Skydio’s $3.5 billion US drone expansion begins

Skydio, the largest US-based drone manufacturer, says it has raised $110 million in new funding while unveiling an even bigger commitment to American production: a planned $3.5 billion investment in the United States over the next five years.

For US readers watching the drone market shift amid growing scrutiny of foreign-made systems, this is a notable moment. Skydio is positioning itself not just as a drone company, but as a homegrown technology powerhouse focused on public safety, defense, utilities, and critical infrastructure.

The new Series F financing round was led by existing investors and pushes Skydio’s valuation to $4.4 billion. But CEO Adam Bry said the headline number may not be the most important part of the announcement.

According to Bry, Skydio intentionally raised a relatively small amount despite investor interest in putting much more money into the company. That’s because Skydio says its core business is now generating hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, with strong margins and rapid growth helping fund ongoing operations and future projects.

That’s a rare claim in the robotics world, where many companies still depend heavily on outside capital. In simple terms, Skydio is saying it’s increasingly able to fund tomorrow’s innovations with today’s sales.

The company says the fresh cash will help it move faster to scale production for customers in public safety, defense, site security, and infrastructure. Those are sectors where reliable aerial systems are becoming less of a luxury and more of an everyday tool.

At the same time, Skydio has announced a sweeping domestic expansion plan. The company says it will invest $3.5 billion in the US to grow manufacturing capacity, accelerate research and development, and strengthen supply chains.

That investment is expected to create more than 2,000 direct Skydio jobs, plus over 3,000 additional jobs across suppliers and partners. More than $1 billion is expected to go to US-based suppliers.

One centerpiece of the strategy is a new initiative called SkyForge, designed to keep more drone technology and production inside the United States. Skydio says it plans to open a new manufacturing facility five times larger than its current space. The company notes this would mark its fifth production expansion in eight years, a sign of fast-rising demand.

Skydio also plans to work closely with suppliers, including inviting select partners to co-locate production near its own operations. That could speed up manufacturing, improve engineering collaboration, and reduce dependence on overseas components.

The company says it has already shipped more than 60,000 flying robots to over 3,800 customers. Those customers include more than 1,200 public safety agencies, every branch of the US military, 29 allied nations, and more than 450 utility and energy companies.

One standout example is Skydio’s Drone as First Responder program, where the company says drones arrive on scene first 71% of the time and help resolve nearly a quarter of calls without sending a patrol unit. That kind of real-world use case helps explain why investors remain interested, and why Skydio believes demand is only getting started.

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