Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) jumped 4.7% in premarket trading Thursday after the company revealed a $35 million strategic investment in Performance Drone Works (PDW), a defense technology firm focused on next-generation combat robotics.
The capital infusion is intended to support PDW’s rapid expansion as it scales manufacturing of autonomous robotic systems and to reinforce Ondas’ presence in AI-powered defense technologies. PDW—described as one of the fastest-growing defense innovators in the U.S.—builds advanced unmanned platforms used in national security missions.
PDW operates “Drone Factory 01,” a 90,000-square-foot facility in Huntsville, Alabama, capable of producing as many as 100,000 NDAA-compliant drone systems each year, representing roughly $1 billion in annual output potential.
The newly committed funding will help PDW increase production capacity, grow its engineering workforce, and secure U.S.-sourced components that meet NDAA standards. The company recently landed a $20.9 million U.S. Army contract to deliver its C100 unmanned aerial systems and Multi-Mission Payloads as part of the Army’s “Transformation in Contact” initiative.
“We believe PDW has become one of the most important and trusted aerial robotics companies in the United States, driven by the exceptional leadership of Matt Higgins, General (Ret.) Tony Thomas, Ryan Gury, and their team,” said Eric Brock, Ondas CEO & Chairman.
General (Ret.) Tony Thomas III, PDW’s Chairman and former USSOCOM Commander, underscored the impact of the technology: “AI enabled combat robotics are emerging as the new and incredibly disruptive means of war fighting/winning and deterrence.”