From Pilot Programs to Production: Where Drones Are Generating Real Revenue (ZENA, AVAV, KTOS, ONDS)

Drone adoption is accelerating, but the bottleneck is no longer technology. Governments and enterprises are already committing billions of dollars annually to infrastructure inspection, surveying, logistics, and defense modernization, yet much of this work remains manual, slow, and expensive to scale. As a result, drone deployments are shifting from pilot programs to operational systems embedded directly into day-to-day workflows.

This shift is visible in the economics. Drone-enabled services are growing more than 30% annually, driven by recurring inspection, mapping, and monitoring contracts across construction, utilities, telecom, and government end markets. At the same time, U.S. policy is narrowing vendor selection through NDAA compliance and domestic sourcing requirements, raising barriers to entry and favoring operators with deployed fleets, regulatory clearance, and service infrastructure in place.

The four companies discussed below represent distinct strategies for capturing this demand, spanning defense platforms, autonomous systems, communications infrastructure, and service-based deployment. Together, they show how the drone sector is moving beyond experimentation toward scalable, revenue-generating operations.

ZenaTech, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZENA)

ZenaTech stands out among emerging drone stocks because it is not trying to win on hardware sales alone. The company is building a vertically integrated drone and autonomy platform anchored by a rapidly scaling Drone as a Service business that already generates revenue, customers, and operating footprint today.

At the core of the investment thesis is ZenaTech's aggressive DaaS roll-up strategy. Since early 2025, the company has completed more than 20 acquisitions of established surveying, engineering, power washing, telecom infrastructure, and public works service firms across the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia. These businesses are profitable, locally embedded, and already serve government and commercial customers. ZenaTech upgrades them with autonomous drones, AI workflows, and data analytics, transforming low-tech, labor-intensive services into higher-margin, technology-enabled operations with recurring revenue characteristics.

This matters financially because it gives ZENA immediate cash flow while creating long-term operating leverage. Instead of waiting years for drone adoption, the company inserts drones into existing demand where work cannot be paused, such as land surveying, infrastructure inspection, inventory management, and maintenance. As automation increases, labor costs fall, margins expand, and cross-selling opportunities grow across the DaaS network.

On the technology side, ZenaTech is quietly building credibility. Its recent successful testing of multiple IQ Nano indoor drones operating autonomously in GPS-denied environments validates fleet-level software orchestration, not just flight. This capability directly targets defense logistics and large-scale inventory management, areas where accuracy, speed, and reliability justify sustained spending. Combined with U.S.-based manufacturing, NDAA compliance, and paid trials with U.S. defense entities, ZenaTech is positioning itself inside a tightening regulatory environment that favors domestic drone providers.

The company's product stack is intentionally diversified, spanning indoor inventory drones, outdoor surveying platforms, and medium-lift defense drones, while longer-term investments in AI and quantum computing aim to deepen the data and autonomy moat over time.

For retail investors looking at drone stocks today, ZENA offers a rare combination of near-term revenue, aggressive expansion, and exposure to defense, infrastructure, and automation tailwinds. It is a services business scaling with drone economics, not a speculative bet on hardware adoption alone.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV)

AeroVironment is one of the most established pure-play unmanned systems companies in the United States, with decades of experience supplying small tactical drones and loitering munitions to the Department of Defense and allied militaries. Its core platforms include the Puma and Raven small UAV families and the widely deployed Switchblade systems, which have seen sustained demand driven by modern battlefield requirements.

Financially, AeroVironment has demonstrated strong momentum, supported by rising defense budgets and repeat government procurement. The company has reported solid year-over-year revenue growth, expanding backlog, and strong bookings visibility, which underpin forward guidance. Recent strategic acquisitions have broadened its exposure beyond small UAVs into areas such as counter-UAS, electronic warfare, and autonomous mission systems.

From an investment standpoint, AVAV is often viewed as a cornerstone unmanned defense name. While its valuation can appear elevated relative to traditional defense primes, investors are paying for scale, deep institutional relationships, and consistent demand for mission-critical unmanned platforms that are increasingly central to modern military doctrine.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS)

Kratos is a defense technology company with a strong emphasis on next-generation unmanned and autonomous systems. It is best known in the drone space for high-performance jet-powered UAVs such as the XQ-58 Valkyrie, which has received significant attention as a low-cost, attritable platform aligned with future collaborative combat aircraft concepts.

Beyond drones, Kratos operates across propulsion systems, hypersonics, satellite communications, and advanced electronics, giving it diversified exposure to long-term defense modernization trends. The company continues to benefit from rising interest in autonomous and scalable systems that can be deployed in contested environments at lower cost than traditional aircraft.

Kratos maintains a substantial contract backlog and ongoing program activity with U.S. and allied defense agencies. Investors typically view KTOS as a strategic, longer-duration play on autonomous warfare and defense innovation, with upside tied to successful transition of development programs into scaled production and improved margin execution over time.

Ondas Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS)

Ondas occupies a differentiated position in the drone and autonomy ecosystem by combining autonomous systems with mission-critical wireless communications. Through subsidiaries such as American Robotics and Airobotics, the company provides fully automated drone platforms designed for persistent operations like infrastructure inspection, security, and industrial monitoring.

In parallel, Ondas Networks develops private wireless broadband solutions for critical infrastructure, rail, utilities, and government customers. This dual focus positions the company as both a drone operator and an enabler of secure command, control, and data transmission for autonomous systems.

Ondas has delivered rapid revenue growth from a relatively small base, supported by expanding bookings, new customer deployments, and increasing interest in automated and counter-UAS solutions. While still earlier-stage compared to larger defense peers, ONDS appeals to investors looking for differentiated exposure to autonomy, secure networks, and the infrastructure required to support large-scale drone operations.

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