What Drone Cadets does

Drone Cadets is a New York-based, privately held drone education company founded in 2016 by former corrections officer Sgt. Tony Reid. It delivers FAA-certified drone training across an age-stratified curriculum spanning K-2 (Mini Cadets), grades 3-8 (STEM Program), high school CTE tracks, adult workforce certification including FAA Part 107 preparation, and specialized programs for at-risk youth (Turnaround Kid) and individuals re-entering society after incarceration. Core technology consists of the curriculum itself plus a mobile Drone Bus STEM lab and a Drone Manufacturing & Maintenance Track that teaches hardware assembly and repair.

The company operates a sales-led, multi-channel go-to-market: direct outreach to K-12 schools and districts through scheduled calls, in-school and after-school program delivery, mobile Drone Bus events, drone sports competitions, and a direct-to-consumer STEM Store at dronecadetsstore.com. Pricing for school and workforce programs is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed; the STEM Store uses unit pricing with a 10% new-customer discount code. The business model blends subscription-style recurring school contracts, professional-services fees for workforce certification, hardware sales through the store, and event-based professional services revenue.

Drone Cadets is a small, founder-owned operation with 1–10 employees, no disclosed institutional funding, and a stated Vision 2035 of training one million safe and responsible drone pilots. Its competitive differentiation rests on the combination of FAA certification, a DEI-focused mission tied to under-represented communities, and a content library covering every age group from early elementary through adult re-entry — a positioning uncommon among generic STEM drone providers.

Name

Drone Cadets

Legal name

Drone Cadets

Website

https://dronecadets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Drone Cadets is a New York-based private drone education company offering FAA-certified K-12, workforce, re-entry, and at-risk-youth training programs through schools, mobile events, and an e-commerce STEM store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drone Education / STEM Training

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Services (61), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Drones, UAVs & Aerial Robotics Programs (EDAMADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM & Coding Learning Centers (Robotics, Programming, Engineering) (EDANAHAF), Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps (EDAMALAE)

Keywords

• Drone education
• STEM curriculum
• FAA certification training
• Workforce training
• Drone sports

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. K-12 School Programs: Revenue from in-school drone classes integrated into daily school schedules, after-school programs, and Saturday drone programs. Schools or districts pay for program implementation and instruction.
2. Workforce Training & Certification: Professional drone pilot certification and workforce development programs for high school students and adults, generating revenue through course fees and certification charges.
3. Drone Competitions & Sports Leagues: High-energy competitive leagues for students, potentially generating revenue through registration fees, event hosting, and sponsorship.
4. STEM Store E-commerce: Online retail store selling drone-related educational products, merchandise, and learning materials through dronecadetsstore.com.
5. Mobile Events (Drone Bus, Drone Day): Revenue from bringing mobile STEM labs to schools for assemblies and showcases, charging for the event delivery and instruction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Drone Cadets provides drone-based STEM education programs across age groups from K-2 through adults, including in-school curricula, after-school and Saturday programs, drone sports and competitions, mobile STEM lab events via the Drone Bus, workforce training for high school students and adults, manufacturing and maintenance tracks, and specialized programs for re-entry individuals and at-risk youth. The company also operates an e-commerce STEM store (dronecadetsstore.com) selling drone kits and educational materials, including a manufacturers rebate program for students.

Product overview

Drone Cadets offers a comprehensive suite of drone education programs designed as a unified platform spanning K-12 students through adult workforce development. The product portfolio includes age-specific programs (Mini Cadets for K-2, STEM Program for grades 3-8, and CTE High School tracks), specialized intervention programs (Turnaround Kid Program and Re-entry Program), and flexible delivery formats (in-school classes, after-school programs, Drone Bus mobile events, and drone sports competitions). The core platform is complemented by the Adult Workforce Program providing FAA certification preparation and the Drone Manufacturing & Maintenance Track for technical skills. The Drone Cadets STEM Store serves as an e-commerce add-on offering equipment and educational materials. All programs share a unified mission emphasizing FAA safety standards, ethics, and responsible drone operation, with certified instructors delivering consistent curriculum across all age groups and program formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Drone Cadets STEM STORE: STEM-focused educational store offering drone-related products and merchandise

Products and services

• Mini Cadets (K-2)
• STEM Program (3-8)
• CTE High School Program
• After-School Programs
• Saturday Programs
• Drone Sports & Competitions
• Drone Bus & Drone Day Events
• Workforce Training (HS & Adults)
• Manufacturing & Maintenance Track
• Turnaround Kid Program
• Re-entry Program
• Drone Cadets STEM Store

Quantifiable outcome

• Train 1 million safe and responsible drone pilots by 2035
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DARTdrones: DARTdrones offers professional drone pilot training and Part 107 prep courses to individuals and enterprises. It is a direct comparator to Drone Cadets' Adult Workforce certification program.
• Robolink: Robolink designs STEM education kits including drone and robotics products for schools and hobbyists. It directly competes with Drone Cadets in the K-12 drone education and hardware-kit category.
• DroneBlocks: DroneBlocks provides drone-based coding and STEM curriculum for K-12 classrooms. It is a direct competitor offering in-school drone programming with similar age-stratified lesson plans and a school-district go-to-market model.
• SkyOp: SkyOp delivers drone education programs to schools, colleges, and workforce clients including Part 107 prep. It is a direct peer competing for the same institutional drone training contracts.
• Uplift Drones: Uplift Drones provides drone training, consulting, and curriculum for schools, public safety, and enterprise. It overlaps directly with Drone Cadets on K-12 programs and workforce certification.

Emerging players

• Flybrix: Flybrix makes educational build-your-own drone kits aimed at classroom and hobbyist use. It overlaps with Drone Cadets on the build/repair drone training and STEM retail side of the business.
• Drone Racing League (DRL): DRL runs competitive drone racing leagues and STEM-academy programming for students. It overlaps with Drone Cadets' Drone Sports & Competitions product and offers a comparable youth-facing competitive channel.

Broad incumbents

• PCS Edventures: PCS Edventures delivers K-12 STEM labs and enrichment programs including drone and engineering content. It competes for the same school-district STEM budget allocations as Drone Cadets but across a broader STEM catalog.
• Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA): AMA is a long-standing national association promoting model aviation education and safety. It is an incumbent in the broader drone/aviation education space with curriculum and instructor networks that overlap with Drone Cadets' safety-focused mission.
• DJI Education: DJI's education arm sells RoboMaster and Tello Edu platforms paired with K-12 curricula and teacher training. It is a much larger incumbent with hardware, software, and curriculum bundles that compete for the same school district dollars.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dronecadets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Cadets