Drones as a Service Emerges as Critical Infrastructure for Modern Business and Defense Ops

Growing reliance on aerial data and automation positions the sector for exponential long-term growth

NEW YORK, April 29, 2026 /CNW/ -- Market News Updates News Commentary Counter- Drones as a Service (DaaS) is quickly becoming one of the most practical and scalable ways for businesses to adopt drone technology without the heavy upfront investment. Instead of buying, maintaining, and staffing drone fleets, companies can access on-demand aerial data, inspections, and analytics through a subscription or pay-per-use model. That flexibility is a major driver behind the market's rapid growth—valued around $6–8 billion today and projected to surge anywhere from ~$27 billion to as high as $179+ billion by 2030, with some forecasts pushing beyond $500 billion by the mid-2030s as adoption accelerates globally.  A rising wave of ambitious companies are quickly scaling operations and staking out leadership positions in the fast-growing DaaS and UAS sectors including: ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZENA), Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS), Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE:UMAC), Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ:DPRO), Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS).

For businesses, the biggest benefit of DaaS is efficiency and cost savings. Companies in industries like construction, agriculture, energy, and logistics can deploy drones for surveying, mapping, inspections, and monitoring without investing in hardware or specialized personnel. This dramatically reduces operational costs while improving speed and data accuracy. Drones can complete tasks in hours that traditionally took days, while delivering real-time analytics that improve decision-making and productivity. As a result, DaaS is becoming a high-ROI solution across commercial sectors, especially where recurring inspections and data collection are critical.

On the defense and government side, DaaS offers a powerful combination of scalability, rapid deployment, and advanced intelligence capabilities. Military and public safety agencies use drone services for surveillance, border security, disaster response, and infrastructure monitoring—often leveraging AI-powered analytics and real-time data feeds. The "as-a-service" model allows governments to quickly scale operations without long procurement cycles, making it ideal for dynamic environments and emergency response. With increasing adoption of autonomous systems, beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations, and smart city initiatives, DaaS is positioning itself as a critical backbone for next-generation defense and public sector operations—further fueling its massive projected market expansion in the years ahead.

ZenaTech's (NASDAQ:ZENA) Reports Record 558% Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth to $12.9 Million for Full Year 2025 as Drone as a Service Business Expansion Accelerates and Q4 Revenue increases 670% - Total assets grew 188% to $99.8 million; DaaS segment delivered over $10 million in first full year of operations -  ZenaTech, Inc. ($ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV:ZENA) ("ZenaTech"), a technology company specializing in AI-powered drone systems, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS solutions, and Quantum Computing applications, announces its financial results for the full-year ended December 31, 2025 (all figures are expressed in Canadian dollars).

The Company reported record year-end revenue of $12.9 million, a 558% increase compared to almost $2.0 million for the full year 2024. The revenue growth was driven by the successful execution of ZenaTech's Drone as a Service strategy, completing 20 acquisitions in 2025, including 19 land surveying and inspection companies across the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, and the U.K.-based enterprise software company Othership Limited. Total assets increased 188% from $34.6 million to $99.8 million, as compared to the same period in 2024.

By the Numbers — Full Year 2025

Fourth Quarter 2025 and Recent Highlights

• Counter-UAS for Defense: ZenaDrone commenced prototype development of two interceptor drones (gas-powered ZenaDrone 2000 and one-way Interceptor P-1) and a marine launching station (IQ Glider) to enter the maritime-based interceptor drone and integrated defense system market
• New Facilities, Global Expansion- Asia and Ukraine: The company opened an office in South Korea and announced it plans to open drone manufacturing and testing operations in Ukraine
• Green/Blue UAS certification: The company added the ZenaDrone 1000 for certification, and now has three drones in the Green UAS certification process, the pathway to Blue UAS certification, which will enable future inclusion in U.S. Defense procurement contracts
• Record Q4 Revenue Growth: Revenue for Q4 2025 was $5.2 million, a 670% increase from Q4 of 2024
• New Acquisitions/Drone as a Service Locations: The company announced completion of multiple land survey company acquisitions and added a new corporate location in Orlando to its Drone as a Service network, bringing the total current number of DaaS global locations to 24. The company also acquired an HR services software company (Now Solutions) adding a 12^th brand to its SaaS business segment
• New Products: ZenaDrone launched new products including the IQ Quad specifically built for land surveys, the IQ Aqua for underwater surveillance, and added quantum navigation software for GPS-denied environments for its drones

Full year 2025 Highlights

• Record Revenue Growth: Revenue for the full year of 2025 was $12.9 million, a 558% increase year-over-year from 2024
• Drone as a Service Segment Growth: Drone as a Service contributed $10.1 million in revenue the full year of 2025
• Enterprise Software Segment Growth: Enterprise SaaS Software segment revenue grew to $2.8 million for the full year of 2025 which represents a 43% increase over the full year of 2024
• Operational Expansion: Completed 20 acquisitions consisting of 19 land survey and mapping, inspection, and cleaning companies plus one enterprise software acquisition (Othership Limited) during 2025, strengthening the company's Drone as a Service global footprint to 19 locations across the U.S., the U.K. and Canada
• Working Capital: Increased to $18.3 million as of December 31, 2025, compared to $3.4 million on December 31, 2024
• Healthy Balance Sheet Cash and reserves increased to $15.1 million as of December 31, 2025, up from $3.8 million on December 31, 2024

"This has been a transformational year for ZenaTech, marked by strong execution against our drone business strategy, meaningful progress across our software segment, and foundation-building progress towards future success for our defense business. Our revenue growth of over 558% and total assets surpassing $99.8 million demonstrates the building of significant commercial traction," said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO. "In 2025, we accelerated the rollout of our Drone as a Service model establishing a scalable AI-driven autonomy platform that positions us for long-term, recurring revenue growth. We successfully executed on our DaaS acquisition strategy completing 20 acquisitions -- including 19 land surveying and legacy business acquisitions and one enterprise software acquisition -- establishing drone integration and a meaningful revenue base in our first full year of DaaS operations. At the same time, we advanced bringing ZenaDrone's innovative solutions closer to commercial and defense deployment and deepened our engagement with military stakeholders for demonstrations and pilot opportunities that we believe will be critical in validating our technology to unlocking future defense contracts. As we look ahead, we are focused on building on this momentum, scaling our platforms, and converting this progress into sustained growth and shareholder value."…

,,, "The demand for drone solutions in both the defense and commercial markets continues at double digit growth, and we believe that we can capture meaningful market share in 2026 and beyond," added Dr. Pasley. "Our real time response to emerging needs on the international stage has positioned us as a leader in the drone space. We are creating products for land, sea, and air defense, addressing critical asymmetrical modern warfare, that is enemy threats that are inexpensive to deploy but extraordinarily expensive to counter using traditional intercept methods. Our small one-way Interceptor P-1, planned to be priced at less than $5000 USD can manage drone swarms, and our IQ Aqua, which can detect and respond to underwater mine threats without putting divers or manned vessels at risk, will provide our defense customers with cost-effective, scalable solutions.  Further, we announced this month that we are in the process of establishing a manufacturing facility and operations in Ukraine to accelerate production of our defense interceptor systems, as well as a testing facility to validate our products under an active threat environment," concluded Dr. Pasley.    Continued…  Read this full release and additional news for ZENA by visiting:  https://www.zenatech.com/newsroom/

In additional ZENA News: ZenaTech's ZenaDrone Subsidiary and Defense Solutions in the Spotlight at Company's Largest Ever Presence at AUVSI Exponential 2026 Conference and Tradeshow in Detroit - ZenaTech ("ZenaTech"), a technology solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions,  announced that its drone subsidiary ZenaDrone will mount its most comprehensive defense-focused presence to date at Xponential 2026, the flagship conference and exhibition of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), taking place May 11–14, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.

"Xponential is where the defense autonomous systems community convenes, and this year we are bringing an in-depth view of what ZenaDrone and our Drone as a Service business has built," said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO. "We are not just showing hardware, but opening a real conversation with defense leaders about practical AI autonomy, what it takes to deploy at scale, and how a platform model like ours changes what is possible for military and government buyers. Through our exhibit booth podcast studio, our drones on display, our teams on hand, and our keynote presentation on DaaS delivery innovation models for defense, these are all designed to facilitate exactly that kind of engagement."

In other Business/Military/UAV/Drone industry news of note:

Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE:UMAC), a leading manufacturer of NDAA-compliant drone components, recently announced a $5 million-plus order from Autonomous Power Corporation, doing business as Powerus, to supply U.S.-made components for counter-UAS systems and related drone platforms.

The order includes core components used across both counter-UAS interceptor systems and 10-inch class drones, reflecting growing demand for flexible, domestically produced platforms that can be deployed across multiple mission sets.

Deliveries are scheduled to commence in April and are expected to be completed within the second quarter.

Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS), a leading provider of autonomous aerial and ground-based intelligence systems through its Ondas Autonomous Systems (OAS) business unit and private wireless solutions through Ondas Networks, recently announced it has completed its merger of Mistral Inc. ("Mistral"), a U.S.-based defense prime contractor with decades of experience supporting U.S. military, federal, and public safety programs.

The merger, valued at $175 million, provides the Company with direct prime contractor access to U.S. Army and Special Operations contract vehicles, while adding U.S.-based manufacturing, integration, and federal contracting infrastructure. The transaction marks a significant step in Ondas' strategy to expand direct participation in large-scale U.S. government programs.

Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ:DPRO), an award-winning, industry-leading drone solutions and systems developer, recently announced that Chief Executive Officer Cameron Chell appeared before the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defense and Veterans Affairs to provide insights on Canada's evolving defense landscape and the role of domestic industry in strengthening national capability.

In his remarks, Chell emphasized the urgent need for Canada to align procurement processes with the realities of modern conflict, where speed, scalability, and adaptability are critical to operational success.

"Weapons can win a battle—but industrial capacity wins wars and ensures sovereignty," said Chell. "Canada has world-class innovation and talent. What is required now is decisive alignment between policy, procurement, and industry to ensure that Canadian capabilities are not only developed here—but deployable, scaled, and able to be relied upon when it matters most."

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS), a leader in defense, national security and global markets, recently announced that it has completed the initial flight series of the Kratos J85 engine version of the Firejet unmanned aerial system (UAS), dubbed Mk1 Firejet. This second major configuration of the Firejet enables users/customers to select the model that best suits their operational requirements. With the new J85 engine configuration, the Firejet takes a major step forward in the aero-performance category for customers who need the extra performance.

Classic Firejet, the baseline Firejet target system, supports key missions for the U.S. Army Target Systems Management Office (TSMO) at a high level of aerodynamic performance. Flying since the early 2010s with JetCat engines, Classic Firejet has evolved and been adapted to meet the customer performance and threat representation requirements over time. In addition to the U.S. Army operating the Classic Firejet, ally countries around the world operate the Classic Firejet, most recently including Taiwan, which has selected the Tactical Firejet named Mighty Hornet IV for their configuration.

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