTOL under UK Civil Aviation Authority oversight.
AI Wildfire Drones Advance From RGB Temperature Estimation to Autonomous Suppression
Clemson University researchers demonstrate an AI system that estimates wildfire temperatures from standard camera images, while Dryad Networks tests an autonomous drone that detected and extinguished a fire in under 12 minutes with no human intervention.
Saronic Closes $1.75 Billion Series D at $9.25 Billion Valuation as Autonomous Warship Maker Scales Production for the U.S. Navy
Kleiner Perkins leads the largest defense tech raise of 2026, more than doubling Saronic's valuation as the company expands shipyards and targets 20 vessels a year by 2027.
Shield AI Raises $2 Billion at $12.7 Billion Valuation as Defense Tech Startup Prepares Autonomous Fighter Drone
Defense AI startup Shield AI closes a $1.5 billion Series G and $500 million in preferred equity, more than doubling its valuation to $12.7 billion while acquiring simulation firm Aechelon Technology.
Pentagon Places First Drone Dominance Orders, Awarding 30,000 One-Way Attack Drones to 11 Vendors After Inaugural Gauntlet Competition
The DOD orders 30,000 small attack drones at $5,000 each from 11 vendors — including a British company that topped the leaderboard — as the first phase of a $1 billion program to field 300,000 domestically produced combat drones by 2027.
FAA Selects Eight Projects to Launch Electric Air Taxi Operations Across 26 States by Summer 2026
The DOT and FAA chose eight state-led eVTOL pilot programs covering 26 states, enabling companies like Joby, Archer, and BETA Technologies to begin passenger and cargo air taxi operations as early as summer 2026.