AeroVironment to acquire BlueHalo for $4.1B
AeroVironment, an Arlington County defense contractor, announced this week it will purchase aerospace and defense tech firm BlueHalo for approximately $4.1 billion in an all-stock transaction. Also based in Arlington, BlueHalo is owned by private equity firm Arlington Capital Partners and works in space technologies, counter-uncrewed aircraft systems, directed energy, electronic warfare, cyber, ar[...]
DroneUp promotes chief growth officer
Virginia Beach-based DroneUp has promoted Rishap “Rish” Malhotra to be its growth officer, a newly created position at the autonomous drone delivery company. Malhotra had been DroneUp’s senior vice president of corporate development, and heading up the company’s mergers and acquisitions will be part of his new job, which the company announced Thursday. He will […]
Arlington drone company closes deal on AI robotics co.
Arlington County-based AeroVironment, a defense contractor that manufactures unmanned aircraft, has completed its $120 million acquisition of Melbourne, Florida-based Tomahawk Robotics, the company announced Sept. 18. Tomahawk develops AI-enabled robotic control and integrated communications systems, including its flagship system, Kinesis, a tactical system used by the U.S. military and others. Ae[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: TOM WALKER
After a 17-year stint as a Navy officer, serving as a nuclear power engineer on submarines, and another 17 years as president of software company Web Teks, Walker launched DroneUp, a provider of aerial drone services, in 2016. The Virginia Beach tech company has grown quickly since then, purchasing Web Teks in 2021 and partnering […]
DroneUp to deliver meds to Eastern Shore
Virginia Beach-based unmanned flight company DroneUp will launch a project to deliver medications via drone to patients on the Eastern Shore and Tangier Island as part of a collaboration with Riverside Health System and the Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy (VISA) at Old Dominion University, among other partners. The project received $1.877 million in […]
McLean startup raises $75M for air taxi network
Fritz Lang’s 1927 film “Metropolis” predicted cities with flying cars, while Hanna-Barbera followed that vision 35 years later with “The Jetsons” and its commuter “skyways.” Now, however, air taxis are close to becoming reality. The industry could generate up to $16 billion in new business investments in Virginia and carry as many as 66 million […]
DroneUp takes off
Virginia Beach’s DroneUp LLC is riding the leading edge of the unmanned aerial vehicle industry wave. Founded in 2016, the company, which specializes in commercial drone delivery, flight services and software, has grown its ranks from three to 530 employees. Retail giant Walmart Inc. is a new partner, and DroneUp is close to completing a […]
Va. Beach’s DroneUp to add 655 jobs
Virginia Beach-based DroneUp LLC is adding 655 jobs as part of a $27 million expansion that will include establishing a drone testing, training and research and development center at Richard Bland College, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced during a news conference Wednesday at the Executive Mansion in Richmond. DroneUp, which specializes in commercial drone delivery and […]