Unusual Machines has announced the signing of a binding agreement to acquire Aloft Technologies, Inc., FAA-approved provider of unmanned aerial system (UAS) services to enterprise, public safety, and government customers for $14.5 million.

The proposed acquisition brings together companies that share a commitment to strengthening the U.S. drone industry. Aloft Technologies specializes in software for the drone fleet and airspace management sector, powering more than 70% of all FAA-approved Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) airspace authorizations in the United States. Aloft has provided more than more than 1.6 million authorizations in total, with 400,000 authorizations provided in 2024.

Aloft has been able to leverage the data collected through millions of safe flights and airspace interactions to launch Air Boss, their new real-time UAS air traffic management (UTM) software. With the FAA forecasting more than 3 million drones in the airspace by 2028, outnumbering traditional aircraft more than 10-to-1, the coordination and integration of all aircraft is critical to national security and the national economy.

“With the transition away from China, we need to care as much about our drone data as we do our drone parts. Aloft is the market leader and the answer to how we provide American software to complement our hardware,” said Allan Evans, CEO of Unusual Machines. “Air Boss is the culmination of their years of work in fleet and airspace management. It will unlock airspace collaboration between governments, business, and consumers in a way that could prevent the confusion of what happened in New Jersey from ever being an issue again.”

“Aloft’s mission has always been to enable flight through better technology and data-driven insights,” said Jonathan Hegranes, CEO and Co-Founder of Aloft. “Joining Unusual Machines will accelerate our ability to achieve this mission at a larger scale while continuing to prioritize cybersecurity and American-made software solutions.”