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Performance Drone Works

Category: Robotics / Embodied AI

A defense-technology company specializing in the design and manufacture of autonomous, military-grade small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) engineered for contested environments and electronic warfare. Performance Drone Works was founded in 2018. The company is led by James Slider. Based in Huntsville, USA. Team size: 51-200. Total funding raised: $154.0M. Latest round: Series B ($110.0M, Mar 2026). Key investors include ["Ondas Holdings","Decisive Point","Booz Allen Hamilton","Hanwha Asset Management","Squadra Ventures","RSE Ventures","Hood River","Cedar Pine"].

Founded
2018
Headquarters
Huntsville, USA
Team size
51-200
Total funding
$154.0M

Value proposition

Provides NDAA-compliant, American-made drone platforms that combine high-speed racing performance with military-grade autonomy and resilience against signal jamming in GPS-denied environments.

Products and solutions

["C100 Platform: A portable, heavy-lift sUAS with a modular open architecture for diverse mission sets.","BlackWave: A proprietary, interference-resistant digital radio link designed for contested electromagnetic environments.","Autonomous Mission Systems: AI-driven flight control software for obstacle avoidance and GPS-independent navigation.","Modular Payload Integration: Support for EO/IR sensors, signals intelligence (SIGINT), and kinetic effectors."]

Unique value

Leverages a 'Racing-to-Defense' pipeline, applying high-performance flight dynamics from the Drone Racing League (DRL) to ruggedized, mission-critical military hardware.

Target customer

U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), allied international defense ministries, and federal law enforcement agencies.

Industries served

["Defense & National Security","Aerospace & Robotics","Electronic Warfare","Public Safety & Emergency Response"]

Technology advantage

Proprietary BlackWave radio technology offers superior resilience to electronic warfare (EW) compared to commercial-off-the-shelf drones; domestic manufacturing at scale ensures a secure, NDAA-compliant supply chain for the DoD.

How they differentiate

Leverages a 'racing-to-defense' pipeline to provide high-speed agility and performance; proprietary BlackWave digital radio technology for resilience in electronic warfare (EW) and GPS-denied environments; modular C100 heavy-lift architecture for multi-mission flexibility.

Main competitors

["Anduril Industries","Shield AI","Skydio","Red Cat Holdings (Teal Drones)"]

Key partnerships

["U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)","Booz Allen Hamilton (Strategic Investor/Partner)","Hanwha Asset Management","Ondas Holdings","Decisive Point"]

Notable customers

["U.S. Army","U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)","U.S. Air Force"]

Major milestones

["Secured $110M Series B led by Ondas Holdings in March 2026 to scale mass production.","Opened 'Drone Factory 01' in Huntsville, Alabama, to support Department of Defense demand.","Awarded $20.9M U.S. Army contract for C100 drones under the 'Transformation in Contact' initiative.","Selected by USSOCOM for the development of BlackWave next-generation radio systems.","Announced leadership transition with James Slider assuming the CEO role to focus on industrial-scale manufacturing.","Attritable Multirotor strike drone entered production in March 2026.","Booz Allen Hamilton made strategic investment in PDW (announced May 2026)."]

Growth metrics

Opened 'Drone Factory 01' in Huntsville, AL (90,000 sq ft); scaling production capacity to 100,000 drones annually; workforce expansion to 500 employees.

Market positioning

Category leader in combat robotics and AI-enabled autonomous defense platforms, positioned as a primary domestic alternative to foreign-made sUAS for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Geographic focus

North America (U.S. Department of Defense and federal law enforcement), with expansion into allied international defense markets.

Patents and IP

The leadership team, including Ryan Gury, holds multiple patents in UAS frame design, high-speed flight control systems, and communication protocols; PDW maintains proprietary IP on its BlackWave radio architecture.

About James Slider

James Slider was previously PDW's Chief Operating Officer for three years before being elevated to CEO in early 2026 to lead the company's industrial-scale manufacturing push. He brings operational leadership experience focused on scaling production of small unmanned aerial systems for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Official website: