AN-023 Company lists · list
Publicly Traded Drone Companies (and Drone Stocks)
Publicly traded drone companies: listed drone makers in the HardwareMap index, adjacent eVTOL stocks and larger names, tickers checked on IR pages.
by the HardwareMap editors3 min read
From the HardwareMap index, REV 26.09, refreshed 3 Oct 2026
Contents
Publicly traded drone companies in the HardwareMap index number 2 as of REV 26.09: ideaForge in India and Exyn Technologies in the United States. This page lists them alongside two listed eVTOL makers from the index and US drone stocks outside it, with tickers checked against company or exchange pages. It sits under drone companies.
Publicly traded drone companies in the index
ideaForge (Navi Mumbai) builds enterprise and defense UAVs and is the only listed drone maker outside the United States in the index. Its shares trade on India's National Stock Exchange and BSE.
Exyn Technologies (Philadelphia) builds autonomous aerial robots and mapping systems for mines and other sites without GPS. It began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on May 15, 2026, in a small IPO of units, each one share plus one warrant (its warrants trade as EXYNW).
Joby Aviation (Santa Cruz) and Archer Aviation (San Jose) are not drone makers in the strict sense. They build piloted electric vertical takeoff aircraft. They appear here because they share the drone toolkit of electric propulsion and flight autonomy, and because Archer announced on August 10, 2026 a deal to acquire Boeing's Wisk Aero, Insitu and SkyGrid units, subject to closing conditions. Archer describes the combined business as an autonomy and airspace platform for aerospace and defense.
Drone stocks outside the index
Two US-listed drone makers are not in the index, because neither is a startup by our definition, but both come up in any search for drone stocks.
- AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) describes itself as a defense technology company with autonomous systems, counter-drone and space businesses (SEC filing).
- Red Cat Holdings (Nasdaq: RCAT) owns Teal Drones, which builds small reconnaissance drones for the military (Red Cat IR).
Large defense primes also build drones, but drones are a small share of their revenue, so they are not drone stocks in any useful sense. For listed robot makers, see publicly traded robotics companies.
Private drone companies investors watch
Most of the capital in drones is private. The largest disclosed raises in the index belong to companies with no listed shares:
When a private company lists, its status field changes in the next REV and it moves onto the table above. Until then, its datasheet is the record. The American drone companies page covers the US names in more detail.
How to read publicly traded drone companies
- Small caps dominate. Exyn's IPO raised about $19.4 million in gross proceeds, according to the company. Listings of that size move on thin volume.
- Revenue concentration. Defense-focused drone makers often depend on a handful of government programs. Read the customer concentration section of the annual report.
- Adjacent is not the same. eVTOL makers carry certification risk that drone makers do not, and the reverse.
How drone companies reach public markets
The four listed names in the index took three different routes.
- Traditional IPO on a home exchange. ideaForge listed in India, where its main customers are. Exyn listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market with a small unit offering.
- SPAC merger. Joby and Archer both reached the NYSE through mergers with special purpose acquisition companies, in August and September 2021 (Joby IR). The route let pre-revenue aircraft makers list years before certification.
- Acquisition by a listed company. The route most drone startups take. A private maker is bought, and its product continues inside a larger company that reports it as one segment among many.
Each route changes what an outside reader can see. A listed company files audited accounts, segment revenue and risk factors. A private one discloses only what it chooses, which is why the index records "raised" as disclosed rounds and nothing more. The index method note explains how status and stage are set, and hardware startup funding covers the private rounds that come before a listing.
The next REV records any new listings and status changes here first.
Continue with Best Drone Companies to Invest In: How to Think About It.
Frequently asked questions
Which drone companies are publicly traded?
In the HardwareMap index, two drone makers are listed: ideaForge on India's NSE and BSE, and Exyn Technologies on Nasdaq. Outside the index, AeroVironment and Red Cat Holdings are US-listed drone makers. Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are listed eVTOL makers that share drone technology. Tickers on this page were checked against exchange or company investor pages in October 2026.
What is the difference between a drone stock and an eVTOL stock?
A drone maker builds uncrewed aircraft, usually small, sold to militaries, utilities, miners or retailers. An eVTOL maker builds electric aircraft to carry passengers, and must certify each design with aviation regulators before flying paying customers. The two share motors, batteries and autonomy software, so search results mix them. This page separates them so the risks are not confused.
Why are big drone startups like Anduril and Shield AI not on the stock list?
They are private. Anduril Industries, Shield AI, Skydio and Zipline have disclosed private rounds ranging from hundreds of millions to billions of dollars, but none has listed shares as of October 2026. Their datasheets on HardwareMap show disclosed funding and status. If any of them lists, the status field changes in the next REV and the company moves onto this page.
Is DJI a public company?
No. DJI, the Shenzhen drone maker, is privately held, so there is no DJI stock to buy on a public exchange. It is also outside the HardwareMap index, which catalogues startups. Investors looking for exposure to civilian drones on public markets usually end up with small-cap specialists or with large aerospace and defense companies that have drone divisions.
How do you verify a drone stock ticker?
Use the company's own investor relations page or the exchange listing, not a third-party quote site. Company press releases state the exchange and symbol, for example NYSE or Nasdaq followed by the ticker. Tickers change after mergers and redomiciles, so recheck before acting. Every ticker on this page was taken from a company or exchange page in October 2026.
HardwareMap tracks which drone companies are public and which are not. Open any company above for its full datasheet.
The index
All 219 startups, filterable by category, hub, stage and funding.