ModalAI, Inc.
ModalAI, Inc. designs and manufactures NDAA-compliant, USA-assembled VOXL-series drone autopilots and development drones for autonomous navigation. The San Diego company serves defense agencies, enterprise drone OEMs, and robotics developers with AI-powered flight controllers and perception systems.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ModalAI, Inc. does
ModalAI, Inc., founded in 2018 and headquartered in San Diego, California, designs and manufactures compact drone and robot autopilots under its VOXL product line. The company's core offerings are integrated companion computers and flight controllers built on Qualcomm QRB5165 processors, delivering 15+ TOPS of onboard AI performance in sub-16g form factors. Its products include VOXL 2 (16g) and VOXL 2 Mini (11g) autopilots, ready-to-fly development drones (Starling 2 and Starling 2 Max), and Blue UAS Cleared FPV platforms (Stinger Vision FPV and Seeker Vision FPV). All hardware is NDAA-compliant and assembled in the USA, with Visual Inertial Odometry enabling GPS-denied autonomous navigation and an open VOXL SDK supporting PX4, ArduPilot, ROS, Docker, and TensorFlow Lite.
ModalAI operates a dual-channel business model combining direct e-commerce sales of autopilots and developer drones (priced from $1,199 for VOXL 2 Mini to $16,999 for a full Stinger Vision FPV thermal kit) with OEM/embedded supply of VOXL components into third-party drone platforms through an ecosystem of 60+ partners including Cleo Robotics (Dronut X1), XTEND (defense human-machine teaming drones), Inspired Flight (IF1200, IF750), Corvus Drones (Corax), PDW (C100), and ARK. Government customers access Blue UAS Cleared products through approved defense distributors ADS, Inc. and CHS6 via P-card purchasing. The company targets Defense and Government, Enterprise Drone OEMs, and Autonomous Robotics Developers with use cases spanning ISR missions, swarm reconnaissance, indoor inspection, agricultural monitoring, warehouse inventory, and drone delivery.
The company generates revenue entirely from hardware sales of autopilots, ESCs, image sensors, modems, and development drones, supplemented by embedded OEM component revenue. ModalAI is led by CEO and co-founder Chad Sweet, a former Qualcomm engineer who led the Snapdragon Flight project that powered NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. The company is a Silver member of the Dronecode Foundation since 2019, with Sweet appointed to the Dronecode Board of Directors in 2021 and 2023, and maintains an AUVSI Premium membership. Recent strategic milestones include Blue UAS Cleared certification for its FPV drones in 2026 and FCC exemption from foreign drone import bans through end of 2026.
ModalAI, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ModalAI, Inc.
- Legal name
- ModalAI, Inc.
- Website
- https://modalai.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ModalAI, Inc. designs and manufactures NDAA-compliant, USA-assembled VOXL-series drone autopilots and development drones for autonomous navigation. The San Diego company serves defense agencies, enterprise drone OEMs, and robotics developers with AI-powered flight controllers and perception systems.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ModalAI, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Autonomous drone autopilots
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Flight Control Computers & Autopilot Systems (IMABAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Autonomous Flight Control & Guidance Systems (UAS/Urban Air Mobility) (IMABAFAO), UAS Communications, Datalinks, SATCOM & Remote Control Systems (IMABAIAJ), Consumer Drones for Imaging (Camera Drones) (CRACAPAD)
Keywords
Where ModalAI, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ModalAI, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales - Autopilots and Flight Controllers: ModalAI generates revenue primarily through sales of VOXL-series autonomous autopilots, companion computers, and flight controllers. Products include VOXL 2 (from $1,269.99), VOXL 2 Mini (from $1,199.99), and supporting components.
- Development Drone Sales: Sale of pre-configured, ready-to-fly reference drones for developers including Starling 2 Max (from $3,199.99), Stinger Vision FPV (from $2,599.99), and associated kits and accessories.
- OEM/Component Sales: ModalAI supplies VOXL autopilots as embedded components to OEM drone manufacturers including Cleo Robotics, Inspired Flight, Corvus Drones, and XTEND for integration into their branded products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | VOXL 2 - Board Only or Dev Kit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | VOXL 2 Mini - Board Only or with Power Module/ESC |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Stinger Vision FPV 3.5" sUAS - Multiple Kit Configurations |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Starling 2 Max - GPS-denied Development Drone |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | LTE/5G Modem Add-ons |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | ESCs and Accessories |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
ModalAI, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ModalAI designs, manufactures, and sells NDAA-compliant, USA-assembled autonomous drone autopilots (VOXL 2 and VOXL 2 Mini), reference/development drones (Starling 2 and Starling 2 Max), Blue UAS Cleared FPV drones (Stinger Vision FPV and Seeker Vision FPV), and supporting ESCs, image sensors, cellular modems, and long-range radios for defense, enterprise OEM, and developer customers. The VOXL product line integrates companion computing, PX4/ArduPilot flight control, on-device AI (15+ TOPS), Visual Inertial Odometry for GPS-denied navigation, and encrypted long-range FPV streaming.
Product overview
ModalAI provides a modular drone and robot autonomy platform centered on VOXL autopilots - compact AI-powered companion computers with integrated PX4/Ardupilot flight controllers. The VOXL product line includes VOXL 2 (16g) and VOXL 2 Mini (11g), both built on Qualcomm QRB5165 with up to 15 TOPS NPU performance. These core autopilots connect to a ecosystem of add-ons including electronic speed controllers (VOXL ESC Mini, VOXL ESC FPV), cellular modems (4G/LTE, 5G), long-range radios (Microhard, Doodle Labs, ELRS), and image sensors (Sony IMX412, IMX664, OnSemi AR0144, PMD ToF, FLIR thermal cameras). Ready-to-fly development drones include Starling 2 Max (55+ min flight, 500g payload) and Starling 2 (40+ min flight), while Blue UAS Cleared FPV drones include Stinger Vision FPV and Seeker Vision FPV. The company serves defense, enterprise, and developer markets with NDAA-compliant, USA-manufactured products supporting autonomous navigation, computer vision, and AI capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- VOXL 2 Next-generation Blue UAS Framework 2.0 autonomous AI autopilot combining a companion computer and PX4 flight controller in a 16g, 70x36mm form factor, powered by Qualcomm QRB5165 with 15 TOPS NPU and support for 5G, 4G/LTE, WiFi, and Microhard connectivity. NDAA-compliant and sold as a board-only or developer-kit configuration.
- VOXL 2 Mini SWaP-optimized autopilot combining a companion computer and flight controller in a 42mm x 42mm form factor at 11g, powered by Qualcomm QRB5165 with 15 TOPS AI performance and four MIPI image sensor inputs. NDAA-compliant, available as board-only or bundled with VOXL Power Module / VOXL ESC Mini.
- Starling 2 Max Outdoor GPS-denied development drone powered by VOXL 2, with a 322mm carbon fiber frame, 500g takeoff weight, 55+ minute flight time, dual IMX412 cameras, dual AR0144 computer vision sensors, and 500g payload capacity. Sold in multiple configurations from drone-only to full kit with battery pack and case.
- Starling 2 Compact development drone with a 220mm diagonal frame, 280g takeoff weight, and 40+ minute flight time, powered by QRB5165 with triple AR0144 fisheye computer vision sensors and an IMX412 color sensor for indoor autonomous flight development.
- Stinger Vision FPV Blue UAS Cleared 3.5-inch FPV sUAS with MVX streaming technology, autonomous AI-assisted flight modes that reduce pilot training time, 11km FPV video range, 12-minute flight time on thermal/EO configurations, and NDAA compliance. Built around VOXL 2 Mini and sold in multiple kit configurations from DIY self-assembly to full kit with battery, controller, VRX, and goggles.
- Seeker Vision FPV Blue UAS Cleared FPV drone offered in 5-inch and 7-inch configurations, deployable for federal operations and procured through ADS, Inc. and CHS6 government procurement channels with P-card purchasing.
- VOXL ESC Mini 4-in-1 electronic speed controller with built-in power module designed for the VOXL 2 Mini autopilot, offering open-loop control, closed-loop RPM control, regenerative braking, and 2-4S Li-Po (6-18V) power input. NDAA-compliant and built in the USA.
- VOXL ESC FPV High-performance 4-in-1 electronic speed controller for FPV applications using 40V, 100A+ Mosfets, with 2-6S LiPo (6-26V) input, 5V @ 6A output for VOXL, and 300A+ peak current capability.
- VOXL SDK Open software development kit for VOXL platforms supporting PX4 and ArduPilot flight control, ROS/MAVROS robotics integration, Docker container deployment, OpenCV computer vision, and TensorFlow Lite on-device AI inference. Enables heterogeneous CPU/GPU/DSP computing for computer vision and deep learning applications on VOXL autopilots.
Quantifiable outcome
- 12-minute flight time with thermal/EO payload on Stinger Vision FPV (575g)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ModalAI, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ModalAI, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration22 records
AI capability11 records
Feature7 records
ModalAI, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- QualcommcoreQualcomm is a Launch Partner and System on Chip supplier for ModalAI. ModalAI's VOXL autopilots are powered by Qualcomm QRB5165 processors, and ModalAI serves as a distributor for Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G Platform. ModalAI also leverages Qualcomm's AI Engine technology for neural processing capabilities.
- Doodle LabscoreDoodle Labs provides Smart Radio technology for long-range communications integrated with VOXL platforms. ModalAI offers compatible cables and integration guides for Doodle Labs modems.
- MicrohardcoreMicrohard provides pDDL and other radio modems (pMDDL2450) for long-range point-to-point communications integrated with VOXL autopilots for 3-5km+ line-of-sight range.
- Dronecode FoundationcoreModalAI is a Silver member of the Dronecode Foundation since 2019. CEO Chad Sweet was appointed to the Dronecode Board of Directors in 2021 and 2023. ModalAI contributes to and maintains compatibility with Dronecode hosted projects including PX4, QGroundControl, and MAVROS.
- AUVSIminorModalAI is a Premium Member of AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International), participating in industry events and initiatives to advance the U.S. drone industry.
- Cleo RoboticscoreCleo Robotics integrates VOXL 2 into the Dronut X1, a compact autonomous indoor drone for confined space reconnaissance and inspections. VOXL's compact form factor enables the Dronut's small footprint.
- Inspired FlightcoreInspired Flight integrates ModalAI Flight Core v2 into IF1200 and IF750 autonomous UAVs. Selected for Blue sUAS program with thoroughly vetted defense ecosystem compliance.
- Corvus DronescoreCorvus Drones uses VOXL to power the Corax autonomous indoor drone for greenhouse monitoring, agricultural inspection, and warehouse operations.
- XTENDcoreXTEND integrates VOXL 2 into defense drones (Xtender, Wolverine, Griffon) for human-machine teaming operations in military applications.
- Gather AIminorGather AI (offering Starling Logis) leverages ModalAI technology for warehouse inventory inspection drones, using off-the-shelf hardware including DJI and ModalAI components.
- ARKminorARK Electron develops the ARK VOXL 2 RTK PAB Carrier integrating ModalAI VOXL 2 with RTK positioning for precision autonomous navigation.
- Ascent AeroSystemsminorAscent AeroSystems integrates VOXL into Helius autonomous UAVs featuring unique coaxial configuration for industrial and defense applications.
- PDWminorPDW integrates ModalAI VOXL into C100 autonomous UAVs for defense and security applications.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ModalAI, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Qualcomm: Qualcomm is ModalAI's core SoC supplier (QRB5165) and a launch partner, but is also a potential upstream competitor if it re-enters the integrated drone platform market directly. ModalAI's Snapdragon Flight Pro lineage makes the two structurally intertwined.
- NVIDIA: NVIDIA's Jetson Orin platform is the primary competing AI compute platform for autonomous drones and robots, with Cleo Robotics explicitly benchmarking Jetson against VOXL. Jetson's broader ecosystem and R&D scale pose a long-term competitive threat to ModalAI's SWaP differentiation.
Direct peers
- ARK Electronics: ARK builds carrier boards, PAB systems, and components for the VOXL/PX4 ecosystem and is itself both a ModalAI partner and a competitor selling VOXL-integrated autopilot carriers (e.g., ARK VOXL 2 RTK PAB Carrier) into the same drone OEM customer base.
- Airvolute: Airvolute produces NDAA-compliant drone autopilot and Datalink hardware, overlapping with ModalAI's Blue UAS Framework component strategy and serving a similar defense and public-safety drone OEM customer base.
- Holybro: Holybro manufactures Pixhawk-series PX4/ArduPilot flight controllers and drone development kits, competing head-to-head with ModalAI's VOXL and Flight Core products in the developer and OEM autopilot category.
- Auterion: Auterion builds open-source-based drone flight stacks and Skynode/Autopilot hardware, directly competing with ModalAI's VOXL ecosystem for OEM autopilots running PX4. Both target NDAA-compliant defense and commercial drone manufacturers.
Others
- Inspired Flight: Inspired Flight is a U.S.-made Blue sUAS-listed commercial drone OEM that integrates ModalAI's Flight Core v2 into the IF1200 and IF750 platforms. It is both a customer/partner and a downstream indicator of how ModalAI's flight controllers are positioned in the Blue UAS ecosystem.
- Dronecode Foundation: Dronecode hosts the PX4, QGroundControl, and MAVLink projects that ModalAI's VOXL SDK integrates with. ModalAI is a Dronecode Silver member and CEO Chad Sweet sits on the board, making Dronecode both a strategic ecosystem partner and a structural dependency for ModalAI's open-flight-stack positioning.
- Cleo Robotics: Cleo Robotics builds the Dronut X1 indoor reconnaissance drone on VOXL 2 and publicly validated VOXL against NVIDIA alternatives. As a flagship OEM customer in a differentiated use case (confined-space indoor autonomy), Cleo demonstrates ModalAI's reach into non-traditional drone markets.
Emerging players
- Skydio: Skydio is a U.S.-made autonomous drone manufacturer serving defense, public safety, and enterprise. While it builds full drone systems rather than autopilot components, it competes for the same NDAA-compliant defense drone procurement dollars that drive ModalAI's Blue UAS opportunity.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ModalAI, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceModalAI, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
ModalAI, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ModalAI, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
ModalAI, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ModalAI, Inc. 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 ModalAI, Inc.
What does ModalAI, Inc. do?
ModalAI designs, manufactures, and sells NDAA-compliant, USA-assembled autonomous drone autopilots (VOXL 2 and VOXL 2 Mini), reference/development drones (Starling 2 and Starling 2 Max), Blue UAS Cleared FPV drones (Stinger Vision FPV and Seeker Vision FPV), and supporting ESCs, image sensors, cellular modems, and long-range radios for defense, enterprise OEM, and developer customers. The VOXL product line integrates companion computing, PX4/ArduPilot flight control, on-device AI (15+ TOPS), Visual Inertial Odometry for GPS-denied navigation, and encrypted long-range FPV streaming.
Is ModalAI, Inc. a public or private company?
ModalAI, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ModalAI, Inc. founded?
ModalAI, Inc. was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ModalAI, Inc. based?
ModalAI, Inc. is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does ModalAI, Inc. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales - Autopilots and Flight Controllers are the primary driver. The others are development Drone Sales and OEM/Component Sales.
Who are ModalAI, Inc.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Qualcomm and NVIDIA. Direct peers are ARK Electronics, Airvolute, Holybro and Auterion. Others are Inspired Flight, Dronecode Foundation and Cleo Robotics. Skydio is listed as an emerging player.
Does ModalAI, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for ModalAI, Inc..
What industry is ModalAI, Inc. in?
ModalAI, Inc.'s product category is Autonomous drone autopilots. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAFAA, Flight Control Computers & Autopilot Systems, 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.