Drone city

What Drone city does

Drone City LLC is a New York-based private aerospace company that develops dual-use unmanned systems technologies for air, land, and sea applications. Founded in 2014 by Mehdi Salehi after a multi-continent effort spanning rescue operations, agricultural sensor systems, United Nations media projects, VTOL prototyping, and COVID-era contactless deliveries, the company is structured as a single-member LLC operating from a mailing address at 99 Wall Street, New York, and a research lab at 592 Hangar Road, Rome, New York. Its website frames the company as an aerospace innovator serving emergency services, public safety, logistics, and agricultural monitoring use cases, with a notable milestone of conducting New York's first drone delivery on August 15, 2022.

The company's technology portfolio is centered on three self-described proprietary systems: the Navigational Decision Making System (NDMS), which it describes as enabling full autonomy and airspace awareness for unmanned platforms; GPS-Denied Swarm Technology across Type 1, 2, and 3 classifications, intended to coordinate multi-drone operations in environments where satellite positioning is unavailable or contested; and a Drone Delivery Mesh Network built around Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) hardware. These systems are positioned for missions in disaster response, remote delivery, overwatch, and rescue, with the company emphasising dual-use applicability. The company holds an FAA registration (FA334ML943), a SAM registration (YDNZW8LNVU65), and an MBE certification, and is registered in New York.

From a business-model standpoint, Drone City is early-stage and appears bootstrapped, with the only disclosed capital infusion being a $50,000 grant from the Griffiss Institute Incubator in August 2023 and selection into the NATO DIANA programme in 2026. The company discloses no pricing model, no customer logos, and no revenue figures. Its go-to-market is described as direct engagement via its website, targeting government, public safety, and commercial delivery buyers. The 2026 announcement of a Drone City consortium in Kurnool, India, tied to the AMCA testing centre complex and India's Aatmanirbharta defence manufacturing initiative, signals a strategic shift toward defence and international ecosystems.

Name

Drone city

Legal name

Drone City LLC

Website

https://dronecity.ai

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Drone City is a New York-based private aerospace company developing dual-use autonomous unmanned systems for air, land, and sea, including its proprietary NDMS navigation platform and GPS-Denied Swarm technology. Founded in 2014 by Mehdi Salehi, it serves government, public safety, logistics, and defence customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Unmanned Aerial Systems

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerial Robotics (Drones & UAV Autonomy) (HDAAAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) & Remote Operations Infrastructure (IMABAIAL), UAS Launch/Recovery & Support Equipment (Catapults, Nets, Docking) (IMABAIAN), UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid) (IMABAIAO)

Keywords

• Unmanned aerial systems
• Autonomous drone technology
• GPS-denied navigation
• Drone swarm coordination
• VTOL aircraft systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Haverstraw

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Drone City develops, tests, and manufactures dual-use unmanned drone technologies for air, land, and sea applications. Its core offerings center on the proprietary Navigational Decision Making System (NDMS) for full autonomy and airspace awareness, GPS-Denied Swarm technology for multi-drone coordination in environments without satellite navigation, and VTOL systems for versatile take-off and landing. These products support disaster response, remote delivery, overwatch, and rescue missions.

Product overview

Drone City is an aerospace innovator specializing in dual-use unmanned technologies spanning air, land, and sea domains. The company offers a portfolio centered on its Navigational Decision Making System (NDMS) for autonomous operation and airspace awareness, GPS-Denied Swarm technology for coordinated multi-drone operations without satellite positioning, and broader dual-use drone systems equipped with sophisticated sensors and real-time autonomous response. These products are designed for mission versatility across disaster response, remote delivery, overwatch, and other operational domains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Navigational Decision Making System (NDMS)
• GPS-Denied Swarm Technology
• Dual-Use Drone Systems
• VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) System
• New York Drone Delivery Service Autonomous aerial delivery service using Drone City's unmanned aerial systems. Conducted as New York's first drone delivery, the service is targeted at urban logistics and contactless package delivery use cases.

Quantifiable outcome

• First drone delivery in New York on August 15, 2022
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Drone City Consortium (Kurnool)coreOthers · 15 May 2026Partnership with Andhra Pradesh government for Drone City consortium in Kurnool as part of the AMCA testing centre complex and broader defence manufacturing ecosystem. This initiative supports India's Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) defence manufacturing goals.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Anduril Industries: Large defense technology company building autonomous systems (drones, counter-UAS, air vehicles) for US and allied militaries. Overlaps with Drone City on defense autonomous UAS and GPS-denied/contested-environment capabilities, though at vastly greater scale and capital.
• Shield AI: Defense technology company developing autonomous drones (Nova, V-BAT) and AI pilot software for military operations including GPS-denied environments. Comparable to Drone City's NDMS and GPS-denied swarm positioning.

Direct peers

• Percepto: Autonomous drone-in-a-box solution provider for industrial inspection, security, and overwatch applications. Comparable to Drone City on autonomous flight, spatial awareness, and overwatch mission profile for commercial/industrial customers.
• Skydio: US-based autonomous drone manufacturer focused on autonomy, situational awareness, and dual-use commercial/defense applications. Closely comparable to Drone City in targeting autonomous flight software for UAS with defense and commercial crossover.
• Matternet: Drone delivery operator focused on urban medical and logistics deliveries, with FAA-certified operations in the US. Comparable to Drone City on commercial urban drone delivery and FAA regulatory compliance.
• Zipline: Pioneering autonomous drone delivery company operating long-range delivery networks for medical, grocery, and government customers. Direct comparable to Drone City's delivery focus, with stronger commercial scale and capital base.
• Wing (Alphabet): Alphabet-owned drone delivery operator running commercial residential delivery services in the US, Australia, and Finland. Comparable to Drone City on urban/suburban drone delivery mission profile and regulatory navigation.
• DroneUp: US-based commercial drone services and delivery operator working with retail and government customers. Comparable to Drone City's commercial delivery focus and regional US operating model.

Emerging players

• Reliable Robotics: Autonomy company developing pilotless flight technology for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Comparable to Drone City's Navigational Decision Making System for full autonomy and airspace awareness, though applied to crewed aviation platforms.
• D-Fend Solutions: Counter-UAS company providing drone detection, identification, and takeover systems. Adjacent comparable to Drone City's airspace awareness and NDMS technology, particularly relevant given the company's stated defense positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drone-city

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Drone city