Event 38 Unmanned Systems

What Event 38 Unmanned Systems does

Event 38 Unmanned Systems is an American manufacturer of fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft systems, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Richfield, Ohio. The company designs, builds, and supports a portfolio of small UAS — the Scout sub-2 kg drone, the legacy E384/E384-LR/E384-Heavy and E386 mapping platforms, the E400 series in mapping and ISR variants, and the E455 heavy-lift flagship — alongside a modular payload ecosystem (Sony R10C and RX1R II cameras, FLIR/NextVision thermal and EO/IR, MicaSense/AgEagle multispectral, Inertial Labs LiDAR, CENTUM Lifeseeker for SAR), GNSS/PPK GPS survey equipment, the Mobile Command Center, and the Drone Data Management System (DDMS) cloud platform. Proprietary software features include Intellishoot, Wind Resist, and Terrain Follow.

The business serves commercial, government, defense, and public-safety customers in 49 countries, with documented deployments for law enforcement surveillance, BVLOS oil and gas pipeline inspection (Shell Pipeline via Phoenix Air Unmanned and AviSight), defense training (U.S. Army, Air National Guard 178th Wing, Florida State Guard), national-lab research (Los Alamos), mapping (PLACE in Turks and Caicos), humanitarian logistics (WeRobotics in Peru), and agriculture (Embrapa in Brazil). Revenue is generated through direct hardware sales of aircraft and payload add-ons (E384 packages from $5,990, E386 from $6,890, Scout from $2,190, E384-LR starting at $4,298, with enterprise configurations priced above catalog), recurring DDMS Pro/Advanced software subscriptions, GNSS equipment sales, and professional services including dedicated flight support engineering and training.

Go-to-market is direct enterprise/government field sales augmented by industry-event demonstrations, a service-provider channel (Phoenix Air Unmanned, AviSight, Bird Eye Drone Services), and technology integration partnerships (CENTUM, Elsight, Silvus, NextVision, uAvionix, Inertial Labs, Asymmetric Technologies, AgEagle). The company has been bootstrapped, with no disclosed institutional funding beyond a 2012 Start-Up Chile grant, and has delivered more than 600 aircraft worldwide since founding.

Name

Event 38 Unmanned Systems

Legal name

Event 38 Unmanned Systems

Website

https://event38.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Event 38 Unmanned Systems designs and manufactures American-made fixed-wing VTOL drones and mission-specific optical/payload systems for government, defense, energy, mapping, and public-safety customers in 49 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Commercial Drones)

NAICS

Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Aircraft (3721), Aircraft & Parts (3720), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms (IMABAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aircraft (UAV) (IMABAIAB), UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) & Remote Operations Infrastructure (IMABAIAL), Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) & Autonomous Aerial Platforms (IMABAMAC)

Keywords

• Fixed-wing VTOL drones
• Unmanned aircraft systems
• Aerial mapping drones
• ISR surveillance drones
• BVLOS drone operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

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, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Drone Hardware Sales: Sale of fixed-wing VTOL drones and accessories. Products include E455, E400, E384, E386, and Scout platforms with various configurations and sensor options.
2. Software and Data Services: Drone Data Management System (DDMS) for data processing, analysis, and map generation. Offers Pro and Advanced tier subscriptions.
3. Payload and Sensor Add-ons: Additional revenue from camera sensors (Sony R10C, RX1R II, multispectral, thermal), PPK GPS systems, and other modular payload options.
4. Training and Support: Flight training and customer support services. Every customer gets a dedicated flight support engineer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Event 38 designs, manufactures, and supports American-made fixed-wing VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) unmanned aircraft systems for commercial, government, and public-safety markets. Flagship platforms (E455, E400 series, E384/E386, Scout) carry modular payloads for mapping, ISR, pipeline inspection, search and rescue, and precision agriculture, complemented by the DDMS cloud processing platform, GNSS/PPK GPS survey equipment, and a Mobile Command Center for BVLOS operations.

Product overview

Event 38 Unmanned Systems offers a portfolio of American-made fixed-wing VTOL drones for commercial, government, and public safety applications. The core product lines include the E455 heavy-lift platform for ISR and inspection missions, the E400 series (mapping and ISR variants) with industry-leading endurance, and legacy E384/E386 platforms for mapping and surveying. The company provides modular payload options including Sony cameras (R10C, RX1R II), multispectral sensors (AgEagle, MicaSense, Parrot), thermal cameras (FLIR Vue Pro, NextVision EO/IR), and specialized systems like CENTUM Lifeseeker for search and rescue. Supporting products include GNSS survey equipment with PPK GPS systems, the Mobile Command Center for BVLOS operations, and the Drone Data Management System (DDMS) cloud platform for data processing and analysis. The E455 flagship platform offers 2-hour endurance at 55lbs, while the E400 series provides 90-minute flight times with hot-swap payload capability. The product ecosystem is designed for customization across diverse industries including emergency response, surveying, mining, agriculture, conservation, and infrastructure inspection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• E455 VTOL Drone Heavy-lift fixed-wing VTOL drone weighing approximately 55 lbs with up to 2-hour endurance on battery power, designed for ISR, mapping, critical infrastructure inspection, search and rescue, and magnetometer survey missions for professional and government customers.
• E400 ISR Drone Long-loiter, multi-payload fixed-wing VTOL drone purpose-built for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions with BVLOS-ready communications and a military-grade carbon fiber frame for rugged field applications.
• E400 Mapping Drone High-performance fixed-wing VTOL mapping drone with approximately 90-minute flight time and hot-swap payload capability, targeted at large-area photogrammetry, topographic mapping, agriculture, and inspection surveys.
• E384 Drone (including E384-LR Long Range and E384-Heavy configurations) Fixed-wing UAS with long-range, terrain-following, and Wind Resist software available in standard, Long Range (E384-LR), and Heavy (E384-Heavy) configurations; priced from $4,298, and used for construction, environmental, mining, precision agriculture, and surveying applications.
• E386 Drone Portable long-endurance fixed-wing mapping drone with short field take-off/landing, approximately 85-minute flight time covering up to 850 geo-referenced acres per flight, and an automatic parachute recovery system.
• Scout Drone Sub-2 kg fixed-wing drone designed for simplified regulatory compliance in many countries, with approximately 60-minute endurance and 240-hectare coverage, marketed from $2,190 as an entry-level transportable mapping platform.
• Mobile Command Center Mobile ground control station providing integrated command and control capabilities to support BVLOS drone operations and field deployment of Event 38 aircraft.
• GNSS Survey Equipment Precision GPS and GNSS hardware including PPK GPS receivers for centimeter-level geotagging accuracy without ground control points, offered as standalone equipment compatible with Event 38 aircraft and other mapping workflows.
• Drone Data Management System (DDMS) Cloud-based data management and analytics platform for processing drone-captured imagery, supporting NDVI, DVI, and DEM layers with map viewer and ground control point acceptance, sold as a subscription with Pro and Advanced tiers.
• Sony R10C Camera Payload 20.1 MP embedded camera payload with full software controls and real-time geotagging through an onboard companion computer, used with the E384/E386 mapping aircraft for automated mapping missions.
• Sony RX1R II Camera Payload 42 MP full-frame camera payload producing the highest-quality imagery offered on Event 38 aircraft, achieving 1.35 cm/pixel ground resolution at 100 m AGL and compatible with PPK GPS for enhanced positional accuracy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% reduction in man-hours compared to manual measurement for stockpile volume calculations in mines and quarries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration34 records

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CENTUMcoreTechnology or Integration · 19 January 2026Completed integration of Lifeseeker Mini S10 cell phone geolocation system on Event 38's E455 fixed-wing VTOL platform for public safety and search and rescue operations. The integration enables fast deployment and operational effectiveness in locating missing persons even without network coverage.
• Phoenix Air Unmanned (PAU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2025Drone service provider executed successful BVLOS pipeline patrol demo using E455, flying 320 miles in 7.6 hours for Shell Pipeline Corporation. Event 38 trained PAU pilots and integrated the E455 into PAU's command control stations.
• ElsightcoreTechnology or Integration · 13 June 2024Elsight's Halo AI-based UAV connectivity solution enables BVLOS inspections for AviSight's pipeline inspections. The technology aggregates multiple IP links for uninterrupted drone communications in challenging environments.
• AviSightcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 June 2024Provider of critical infrastructure inspections using Event 38 E455 with Elsight Halo connectivity for BVLOS inspections over 2,000+ miles of pipeline in difficult terrain including wetlands, mountainous regions, and remote areas.
• NextVisioncoreTechnology or Integration · 3 April 2024Integration of NextVision's stabilized EO/IR gimbal cameras onto Event 38's E400 ISR platform. NextVision provides field-proven cameras capturing high-quality visual and thermal imagery with live streaming to ground stations.
• PLACE (non-profit technology organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 April 2023Global non-profit using E400 to democratize mapping data for governments. Successfully mapped 238 square kilometers in Turks and Caicos. PLACE purchased two additional E400s after initial success.
• NextVisioncoreTechnology or Integration · 5 December 2022Partnership for gimballed EO/IR camera integration on E400 platform for search-and-rescue, emergency management, disaster response, and surveillance applications.
• Kent State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2022Collaboration for 3D-printed antenna demonstration on E400 drone. Project backed by Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN) with Youngstown Business Incubator leading.
• Ghostwave, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2019Event 38 part of team awarded $6.3 million OFRN funding for UAV Detect-and-Avoid Sensor Fusion project. Integration of Ghostwave anti-jam radar technology with Event 38 platforms.
• Ohio UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2019Research partner in OFRN SOARING initiative for UAV detect-and-avoid sensor fusion project.
• The Ohio State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2019Research partner in OFRN SOARING initiative for UAV detect-and-avoid sensor fusion project.
• Lockheed Martin Advanced Technologies LabminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2019Research partner in OFRN SOARING initiative for UAV detect-and-avoid sensor fusion project.
• Case Western Reserve UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2019Multi-year research collaboration on structural energy storage led by Dr. Vikas Prakash. Event 38 built custom E400 with battery cells molded into wing structure for 1.6x greater endurance.
• uAvionixcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 March 2019Collaborative agreement to resell and integrate uAvionix ADS-B products (Ping2020, Ping1090, Ping200S transponders) with Event 38 aircraft for improved airspace safety and situational awareness.
• WeRoboticsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 December 2016Non-profit using Event 38 E384 for medical cargo delivery in Peruvian Amazon, achieving world-first anti-venom delivery to remote village in 35 minutes.
• Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2016Joint research with Bird Eye Drone Services of Brazil for using drones on Brazilian farms for agricultural applications.
• Bird Eye Drone ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 November 2016Brazilian drone service provider partnering with Event 38 and Embrapa for agricultural drone applications in Brazil.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Skydio: U.S.-based autonomous drone leader in commercial/public-safety/inspection. Skydio is primarily multirotor but increasingly encroaches on Event 38's ISR and inspection use cases with autonomy-first positioning.
• Autel Robotics: Chinese-origin drone maker with enterprise and surveying lines (EVO, Dragonfish VTOL). Dragonfish is a fixed-wing VTOL that competes with Event 38's mapping/inspection platforms, especially on price.
• Parrot: European drone maker with both consumer and professional (ANAFI) lines plus fixed-wing mapping exposure via Sequoia multispectral integrations. Competes on commercial mapping and precision agriculture.
• Anduril Industries: U.S. defense-tech prime with growing UAS portfolio (Ghost, Roadrunner, Bolt) targeting ISR, counter-UAS, and autonomy. Represents the deep-pocketed incumbent increasingly competing for the same government/defense UAS budget Event 38 targets.

Direct peers

• Wingtra: Swiss fixed-wing VTOL drone maker focused on surveying and mapping. Directly competes with Event 38's E400/E386 mapping platforms on photogrammetry and large-area aerial surveys for surveying and mining customers.
• JOUAV: Chinese fixed-wing VTOL manufacturer (Phoenix, CW series) competing in mapping, surveillance, and inspection segments. Comparable product positioning on endurance and modular payloads at similar price points.
• Quantum Systems: German fixed-wing VTOL drone maker (Trinity, Vector) targeting defense, surveying, and inspection markets with long-endurance platforms. Closest international peer to E455 on VTOL + endurance + defense customer profile.
• senseFly (AgEagle): Pioneer in fixed-wing mapping drones (eBee series) used across surveying, agriculture, and inspection. AgEagle also integrates multispectral sensors that Event 38 resells, and competes head-to-head in commercial mapping drone RFPs.
• Delair: French fixed-wing drone maker (UX11) for surveying, mining, and inspection with BVLOS focus. Direct overlap with Event 38's mapping and industrial inspection customer base across mining and utilities.
• American Robotics (Ondas): U.S. autonomous drone-in-a-box provider for industrial inspection and BVLOS operations. Comparable go-to-market targeting pipeline, energy, and infrastructure operators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/event38

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Event 38 Unmanned Systems