A new drone company backed by the sons of US President Donald Trump is preparing to go public, just as Washington pours billions into building a domestic drone industry.
Florida-based Powerus, supported by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., plans to list on the stock market through a reverse merger with Aureus Greenway Holdings. The move comes at a moment when the Pentagon is racing to scale American-made drones for defense, infrastructure, and emergency response — turning the sector into one of the fastest-growing corners of the defense-tech economy.
If completed, the merger would place Powerus on the Nasdaq sometime in summer 2026, giving the company access to public capital markets as it ramps up production. While the value of the deal hasn’t been disclosed, investment bank Dominari Securities has been hired to help raise around $9 million in additional financing tied to the transaction. Dominari itself counts both Trump brothers among its shareholders, each holding roughly 6% stakes.
A fast-growing drone startup
Powerus was founded in 2025 by entrepreneur Andrew Fox, who is expected to remain CEO and chairman of the combined company after the merger closes. The company builds heavy-lift drones capable of carrying industrial payloads up to 675 kilograms (about 1,500 pounds) — far larger than most consumer or commercial drones.
Powerus also develops autonomous systems beyond the air. Its technology can convert traditional boats into remotely operated or fully autonomous vessels, expanding its reach into maritime robotics as well.
The company has been moving quickly to grow. Over the past six months alone, Powerus has reportedly acquired three smaller drone firms as it works to expand manufacturing capacity. Executives say the company aims to eventually produce more than 10,000 drones per month, a scale that could place it among the largest US-based drone manufacturers.
The startup also builds drones designed for wildfire suppression and emergency response, in addition to military applications.
Trump-linked investments across the drone sector
The Powerus deal is just the latest sign that the Trump family is moving deeper into the fast-growing drone economy.
In November 2024, Donald Trump Jr. joined the advisory board of Unusual Machines, which also counts him as a shareholder. Unusual Machines is reportedly investing in the Powerus transaction and is also a supplier to the company, creating a tightly connected investment ecosystem around Trump-linked drone ventures.
Another investor in the deal is the Korea Corporate Governance Improvement Fund, which has agreed to purchase $50 million worth of Powerus stock.
Meanwhile, Trump-linked investment vehicle American Ventures is also backing the company.
It’s worth mentioning that the investment comes at a time when the US is trying to decrease its reliance on Chinese drones.
For years, US officials have warned that American agencies and military units rely heavily on drones built by Chinese manufacturers — particularly DJI, which dominates the global commercial drone market. Recent policy moves from the Trump administration have attempted to change that.
Federal agencies have been encouraged to stop purchasing Chinese-made drones, and new restrictions have limited the introduction of additional Chinese drone models into the US market. At the same time, the Pentagon is ramping up spending on domestic systems through initiatives like Drone Dominance, which aims to acquire hundreds of thousands of American-made drones by 2027. The program could inject roughly $1.1 billion into the US drone manufacturing ecosystem. That creates a massive opportunity for domestic companies trying to compete with Chinese technology.
A booming industry fueled by modern warfare
The urgency around drone manufacturing has intensified amid the war in Ukraine in West Asia, where drones have become one of the most widely used battlefield technologies. Dense air-defense systems near the front lines limit the use of traditional aircraft, making small, expendable drones essential for surveillance, targeting, and strike missions.
The rapid evolution of drone warfare has drawn billions of dollars into defense-tech startups across Silicon Valley. Companies like Anduril Industries and Shield AI have seen soaring valuations as investors pour money into autonomous systems and military AI.
Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich, a former US Army special operations adviser who has worked closely with Ukrainian drone developers, says the company is also exploring ways to bring battlefield-proven technologies into US manufacturing.
Taken together, the developments suggest something bigger may be unfolding.
As Washington pushes to replace Chinese drones with American-made systems, Trump-linked investors appear to be positioning themselves inside the industry that could benefit most from that shift. Whether Powerus becomes a major player remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the drone race in the United States is heating up, and the Trump family now has skin in the game.
More: DJI fixes ROMO security bug that exposed thousands of homes
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments