Seven funded programmes. Dual-use intellectual property across autonomous infrastructure, drone logistics, counter-UAS, and hybrid UAV-UGV systems. US-owned, SBIR/STTR-eligible. NATO-allied supply chain. Joint-development engagements that pass procurement diligence before the kickoff meeting.
In plain English
An R&D partnership is a joint research-and-development engagement where Dronehub and a government agency or defense prime co-develop new capability — typically funded by the agency, with Dronehub bringing the platform, the engineering team, and the regulatory track record. Six-plus such programmes have completed with the European Space Agency, European Defence Agency, EU Horizon, and the European Commission.
This is not consulting and not contract manufacturing. It is a true R&D contract — both parties hold IP in the outcomes, both parties get to use the capability downstream. For US agencies, the closest analog is the SBIR/STTR pathway.
Capability overview
Funded track record
Every system below is in the field. Public funding, named consortium partners, deployed reference sites. The opposite of vapor — and the kind of evidence that lets your evaluation panel sign off in one round.
AI rail inspection proven at national scale. Per-fastener defect detection above 95% accuracy, reports inside 15 minutes, 24/7 availability by design — measured on Germany's 33,000-km rail network. Up to $500M in modelled annual savings. The validation that our AI ships beyond demos.
Case studyFirst hybrid UAV-UGV — flies and drives. We led a 7-partner consortium across 5 EU countries. $1.75M total. First drone with full Galileo authentication. Search & rescue, border patrol, hard-to-reach terrain.
Case studyCounter-UAS interception with Eagle One net-capture drone. Tested with the Military Technical Institute Brno (Czech Republic). The first-ever joint European Space Agency + European Defence Agency programme with an SME.
Case studyHoneywell-led EU urban air mobility consortium — 13 partners, 5 countries. We flew first across the entire consortium. Co-flew with Lilium, Vertical Aerospace, and EU national air navigation services.
Case studyOur mobile drone-in-a-box. Autonomous battery swap at 30 km/h in motion — deploys on any vehicle or platform. The engineering that closes the gap for mobile defense, convoy operations, and linear infrastructure inspection. $1.72M Polish R&D grant.
Case studyDrone-based medical-cargo logistics — blood, samples, medications between Regional Blood Donation Centers and hospitals. Hangar grid every 10–15 km, 24/7 all-weather. Dual-use into defense resupply.
Case studyDrone-based ski-slope safety system. Our earliest European Space Agency Business Applications deployment — in operation at Dolni Morava (Czech Republic). The proof-of-fit that opened doors to AUDROS.
Case studyBuilt and flown
GENIUS NY is the largest business accelerator for unmanned systems on the planet — backed by Empire State Development and CenterState CEO out of Syracuse, New York. We were selected from a global field for Round 6, with a $500K non-dilutive award.
That's how Dronehub entered the US market — not as a foreign vendor knocking on doors, but as a vetted accelerator portfolio company. Today the US base is in the Research Triangle, North Carolina — co-located with one of the densest federal-innovation, defense, and aerospace clusters in the country.
Engagement models
We've structured engagements for US federal innovation, EU multi-country consortia, and direct defense pilot programmes. The right model depends on your funding source and the work.
Dronehub Inc. is a US-owned, SBIR/STTR-eligible US small business. We can be the small-business prime on STTR awards, or sub-contract under your US prime. NATO-allied supply chain, zero CN components, NDAA Section 848 compatible by design — your federal-procurement diligence is half-done before we start.
SBIR · STTR · AFWERX · DIU · DoD · NASA · DHS
We've led multi-country EU consortia (HUUVER, AUDROS) and co-flown with Fortune-100 primes (Honeywell on U-Space4UAM). Available as consortium lead, work-package lead, or technical SME for any Horizon Europe, EU air-traffic R&D, or national programme. Our funded track record helps your proposal's evaluation score.
EU Commission · Horizon Europe · EU air-traffic R&D · EU Space Programme
Joint R&D with defense agencies on counter-UAS, CBRN response, mobile autonomous infrastructure, and dual-use logistics. The European Defence Agency scored us 98/100 on the CBRN programme — first startup to work directly with the agency. We've already passed the security and supply-chain vetting that most startups can't.
EDA · NATO Innovation Fund · National defense procurement
Why us
The signals below aren't marketing positioning — they're what your programme office will check on us during diligence. We pass on day one.
Dronehub Inc. is incorporated in the United States — eligible as small-business prime on SBIR/STTR awards. Founder holds an EB1A US green card. Your federal-procurement compliance starts from a US entity, not a foreign sub.
Zero components from China or sanctioned states. NDAA Section 848 compatible. Engineered upstream — not patched after award — so your programme passes audit on day one.
Patent-pending solutions across charging stations, docking, package logistics, and counter-UAS. The IP behind our deployed systems is real, assignable for joint-development engagements, and protected through active filings.
Engineering data, build records, and operational telemetry hosted in EU + US jurisdictions only. No data leaves allied infrastructure — suitable for regulated and defense-grade workloads.
Our score on the CBRN programme. We were the first startup ever to work directly with the agency. Their vetting bar is the same one your downstream customers will apply.
Aerospace & Defense category, 2024–25. Independent third-party ranking — not a paid placement. The kind of signal procurement officers can cite back to their boards.
Proven in deployment
Every R&D engagement stands on programmes already won and shipped with European agencies — the partnership model is proven, not aspirational.
ESA + EDA
Net-capture drone interception developed across joint European Space Agency and European Defence Agency programmes.
European Commission
EU urban air mobility programme with first city flights, regulatory groundwork and AED delivery trials.
Horizon · EUSPA
Flies and drives: hybrid platform with EU GNSS authentication built under Horizon funding.
FAQ
Get started
Tell us what you're trying to fund or build. We'll come back with a fit analysis, a draft work-package split, and a credentials package ready for your evaluation panel. NDA on request — we've done this many times.