AI Datacenter Construction Boom Ignites Massive Growth Opportunity for Drone-as-a-Service Industry
NEW YORK, May 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Market News Updates News Commentary - The AI boom is creating a massive opportunity for the Drones as a Service (DaaS) market, especially as companies race to build new AI datacenters around the world. These huge facilities are needed to support artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and high-performance data processing, and drones are becoming a key part of the construction process. Instead of relying only on traditional surveying crews, developers are using drones for mapping, tracking construction progress, security monitoring, inspections, and collecting real-time data across large job sites. The biggest advantage of the DaaS model is that companies can use advanced drone technology without having to buy expensive equipment or hire in-house drone teams. That's a big reason why analysts believe the global DaaS market could grow to roughly $20 billion to $26 billion over the next decade, while the broader drone services market could eventually top $140 billion worldwide by 2035. Active tech companies in the news this week include: ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZENA), AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV), AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE:UAVS), Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS), Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR).
AI datacenter construction is now one of the fastest-growing areas in infrastructure, and investors are paying close attention because spending in the sector continues climbing rapidly. Major tech companies are investing billions into new datacenter campuses to keep up with demand for AI computing power. These projects are enormous and require constant monitoring, safety checks, equipment tracking, and progress reporting. Drones make all of that faster, cheaper, and more efficient compared to older manual methods. Many drone platforms now use AI-powered software that can automatically spot construction issues, monitor site activity, and generate reports for contractors and project managers in real time. Industry forecasts suggest the global drone services market could grow from around $18 billion in 2024 to more than $225 billion by 2034 as adoption expands across construction, logistics, industrial inspection, and infrastructure projects.
Looking ahead, the growth potential for DaaS tied to AI datacenter expansion remains extremely strong. Governments, cloud providers, semiconductor companies, and private infrastructure firms are all spending aggressively to expand AI capacity, which should continue driving demand for drone services for years to come. The industry is also evolving quickly with newer technologies like autonomous "drone-in-a-box" systems, AI-driven analytics, and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations that allow drones to cover much larger areas with minimal human involvement. For investors, this creates exposure to multiple high-growth trends at the same time, including AI infrastructure, automation, smart construction, and commercial drone adoption. Many analysts expect construction and infrastructure inspection to remain some of the fastest-growing segments in the commercial drone industry over the next decade.
ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) Enters the AI Data Center Construction Market with ZenaWorx, a Drone-based 3D Digital Progress Monitoring Software - The new LiDAR analytics SaaS platform will target the AI data center construction sector - growing at 30% per year - with DaaS and SaaS offerings - ZenaTech, Inc. ($ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV:ZENA) ("ZenaTech"), a technology solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, announces its entry into the rapidly growing AI data center construction market by commencing the initial development of ZenaWorx, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)-based VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) progress monitoring software. The software, designed to improve accuracy and costs across the construction lifecycle, will be jointly developed and offered through its Drone as a Service and Enterprise SaaS divisions. ZenaWorx uses drone-captured LiDAR data to create a detailed 3D digital map of a construction site that is used to track ongoing construction progress and identify deviations from planned design. The company has identified a potential beta customer about to begin a several hundred-acre AI data center construction project that it has targeted to use in the development of this service and is currently at the negotiation stage.
"The AI data center market is experiencing unprecedented expansion as an important growth market for drone-powered surveying, analytics, and construction monitoring solutions," said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., CEO of ZenaTech. "With the development of ZenaWorx we plan to support construction and infrastructure operators with advanced aerial data collection, LiDAR-based 3D analytics, and a scalable subscription-based service designed to improve visibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of project execution throughout the construction lifecycle."
ZenaWorx is an Enterprise SaaS offering, also intended to be incorporated into Drone as a Service jobs, focused on processing drone and LiDAR-captured data and transforming it into visual, analytics-driven construction progress insights. The software, currently in early-stage development, is intended to support standardized reporting and performance tracking across construction projects, with broader applications expected to be explored over time.
The offering will use of LiDAR-enabled aerial data capture to monitor construction progress across large-scale sites with high precision. LiDAR drone sensors use laser-based scanning to generate a highly accurate 3D representation of physical environments, allowing project teams to measure terrain, track elevation changes, and compare real-world construction progress against design specifications across the entire construction lifecycle.
The North American AI data center market is growing at 30% CAGR until 2030 according to Mordor Intelligence while the sector is experiencing a global infrastructure investment super cycle according to JLL research. This expansion is being driven by accelerating demand for AI computer infrastructure and hyperscale cloud deployment. Within this environment, large-scale AI data center construction projects typically require 12 to 36 months to complete, involving significant earthworks, grading, and multi-phase infrastructure coordination.
VDC progress monitoring, surveying, and digital site intelligence solutions represent an increasingly important enabling layer within the broader data center development ecosystem, supporting improved scheduling accuracy, cost control, and capital efficiency across complex building projects. Continued… Read this full release and additional news for ZENA by visiting: https://www.zenatech.com/newsroom/
In other Business/Military/UAV/Drone industry recent and current news of note:
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV), a global defense technology leader, recently announced an additional government investment of $20.2 million in AV's Huntsville, Alabama facility to increase quantities of Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) and accelerate future Full-Rate Production (FRP) of the Next-Generation Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Missile (NGCM), known as Freedom Eagle-1 (FE-1).
The expanded site will serve as the system-level integration, manufacturing, and production hub for FE-1, enabling rapid scale-up of interceptor production and accelerated delivery timelines to meet urgent U.S. Army and Combatant Command operational needs.
The 24,000-square-foot expansion and associated job growth in Huntsville reflect AV's continued investment in meeting evolving national security demands for subsonic missiles while strengthening cost-effective production capacity, driving innovation, and supporting on-time delivery.
AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE:UAVS), a leading provider of full stack drone systems, counter-drone systems, and sensor solutions for customers worldwide in the commercial and government verticals, recently announced that its eBee VISION unmanned aircraft system (UAS) is now an active listing for purchase by the U.S. Army on their newly launched UAS Marketplace.
The UAS Marketplace, launched on March 24, 2026, is a digital platform developed in partnership with Amazon Web Services and the Army Enterprise Cloud Management Agency. It serves as an "Amazon-like" storefront that enables Army units, government agencies, the Pentagon and other U.S. military branches, and allied nations to easily compare vetted drone systems, submit feedback, and place orders directly. The initiative aims to accelerate procurement, foster competition and innovation, lower barriers for industry partners, and deliver advanced capabilities to Soldiers at greater speed and scale.
Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS), a leading provider of advanced autonomous systems and next-generation defense and security technologies, recently announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Omnisys Ltd., an Israeli developer of AI-powered Battle Resource Optimization (BRO) software for multi-domain defense planning and real-time decision-making. The acquisition marks a major strategic milestone in Ondas' evolution into a software-defined defense technology company. Omnisys' BRO platform is expected to serve as a core orchestration layer across Ondas' growing autonomous systems portfolio, enabling mission planning, operational coordination, and real-time battlefield resource optimization across sensors, autonomous systems, and defense assets operating within complex mission environments.
Modern warfare is increasingly defined by high-volume, multi-domain threats occurring at machine speed across air, ground, electronic warfare, and cyber environments. Human operators alone can no longer effectively coordinate the growing number of sensors, effectors, and autonomous systems operating simultaneously across contested battlespaces. For more than 25 years, Omnisys' BRO platform has addressed this challenge within some of the world's most advanced operational defense architectures, continuously optimizing battlefield resources and supporting real-time decision-making across layered, multi-mission operational environments. BRO enables dynamic resource allocation, mission prioritization, and coordinated system responses designed to maximize operational effectiveness, asset utilization, and mission success under high-intensity combat conditions.
Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR) recently announced operating and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. The Company issued a shareholder letter from founder and CEO, Adam Goldstein, discussing highlights from the quarter.
Commenting on first quarter 2026 results, Adam Goldstein said: "This was another banner quarter for Archer. We made tremendous progress towards beginning operations in the US later this year, with record FAA certification progress and our most expansive flight testing to date. But what is clear to me is that Archer is far more than an air taxi company. Our defense and AI software efforts are advancing quickly, and they're opening up an even bigger future for us. We're investing and building accordingly."
Archer's work continues alongside Anduril on its dual-use, hybrid, autonomous aircraft, with the goal of delivering one of the most sophisticated vertical lift platforms ever developed in this category. As part of this program, Archer anticipates beginning to win phased government awards this year.
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