Auterion
Auterion provides AuterionOS, the Skynode hardware family, and swarm autonomy (Nemyx) as an open-standards operating system for autonomous drones, serving primarily U.S., NATO, and allied government defense customers and OEM drone manufacturers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersArlington, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Auterion does
Auterion provides an open, vendor-independent operating system for autonomous drones and other uncrewed vehicles, built on PX4 autopilot and MAVLink open standards. Its core technology stack consists of AuterionOS (the on-vehicle and fleet-level operating system), the Skynode hardware family of integrated autopilot and mission computers (Skynode X, Skynode S, and ENT/GOV variants, with the AI Node add-on providing NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX compute), Auterion Nemyx for swarm coordination at scale, Auterion Mission Control for planning and execution, and Auterion Suite for cloud-based fleet management and predictive maintenance. The platform is designed to run across manufacturers, payloads, and air, land, and sea domains, and supports continuous over-the-air deployment of new capabilities as apps.
The company sells primarily to government and defense customers (U.S. DoD/DIU, Ukrainian Armed Forces, German Bundeswehr, Taiwan NCSIST, NATO prime contractors) and to drone manufacturers that embed AuterionOS and Skynode into their airframes. Revenue is generated through a combination of multi-year software subscriptions and platform licenses, Skynode hardware sales, AI-enabled strike kit module sales, and direct defense contract revenue. Distribution is direct enterprise sales augmented by an OEM embedding channel and a dedicated NDAA-compliant U.S. subsidiary (Auterion Government Solutions). Co-headquartered in Arlington, VA and Munich with 101–250 employees, the company reports 100,000+ Skynode units under contract, 33,000 AI strike kits shipped to Ukraine, DIU standardization on PX4/MAVLink, and a projection to double revenue to $200 million in the current year while already operating profitably.
Auterion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Auterion
- Legal name
- Auterion LLC
- Website
- https://auterion.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Auterion provides AuterionOS, the Skynode hardware family, and swarm autonomy (Nemyx) as an open-standards operating system for autonomous drones, serving primarily U.S., NATO, and allied government defense customers and OEM drone manufacturers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Auterion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Autonomous Drone Software Platform
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV) (IMABAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Autonomous Flight Control & Guidance Systems (UAS/Urban Air Mobility) (IMABAFAO), UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid) (IMABAIAO)
Keywords
Where Auterion is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Auterion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Drone Software Platform Licenses and Subscriptions: Auterion generates revenue by licensing its AuterionOS operating system and Skynode hardware/software platform to drone manufacturers and government/defense customers. Revenue is driven by signed contracts for drone systems, with the company reporting it is on track to double revenues to $200 million in the current year based on signed contracts. Platform supports continuous deployment with over-the-air updates generating ongoing value.
- Hardware — Skynode Autopilot Systems: Sale of integrated autopilot and mission computer hardware (Skynode X, Skynode S) to drone manufacturers and government buyers. Hardware is bundled with the software platform and sold as integrated systems.
- AI Strike Kit Modules: Sale of AI-equipped strike kit add-on modules (Strike Package X and S) that enable standard FPV drones to autonomously lock onto targets. Auterion shipped 33,000 strike kits to Ukraine by end of 2025 under this model.
- Defense Contract Revenue: Revenue from major defense contracts including software for attack drones built by a NATO prime contractor, and supplying tens of thousands of systems for drones used by Ukrainian forces. The November 2025 Rheinmetall equity investment and the April 2026 German government contract for thousands of autonomous strike systems represent significant contract wins.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise/Government Defense — Custom pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Auterion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Auterion provides an open, vendor-independent operating system (AuterionOS) for autonomous drones and robots, combined with integrated autopilot and mission computer hardware (Skynode) and fleet management software. The platform delivers autonomous navigation, swarm coordination (Nemyx), electronic warfare resilience, and AI-enabled capabilities for defense and commercial operators. Auterion generates revenue through software licensing/subscriptions, hardware sales, and direct defense contracts with the U.S. DoD, NATO allies, Ukraine, Germany, and Taiwan.
Product overview
Auterion provides a modular autonomous systems platform consisting of AuterionOS (the core operating system), the Skynode hardware family (Skynode X, Skynode S, and Skynode ENT/GOV variants), and complementary software products (Auterion Suite, Auterion Mission Control, Auterion Nemyx). The platform enables drone manufacturers and operators to deploy autonomous capabilities through integrated autopilot and mission computing hardware combined with open-standards-based software. Defense-specific offerings include Long Range One Way Attack capability, AI-enabled strike kits, and swarm coordination through Nemyx, with the AI Node addon providing additional compute for machine learning workloads.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AuterionOS: The operating system for autonomous robots that runs onboard and connects entire fleets
- Skynode
- Nemyx
- Auterion Suite
- Auterion Mission Control
Products and services
- AuterionOS The operating system for autonomous robots that runs onboard vehicles and connects entire fleets. Vendor-independent, built on open standards (PX4 autopilot, MAVLink protocol), enabling continuous deployment and app-based capability delivery for drone manufacturers and operators.
- Skynode X All-in-one integrated autopilot and mission computer for autonomous drones. Combines flight controller, mission computer, and LTE connectivity in one compact module. Built on FMUv6x, NDAA compliant, with AI/ML onboard compute capability.
- Skynode S Ultra-compact autopilot platform with on-device AI capabilities designed for attack drones. Features anti-jamming technology to operate in contested electronic warfare environments.
- Auterion Nemyx Swarm autonomy solution built on AuterionOS that enables coordinated drone swarms at scale for mission-focused operations across air, land, and sea domains.
- Auterion Suite Fleet management and operational intelligence platform. Visualizes flight data transferred automatically to the cloud, processes mission information in real time including flight logs, and provides holistic scalable fleet management with predictive maintenance.
- Auterion Mission Control Ground control station application for planning, executing, and monitoring drone operations from a single interface. Supports one drone or global fleet coordination with standardized mission workflows, live situational awareness, and seamless handoff between field and command center.
- Long Range One Way Attack Scalable deep strike capability delivering precision effects at distances up to 1,000 miles. Combines combat-tested hardware with Auterion's open, software-defined autonomy stack for resilient, scalable strike operations.
- Strike Package X Kit AI-enabled add-on kit transforming standard FPV drones into autonomous attack systems capable of locking onto targets. Deployed at scale to Ukraine for combat operations.
- AI Node Compute add-on module for Skynode X equipped with NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX, providing compute-heavy AI/ML and computer vision capability onboard autonomous vehicles.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100,000+ Skynode units under contract, orders of magnitude ahead of the market
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Auterion
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Auterion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability6 records
Feature8 records
Auterion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.
- MGI EngineeringmajorMGI Engineering partnered with Auterion to develop and successfully flight-test the TigerShark uncrewed strike platform — the first such test in Europe in over a decade. The system is designed for high-speed, long-range autonomous missions with capabilities to operate in GNSS-denied environments. The collaboration aims to advance European autonomous systems and expand operational applications.
- AirlogixcoreUkrainian defense company Airlogix and Auterion formed a joint venture during the Munich Security Conference to manufacture AI-guided autonomous aerial systems for Ukraine and NATO allies. The JV combines Airlogix's battle-tested UAV platforms with Auterion's autonomous navigation and electronic warfare-resistant software, with manufacturing in Germany starting 2026. The signing was attended by President Volodymyr Zelensky and Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. The German government has requested thousands of systems from the JV — one of the largest European commitments to drone production for Ukraine.
- Point One NavigationsupportingAuterion partnered with Point One Navigation to deliver centimeter-accurate positioning for next-generation autonomous drone systems. This integration enhances precision navigation capabilities for Auterion-powered drones, supporting applications requiring high-precision positioning.
- Taiwan NCSIST (National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology)majorAuterion partnered with Taiwan's NCSIST to advance Taiwan's defense drone capabilities using combat-tested Auterion software. This deal, sealed at the Reuters report date, represents Taiwan's effort to build a non-Chinese supply chain for drones as a deterrent against China.
- Rheinmetall AGcoreRheinmetall and Auterion signed an agreement on a common unmanned operating system for drones, part of efforts to develop standardized drone control systems. This agreement predated the equity investment and established the technical foundation for the long-term cooperation between the two companies.
- U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon)coreAuterion won a key DoD contract for One-Way Attack drones as part of the Pentagon's Drone Dominance Program. The company is listed among vendors competing for $150M in prototype delivery orders under the Drone Dominance Gauntlet. Auterion was also nominated by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) as the standard for its future drone program, standardizing on PX4 and MAVLink for small commercial drones.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Auterion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Anduril Industries: Anduril builds Lattice, a software platform for autonomous systems and command-and-control across air, land, and sea. It is the closest direct peer to Auterion in defense autonomy software, competing for the same prime contractor and government mindshare with a vertically integrated hardware-plus-software model.
- Shield AI: Shield AI develops Hivemind, an autonomy stack for drones, and ships its own V-BAT platform. It directly competes with Auterion for autonomy contracts across the U.S. DoD and allied militaries, with comparable combat-deployment narratives.
- Skydio: Skydio produces autonomous small drones for defense, public safety, and inspection. It overlaps with Auterion's sUAS OEM channel and competes for U.S. government autonomy contracts, though Skydio is more vertically integrated than Auterion's OS-layer approach.
- Parrot: Parrot is a European drone manufacturer with a software-defined approach (Pica OS) serving defense and commercial markets. It competes with Auterion in the European defense drone ecosystem and overlaps in OEM platform and Skynode-style integrated hardware offerings.
Emerging players
- Helsing: Helsing is a European defense AI company building autonomy and decision-making software for European militaries. It is an emerging peer in the European defense software market where Auterion is also expanding through Rheinmetall and the Airlogix JV.
- Tekever: Tekever is a European drone and AI company providing autonomous surveillance and strike UAS for NATO and allied governments. It overlaps with Auterion in European defense autonomy, particularly with the Airlogix JV's territory and with maritime and ISR applications.
- Quantum Systems: Quantum Systems is a German sUAS manufacturer focused on reconnaissance and defense drones for NATO and Ukraine. It is an OEM-channel partner candidate comparable to those integrating Auterion's stack, and a peer in the European defense drone market.
Broad incumbents
- DJI: DJI is the dominant global drone manufacturer with a closed, proprietary autonomy stack. While banned in many Western defense contexts, it sets the price-performance benchmark Auterion must beat and competes for commercial and dual-use customers globally.
- Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman is a major U.S. defense prime with autonomous systems and unmanned aerial vehicle programs. It is a broad incumbent competitor and potential integrator/partner for Auterion's platform across larger DoD contracts.
- L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris is a large defense prime with autonomous systems, ISR, and drone-related programs. It is a broad incumbent peer that competes for similar DoD autonomy budgets and could partner with or against Auterion on integrated platforms.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Auterion social profiles
Digital presenceAuterion compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Auterion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Auterion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Auterion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Auterion M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Auterion
What does Auterion do?
Auterion provides an open, vendor-independent operating system (AuterionOS) for autonomous drones and robots, combined with integrated autopilot and mission computer hardware (Skynode) and fleet management software. The platform delivers autonomous navigation, swarm coordination (Nemyx), electronic warfare resilience, and AI-enabled capabilities for defense and commercial operators. Auterion generates revenue through software licensing/subscriptions, hardware sales, and direct defense contracts with the U.S. DoD, NATO allies, Ukraine, Germany, and Taiwan.
Is Auterion a public or private company?
Auterion is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Auterion founded?
Auterion was founded in 2017. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Auterion based?
Auterion is headquartered in Arlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Auterion make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Drone Software Platform Licenses and Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are hardware — Skynode Autopilot Systems, AI Strike Kit Modules and defense Contract Revenue.
Who are Auterion's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Anduril Industries, Shield AI, Skydio and Parrot. Emerging players are Helsing, Tekever and Quantum Systems. Broad incumbents are DJI, Northrop Grumman and L3Harris Technologies.
Does Auterion have an API?
No public API is recorded for Auterion.
What industry is Auterion in?
Auterion's product category is Autonomous Drone Software Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAIAH, Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV), with a secondary code of IMABAFAO, Autonomous Flight Control & Guidance Systems (UAS/Urban Air Mobility). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.