PDW

About PDW

PDW (Performance Drone Works) is a defense technology company that designs, engineers, and manufactures American-made unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for military, government, and public safety applications. The company has its origins in the high-performance world of the Drone Racing League, where its founders, including Matt Higgins, Dan Defay, and Ryan Gury, developed advanced racing drones. This expertise attracted the attention of the defense community, leading to the formation of PDW in 2018 to address the demand for high-performance, domestically produced quadcopters tailored for the modern warfighter. The company is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, a strategic hub for aerospace and defense. The firm's business model is centered on the direct sale of its advanced drone systems and providing complementary hands-on training and operational support. Its client base includes every branch of the U.S. Military as well as federal, local, and international public safety entities. PDW has secured significant contracts, such as a $20.9 million deal with the U.S. Army for its C100 drone system as part of the Transformation in Contact (TiC) initiative. Financially, PDW is backed by substantial venture capital, having raised over $110 million in a Series B funding round in March 2026, which valued the company at $1.2 billion. Key investors include Ondas, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Hanwha Asset Management. PDW's product portfolio is designed for multi-mission capabilities in contested environments. The flagship C100 platform is a rucksack-portable quadcopter system known for its endurance of over 70 minutes and its ability to carry a nine-pound modular payload. These payloads can be configured for advanced surveillance, electronic warfare, and kinetic strike capabilities. Another key product is the Attritable Multirotor, a strike drone engineered for mass production and deployment in harsh conditions, capable of delivering both anti-personnel and anti-material effects. The ecosystem is supported by proprietary software, including the PDW CORE for mission planning and the PDW SIM for flight simulation. To bolster its technological edge, particularly in electronic warfare, PDW acquired Vanteon in 2026, an engineering firm specializing in advanced radio frequency systems and software-defined radios.