UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
☒
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2025
OR
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the transition period from ________ to ________
Commission
File No. 001-42600
AIRO
Group Holdings, Inc.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
88-0812695
(State
or other jurisdiction of
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification
incorporation
or organization)
Number)
8444 Westpark Drive , McLean , Virginia
22102
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(Zip
Code)
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (505) 338-2434
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title
of each class
Trading
Symbol
Name
of each exchange on which registered
Common
Stock, par value $0.000001 per share
AIRO
The
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
(Title
of Each Class)
NONE
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2)
has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule
405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit such files).
Yes
☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting
company or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller
reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:
☐
Large
accelerated filer
☐
Accelerated
filer
☒
Non-accelerated
filer
☒
Smaller
reporting company
☒
Emerging
growth company
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate
by checkmark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of
its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public
accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If
securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant
included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation
received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The
aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates at June 30, 2025, the last business day of the
registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was $ 446.6
million.
The
number of shares of the registrant’s Common Stock outstanding as of March 24, 2026 was 31,434,967 .
DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: Portions of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement (the “2026 Proxy Statement”) relating to its annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2026 (the “2026 Annual Meeting”) to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this Annual Report on Form 10-K relates are incorporated herein by reference where indicated. Except with respect to information specifically incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, such 2026 Proxy Statement shall not be deemed to be filed as a part hereof.
PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
7
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
26
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
60
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY
60
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
60
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
60
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
60
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
61
ITEM 6. Reserved
62
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
62
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
78
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
F-1
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES
79
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
79
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
80
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
80
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
80
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
80
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
80
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
80
Item
14. Principal AccountAnt Fees and Services.
80
PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
81
ITEM
16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
82
SIGNATURES
83
2
Unless
the context otherwise requires, references in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “we,” “us,” “our,”
the “Company,” “AIRO,” “AIRO Group,” “AIRO Group Holdings” and similar references
refer to AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. together with its subsidiaries.
PART I
NOTE
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which statements are
subject to substantial risks and uncertainties and are based on estimates and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical
facts, including statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues or performance, financing
needs, plans or intentions relating to markets, and business trends and other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K
are forward-looking statements, including statements about:
●
our
ability to grow and manage growth profitably;
●
our
financial and business performance and business metrics;
●
our
strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans;
●
the
implementation, market acceptance and success of our business model;
●
our
market opportunity and the potential growth of that market;
●
our
ability to compete effectively in a competitive industry;
●
our
ability to protect and enhance our corporate reputation and brand;
●
the
impact from future regulatory, judicial, and legislative changes in our industry;
●
our
ability to effect our growth strategies, acquisitions or investments successfully; and
●
our
future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash.
These
statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those projected or otherwise implied by the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, may cause actual results
to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements:
●
our dependence on a limited number of customers for most of our revenue;
●
our lack of long-term commitments from our customers;
●
our
ability to successfully integrate the businesses and personnel of acquired companies and businesses, including those acquired in
the Put-Together Transaction, and our ability to realize the anticipated synergies and benefits of such acquisitions;
●
our
ability to keep pace with technological advances and our dependence on advances in technology by other companies, many of which have
substantially greater resources than we do;
●
our ability to acquire additional aircraft to support our Training segment on acceptable terms or at all;
●
the
impact that our customers may experience from service failures or interruptions due to defects in the software, infrastructure, components
or engineering system that comprise our products and services, or due to errors in product installation;
●
our
dependence on the continuing efforts of our key personnel and on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel and senior
management;
3
●
we have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting which, if not corrected, could affect the
reliability of our consolidated financial statements;
●
our
failure to comply with applicable government regulations;
●
any
disruptions or threatened disruptions to our relationships with our distributors, suppliers, customers and employees, including shortages
in components for our products;
●
our
significant reliance on sales to the U.S. government, particularly to agencies of the DoD, and a decline in government budgets, funding,
changes in spending or budgetary priorities, or delays in contract awards;
●
budget
uncertainty, the risk of future budget cuts, the impact of continuing resolution funding mechanisms, the debt ceiling and government
shutdowns, and changing funding and acquisition priorities;
●
changes
in the supply, demand and/or prices for our products and services and our ability to perform under existing contracts and obtain
new contracts;
●
the
complexities and uncertainty of obtaining and conducting international business, including export compliance and other reporting
and compliance requirements;
●
the
impact of potential security and cyber threats or the risk of unauthorized access to our, our customers’ and/or our suppliers’
information and systems;
●
our
ability to respond and adapt to changes in economic, capital market, and political conditions in the U.S. and globally, such as from
the global sanctions and export controls with respect to Russia, and any changes therein, and including changes related to financial
market conditions, banking industry disruptions, fluctuations in commodity prices or supply (including energy supply), inflation,
interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates, disruptions in global supply chain and labor markets, and geopolitical risks,
including in the Middle East and Ukraine;
●
our
failure to develop new products or integrate new technology into current products;
●
unfavorable
results in legal proceedings;
●
the
accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenues, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; and
●
our
expectations regarding the period during which we will qualify as an emerging growth company and smaller reporting
company.
In
some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,”
“could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,”
“predict,” “project,” “should,” “target” or “will” or the negative of these
terms or other similar expressions intended to identify statements about the future. Because forward-looking statements are inherently
subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified and some of which are beyond our control, you should
not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking
statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
In
addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject.
These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and while we believe
such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements
should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant
information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these
statements.
You
should read the section titled “Risk Factors” for a discussion of important factors that may cause our actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in an evolving
environment. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all
risk factors and uncertainties. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this
Annual Report on Form 10-K will prove to be accurate. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed
circumstances or otherwise.
Y ou
should read this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the documents that we reference in this report and have filed as exhibits to the
report, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We
qualify all of our forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K by these cautionary statements.
4
CERTAIN
DEFINED TERMS
AAV
means Autonomous Aerial Vehicles.
Acquired
Companies means, collectively, Aspen Avionics, Agile Defense, CDI, AIRO Drone, Sky-Watch, and Jaunt.
AIRO
Drone means AIRO Drone LLC, a subsidiary entity we acquired on February 25, 2022, which makes up a portion of our Drones reportable
segment.
Agile
Defense means Agile Defense, LLC, a subsidiary entity we acquired on February 25, 2022, which makes up a portion of our Training
reportable segment.
Aspen
Avionics means Aspen Avionics, Inc., a subsidiary entity we acquired on April 1, 2022, which makes up our Avionics reportable
segment.
BCA
Transactions means a series of transactions that would have occurred pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement and resulted
in us becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of AIRO Group, Inc. with AIRO Group, Inc. becoming a publicly listed company.
Business
Combination Agreement means the Business Combination Agreement, as amended, between Kernel Group Holdings, Inc., a Cayman Islands
exempted company, AIRO Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Kernel Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary
of AIRO Group, Inc., AIRO Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of AIRO Group, Inc., VKSS Capital, LLC,
a Delaware limited liability company, in the capacity as the representative for the stockholders of Kernel Group Holdings, Inc. and AIRO
Group, Inc. and also in the capacity as Kernel Group Holdings, Inc.’s sponsor, and Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, in the capacity as
the representative for our stockholders.
BVLOS
means Beyond Visual Line of Sight, which refers to drone operations where the drone is not visible to the pilot.
CDI
means Coastal Defense Inc., a subsidiary entity we acquired on April 26, 2022, which makes up a portion of our Training reportable
segment.
Civil
Aviation Authorities means the TCCA, the FAA, and the EASA.
DaaS
means Drone as a Service, including but not limited to, surveillance services for businesses interested in monitoring, surveying,
and evaluating their properties.
DFARS
means the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement.
DHS
means the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
DoD
means the U.S. Department of Defense.
EASA
means the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
ENAC
means the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil.
EU
means the European Union.
eVTOL
means electric vertical take-off and landing.
FAA
means the Federal Aviation Administration.
FAR
means the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
Follow-on
Offering means the public offering of 4.8 million shares of our common stock, which included an additional 0.6 million shares
of common stock pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, that closed on September
12, 2025.
GNSS
means the Global Navigation Satellite System, a term that refers to the global satellite positioning systems.
GPS
means the Global Positioning System, a form of GNSS using DoD-developed satellites.
IDIQ
contract means a DoD Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract.
Investor
Notes means the unsecured promissory notes historically issued by the Company to certain investors, which have included various
interest features in the form of both stock and cash contingently payable upon the closing of an initial public offering or qualified
financing.
IPO
means the initial public offering of our common stock that closed on June 16, 2025.
ISR
means intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
5
Jaunt
means Jaunt Air Mobility LLC, a subsidiary entity we acquired on March 10, 2022, which makes up our Electric Air Mobility reportable
segment.
JTAC
means Joint Terminal Attack Controller training.
mUAS
means mini unmanned aircraft systems.
NAS
means the U.S. National Airspace System.
NASA
means the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
NATO
means the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
OEM
means original equipment manufacturer.
Put-Together
Transaction means the acquisition of the Acquired Companies which are now organized into our four reportable segments, each with
a diverse set of partners and customers: (i) Drones, through our subsidiaries, AIRO Drone and Sky-Watch; (ii) Avionics, through our subsidiary,
Aspen Avionics; (iii) Training, through our subsidiaries, Agile Defense and CDI; and (iv) Electric Air Mobility, through our subsidiary,
Jaunt.
Repurchase
means our repurchase of an aggregate of 1,116,312 shares of common stock from certain existing stockholders, including certain
directors and executive officers and their affiliates, with the proceeds of the Follow-on Offering that closed on September 12, 2025.
SEAL
teams means the U.S. Navy Sea, Air, and Land teams.
Sky-Watch
means Sky-Watch A/S, a subsidiary entity we acquired on March 28, 2022, which makes up a portion of our Drones reportable segment.
sUAS
means small unmanned aircraft systems.
TCCA
means Transport Canada Civil Aviation.
UAM
means urban air mobility.
UAS
means unmanned aircraft systems.
USAF
means the U.S. Air Force.
MARKET,
INDUSTRY AND OTHER DATA
This
Annual Report on 10-K contains statistical data, estimates and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications or other
publicly available information, as well as other information based on our internal sources. While we believe the industry and market
data included in this Annual Report on 10-K are reliable and are based on reasonable assumptions, these data involve many assumptions
and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to these estimates. We have not independently verified the accuracy or
completeness of the data contained in these industry publications and other publicly available information. The industry in which we
operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in the sections titled
“Risk Factors” and “Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
TRADEMARKS
This
Annual Report on Form 10-K contains references to our trademarks and to trademarks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience,
trademarks and trade names referred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including logos, artwork and other visual displays, may appear
without the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that their respective owners will
not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’
trade names or trademarks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
6
ITEM
1. BUSINESS
Company
Overview
We
are a technologically differentiated aerospace, autonomy, and air mobility platform targeting 21 st century aerospace and defense
opportunities. We leverage decades of industry expertise and connections across the drone, aviation, and avionics markets to provide
leading solutions to the aerospace and defense market. We offer connected and diversified solutions providing operational synergies across
our segments and are powered by an international footprint as well as supplier and public sector relationships. Supported by complementary
and innovative technologies, we believe we bring a unique value proposition to the market and are well-positioned to become a differentiated
leader in the industry.
Our
business is organized into four operating segments, each of which represents a critical growth vector in the aerospace and defense market:
Drones, Avionics, Training, and Electric Air Mobility. These four segments collectively target a combined total addressable market estimated
to be over $315.4 billion by 2030.
Drones .
The Drones segment develops, manufactures, and sells drones and will provide drone services, such as DaaS, for military and commercial
end users. Our military drones are sold through our Sky-Watch brand, which is a key supplier to European NATO countries. A critical point
of differentiation lies in our drones’ ability to perform in a GPS-denied environment, which is a technology application relevant
for both military and commercial end markets.
7
Avionics .
The Avionics segment develops, manufactures, and sells avionics for military and general aviation aircraft, drones, and eVTOLs. Our
avionics products include flight displays, Connected Panels, and GPS/GNSS sensors, all of which have been installed on legacy
military aircraft and general aviation platforms. We sell our avionics products through our Aspen Avionics brand, which is
well-recognized in the general aviation aftermarket sector with over 20 years of operating history and long-term customer loyalty
for our value proposition. We also serve as an avionics supplier for OEMs, including Robinson Helicopters, Pilatus, Honeywell, and Joby Aviation.
We believe our avionics solutions have a considerable market opportunity as general aviation fleets continue to age, with owners and
operators seeking to upgrade the avionics technology on their aircraft.
Training .
The Training segment currently provides military pilot training. We offer professional training and consulting services to the U.S.
military, select NATO countries, and other U.S. allies under our CDI brand. These offerings include adversary air, close air
support, ISR, aircraft leasing, pilot training, ground liaison services, and JTAC, as well as full joint theatre ISR and simulated
ground strike training. We work closely with special military forces such as SEAL teams, the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, and USAF
Air Combat Command, and are a mandated recipient on a $5.7 billion IDIQ contract and a $1.9 million IDIQ contract. Our
personnel’s top security clearances and established relationships at the Pentagon provide us with a differentiated ability to
bid on mandates. We also plan to offer commercial pilot training and plan to expand our non-military capabilities in response to the
global pilot shortage.
Electric
Air Mobility . The Electric Air Mobility segment, operated through our Jaunt brand, is developing dual-use electric and hybrid-electric
compound rotorcraft aircraft designed for cargo, government, and passenger applications. Our near-term focus is on a cargo-configured
platform intended to support middle-mile logistics, tactical resupply, emergency medical delivery, law enforcement, ISR, and other commercial and government missions. Over time, we intend to develop a multi-role variant
capable of supporting both cargo and passenger operations. We plan to pursue certification of our aircraft under existing CAR 529 Transport
Category Rotorcraft standards. Our aircraft integrate characteristics of both rotary- and fixed-wing platforms through our patented compound
rotorcraft configuration, which has accumulated over 300 piloted flight hours across multiple Jaunt demonstrator aircraft. We are evaluating
both fully electric and hybrid-electric propulsion architectures to support varying mission requirements, including extended range and
increased operational flexibility. We believe this compound rotorcraft architecture, combined with electric and hybrid-electric propulsion
strategies, provides favorable range, payload capacity, and mission adaptability relative to conventional rotorcraft and certain eVTOL
configurations. Upon certification, we expect our cargo-configured aircraft to serve as the initial foundation of our commercialization
efforts.
Our
Platform
Our
business is thoughtfully interconnected as we seek to leverage each segment’s full capabilities and drive synergies, creating a
significant competitive advantage. We are synergistically leveraging our field-proven product track record – particularly through
our Drones and Avionics brands – to drive opportunities across our platform. The manufacturing capabilities of our Avionics segment
enable us to supply most of our own components for our drone and aircraft systems, including our eVTOL aircraft, which enhances our product
quality and reduces production costs. Our deep, long-term relationships with the U.S. government and NATO countries that underpin our
Training and Drones segments provide us with access to key decisionmakers, which provides us with new business opportunities. Our Electric
Air Mobility platform represents a significant future growth opportunity to expand into eVTOLs while also providing
an original equipment (“OE”) platform for new products and services across our other segments.
In
addition, we are able to utilize our certification capabilities to improve time to market for the introduction of products and
services. These offerings leverage our U.S. and international sales and manufacturing capabilities to reduce costs and expand our
market footprint. This capability also helps us swiftly integrate new avionics, electronics, and artificial intelligence
(“AI”) into our products, all while sharing the intra-segment R&D insights that drive our high-quality,
interconnected products and services.
8
Our
Competitive Strengths
We
are an integrated aerospace and defense platform with multiple solutions and services in the high-growth aerospace and defense
categories. Our competitive advantages include:
Cross-Platform
Strategy Generates Operational and Product Synergies
Our
business is thoughtfully interconnected to leverage each segment’s full capabilities, with synergies driving growth in new customer
categories, geographies, and product lines that would not be attainable as standalone entities. Each of our segments benefits from operational
synergies in certification, economies of scale, shared R&D insights and integration of products and services across a global platform
with operations in the United States, Canada and Denmark. Accordingly, our platform generates a considerable positive network effect,
with shared access to commercial, technological, and public sector relationship resources, including the United States, EU members, NATO
countries and other international allies of the United States, which drive growth and innovation to meet customer needs.
Fulsome
Product Assortment Targeting Actionable Market Opportunities
We
offer differentiated technologies and diversified product offerings across the Drones, Avionics, Training, and Electric Air Mobility
segments for both military and commercial end users. Our product lineup is competitively designed to take advantage of key opportunities
in the aerospace and defense sector, focusing on areas with potential for future growth. Additionally, the collaboration between our
R&D and commercial teams ensures that our products are both market-relevant and commercially available. With offerings ranging from
training to drones to services to avionics, we address the marketplace of tomorrow.
Talented
Management Team Possesses Robust Operational Experience and Deep Private and Public Sector Relationships
Our
robust leadership team possesses over 150 years of combined operating experience and industry success in the aerospace and defense market.
We maintain strong relationships with key contacts within the U.S. government and NATO, as well as regulatory agencies, such as the FAA,
DHS, and NASA, which has provided us with access to key decisionmakers to secure new business and enable us to build the trust necessary
to offer additional functions and features for our products and services. For example, certain members of our management team currently
serve on various boards for several government agencies and have held military leadership positions in the past. These relationships
are critical to this industry and have enabled us to initiate discussions with key government officials, which is a significant barrier
to entry. We believe our established relationships are a core point of differentiation that will support our future success.
Exceptional
Research and Development that Supports the Potential for Industry-Leading Products
We
have a history of developing and launching innovative products, with our product advantage rooted in our exceptional R&D capabilities.
From prototyping to certification to commercialization, our ability to launch solutions with strongly differentiated technology and direct
product market fit is core to our platform. Our innovative, technology-additive solutions are underpinned by a robust new product development
pipeline supported by our platform. Moreover, critical human capital interdependencies between our various segments have provided a positive
network effect, increasing the quality and efficiency of our development process. This has been proven out particularly in our Drones
and Avionics segments, where the RQ-35 Heidrun and Connected Panel solutions, respectively, have proven to be compelling value propositions
in their end markets.
9
Market
Opportunity
The
defense industry is affected by geopolitical and security issues. Conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and heightened geopolitical
tension in the Pacific region have elevated global security concerns. This has caused many governments to increase their focus on defense
and security, leading to a rise in defense spending and a growing willingness to adopt new technologies and solutions. Specifically,
beginning in 2014 in response to Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and amid broader instability in the Middle East, NATO countries
agreed to commit 2% of their national GDP to defense spending to help ensure the continued military readiness of NATO allies. According
to NATO, all NATO countries are expected to meet or exceed the target of investing at least 2% of GDP in defense in 2025, compared to
only three NATO countries in 2014. Over the past decade, European allies of the United States and Canada have steadily increased their
collective investment in defense by 110.2%, and are investing a combined total of more than $607 billion in defense spending in 2025. Moreover, at
the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, NATO members adopted a new long-term defense investment commitment: by 2035, member states aim to
allocate 5% of GDP annually on combined defense and security-related spending, with at least 3.5% of GDP dedicated to core defense requirements
and up to 1.5% of GDP directed to critical infrastructure protection, cyber defense, innovation, and strengthening the defense industrial
base. NATO has also reaffirmed its guideline that at least 20% of defense expenditures should go toward major equipment, including associated
research and development, to ensure modernization and interoperability. These commitments reflect NATO’s recognition that the “2%
guideline” alone is no longer sufficient to meet emerging threats and technological demands. NATO leaders have signaled that higher,
sustained investment levels are needed to close capability gaps, accelerate modernization, and support innovation across domains such
as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and advanced defense technologies. Current NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, has acknowledged
the “goal of 2%, set a decade ago, will not be enough to meet the challenges of tomorrow” and that NATO members will have
to increase spending by “considerably more than 3%.” These tailwinds support the development of a new market leader in the aerospace and defense market, with the emergence of new technologies
such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and advanced autonomous vehicles creating new commercial opportunities.
Drones .
Global conflicts, particularly the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, have led to an increase in military spending and investment in
new technologies solutions such as drones. The military drone market size is expected
to reach approximately $24.75 billion by 2030. Key demand drivers include the rise of asymmetrical warfare, new avionics, and the inherent
user safety advantages of drones over manned systems. We believe that our products will continue to play a role in the arsenals of the
future, including through NATO countries. In addition, we believe that the U.S. military’s transformation into a smaller, more
agile force that operates via a network of observation, communication, and precision targeting technologies will continue to accelerate
the acceptance and use of small drone military operations around the world.
In
addition, commercial drone use is gaining momentum as multiple industries are incorporating drones into their daily business functions,
given the wide range of applications, including monitoring, inspection and surveillance. It
is anticipated that worldwide commercial drone revenues will reach $163.5 billion by 2030. For example, farmers are using drones to inspect
and spray their crops, which improves yields, construction sites are adopting drones to survey and monitor land, which improves workplace
safety, and companies are using drones to inventory product in factories and warehouses, which improves efficiency. Additionally, drones
are being used increasingly to transport and deliver goods. For example, hospitals are deploying drones to deliver critical medicine
and other medical supplies to remote and underserved regions, while logistics companies are using drones to transport cargo between locations,
expediting deliveries. As the commercial drone industry matures, we believe that aircraft and their components subsystems will become
more commoditized, with additional pockets of growth expected in services and service-derivative revenues. The trajectory of commercial
drone applications is well-aligned with our business strategy, which includes a focus on commercializing multiple types of value-added
drone solutions to meet various end user and industry needs.
Avionics .
New aircraft production and upgrades to existing aircraft are driving demand for our avionics solutions. We believe the market places
a premium on avionics solutions like ours that have capabilities such as improved flight controls, communications and navigation capabilities,
and flight monitoring. Continued technological advances in avionics and aging general aviation fleets are expected to drive growth for
the general aviation avionics aftermarket.
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Training .
Overall demand for military flight training is expected to grow as countries around the world increase defense spending and outsource
flight training to the private sector. Key market drivers include outsourcing of military training, technological advancement, and the
ongoing pilot shortage. Additionally, the DoD has awarded over $13.7 billion in military aviation training contracts since 2015, representing
a new public-private sector market norm. In the commercial market, the same shortage of trained pilots serves as the main driver of demand.
The commercial training market is projected to grow from $1.8 billion in 2023 to
over $4.9 billion in 2030, representing a CAGR of 15.4%.
Electric
Air Mobility . It is estimated that the global electric air mobility market may grow to
approximately $55 billion by 2030 and to approximately $1 trillion by 2040. Within this broader market, we believe medium- to heavy-lift
autonomous aerial cargo represents one of the largest and most actionable segments. While the electric air mobility market remains in its nascent stage,
we believe that the growing prevalence of e-commerce, rising operating costs in traditional rotorcraft and ground transportation, geographic
isolation of certain regions, and increasing government demand for tactical resupply, border security, and ISR missions will support demand for electric and hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
In addition, the implementation of emissions standards and related incentives has increased interest in aircraft electrification. Ultimately,
we believe cargo and government mission profiles represent the most actionable near-term end markets owing to defined operational use
cases and comparatively lower infrastructure requirements.
Our
Growth Strategies
We
are a growing platform built off a successful M&A strategy, with a robust pipeline of future commercial opportunities. Our growth
strategies are rooted in a bold and focused vision for the future, with a mix of organic and inorganic growth initiatives. Within each
of our segments, there are several opportunities to increase market share and penetrate new business areas.
Organically
grow existing business line capabilities.
We
will continue to make substantial investments in our sales and marketing, analytics, and communications functions to support our
expansion within current markets and into future and specialized markets within each of our segments. We have identified specific
opportunities to invest in organic growth, including launching larger screen form factor avionics with increased functionality,
procuring additional aircraft to expand the capabilities of the Training segment, and iteratively developing our existing drone
technology to enter new commercial end markets. With strong customer relationships and a focus on loyalty and satisfaction, we will
continue to upsell and cross-sell across our portfolio, which in conjunction with investments in marketing and brand positioning
will bolster our brand awareness. Finally, we are planning on both measured geographic expansion and targeting new customer end
markets, which will further expand our addressable market.
Develop
and commercialize new products and services and expand certification of new and future products and services.
Our
segment specific initiatives are as follows:
● Drones .
We have expanded our U.S. manufacturing capabilities to support U.S. production of our military drones and are in
the process of seeking DoD Blue UAS certification, which we currently estimate will be completed by June 2026 and will allow us to sell
drones to the DoD. This certification process involves
sponsors in various U.S. military branches supporting our product, with full certification
essentially contingent on U.S.-domiciled production. In addition, we intend to expand our
drone and DaaS offerings into new verticals, including medical, agricultural, security, and industrial
applications, leveraging our GPS denied technology proposition as the leading edge of our
value proposition owing to its inherent product-market fit.
● Avionics .
We intend to focus our R&D activities on integrated avionics for our cargo eVTOL platform,
the Jaunt Journey, and other eVTOLs as well as training aircraft in current markets. We believe
focusing on in-flight controls, navigation, and communications will lead us to experience
strong growth through organic expansion opportunities designed to expedite the development
of integrated systems for both internal platforms and external OEM initiatives. With a history
of providing innovative avionics for over 20 years, Aspen Avionics is primed to launch products
for the aircraft of tomorrow.
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● Training.
We intend to expand our current training capabilities through the acquisition of a flight
school for commercial flight training and the launch of a fixed wing military simulation
service offering. Our training capabilities will be further enhanced by the acquisition of
additional training aircraft through our acquisition of a flight school or otherwise. Additionally,
we plan to offer drone and electric air mobility flight training to take advantage of these
rapidly growing markets.
● Electric
Air Mobility. We intend to develop, certify, and commercialize our electric and hybrid-electric eVTOL aircraft, with an initial
focus on cargo-configured platforms supporting middle-mile logistics and government missions, including tactical resupply and ISR. We anticipate certification of our initial cargo aircraft under applicable unmanned
aircraft regulations as early as 2027 and expect subsequent certification of a multi-role cargo and passenger aircraft by the TCCA under
existing CAR 529 Transport Category Rotorcraft airworthiness rules as early as 2031.
Leverage
Public Sector Relationships and Security Clearances to Drive Business.
Our
deep public sector relationships and security clearances enable us to bid on government requests for proposals and drive brand awareness of our drone,
eVTOL, avionics, and training solutions with key military decision makers. For example, members of our management team maintain close
relationships with the highest levels of government around the world, including military leaders, ambassadors, and defense attachés
from NATO and its allies. Our senior leadership team has also held and/or currently holds positions on various government committees
across the FAA, Pentagon, and White House. Key employees also possess extensive military leadership experience having served in U.S.
special forces units. This grants us enviable access to key growth end markets and unlocks commercial synergies between
our various segments.
Partnering
with other firms on commercial ventures to drive technology convergence.
Partnerships
allow us to expedite development of customer solutions by bringing together critical technologies across the aerospace and defense
marketplace. For example, our Sky-Watch brand has critical partnerships with companies such as Palantir and Helsing that have
boosted our drone’s capabilities. For our Electric Air Mobility segment, partnerships have been and will be at the forefront
of our eVTOL platform’s integrated and convergent technology advantage, not only for the end-product but also in the areas of
manufacturing, engineering and supply chain. New partnerships in AI and machine learning are also being explored in the Drones
segment as well as virtual training system partnerships in the Training segment.
In
addition to these technology partnerships, we selectively pursue strategic joint ventures with international developers of
combat-proven unmanned aerial systems to accelerate access to validated platforms and defense markets. In October 2025, we entered
into a non-binding letter of intent with Degree-Trans LLC dba Bullet, a Ukrainian developer of turbojet unmanned interceptor
systems, to explore the formation of a 50/50 joint venture focused on the production and deployment of Bullet’s fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”)
technology across NATO member countries, and Ukraine. The proposed transaction remains subject to further negotiation and
execution of definitive agreements, and there can be no assurance that the contemplated joint venture will be consummated. In
addition, in November 2025, our subsidiary, AIRO Drone, entered into a Joint Venture and Operating Agreement with Nord Drone Group,
LLC, a Ukrainian developer of unmanned aerial systems, to form a 50/50 joint venture focused on the development, manufacture, and
commercialization of unmanned aerial systems designed primarily for munitions delivery for customers in the United States, NATO
member countries, and Ukraine. The consummation of the AIRO Nord-Drone joint venture is subject to customary closing conditions,
including the execution of ancillary agreements and receipt of any required regulatory approvals, and may not be completed on the
terms described, or at all.
Strategically
acquire businesses and technologies to enhance our offerings.
We
were formed in August 2021 for the purpose of acquiring and integrating various companies engaged in the aerospace and defense industry.
Since our founding, including the Put-Together Transaction, we have gained experience in successfully integrating businesses, and will
continue to focus on thoughtful strategic acquisitions as a key component of our business growth strategy. For example, the drone and
avionics markets are primed for consolidation due to the lack of scale, capital, and resources necessary for expansion by many drone
and avionics companies, and we have identified and are actively evaluating a wide range of strategic opportunities for expansion. We
believe our acquisition strategy will enable us to expand our footprint and opportunities in new and existing areas, strengthen our customer
base and market share and improve overall brand recognition.
Continual
investment in software, AI, and machine learning to expand solutions capabilities and increase operational efficiencies.
We
plan on building out our software, AI, and machine learning capabilities to help our customers solve more complex problems and bring
additional capabilities to the marketplace. In addition, we intend to offer new product and service lines to ensure our customers are
equipped with the proper tools for their evolving needs. These investments are expected to further bolster our cross-platform network
effort to help support future R&D and new product development. These initiatives will also help us streamline our internal processes
and optimize our supply chain, which will support further growth.
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Segment
Summary
Drones
The
Drones segment develops, manufactures and sells drones and will provide drone services, such as DaaS, for military and commercial end
users. Our military drones are sold through our Sky-Watch brand, which is a key supplier to European NATO countries. Military applications
include reconnaissance, surveillance, and defense services, while commercial applications currently include inspection, survey, mapping,
and photography, with future potential expansion into agriculture, weather analysis, conservation, healthcare, search and rescue and
construction applications. A critical point of differentiation lies in our drones’ ability to perform in a GPS denied environment,
which has numerous military and commercial applications. Moreover, our close feedback loop with in-field operators supports a battlefield
relevant capability set. Key market tailwinds include heightened geopolitical instability, increased defense spending, and the evolving
realities of the 21 st century battlefield. Our core future initiatives include military manufacturing in the United States
to sell our drones to the DoD and expansion of the DaaS business.
Our
primary military product, the RQ-35 Heidrun, offers significant advantages over existing micro-ISR drones, because of the combination
of its full-autonomy, demonstrated ability to operate in harsh electronic warfare and GPS-denied battlespaces, its long flight time,
ease of operation, and robust supply chain. Our RQ-35 Heidrun drones operate in EU and NATO countries, having been tested and deployed
in international markets in the EMEA region, including in the ongoing Ukraine conflict. These drones have hundreds of thousands of hours
operating successfully in these harsh environments, and via integrations with other battlespace partners, and have proven to be an essential
link between intelligence gathering and decision making for military customers around the world.
We
also have three cargo drone platforms, including the Sentinel 30 km short-distance drone, the Chaos 60 km medium distance drone, and
a downscaled cargo version of the Electric Air Mobility segment’s Jaunt Journey that can carry up to 250 pounds. All of these
platforms are currently in the prototype stage and we are working to obtain FAA certification, which has been granted to others by
the FAA for cargo oriented drones, for our cargo drones before going to market.
Our
drone assortment has critical points of parity with other drones along parameters such as wingspan, weight, payload, and endurance,
with our critical point of differentiation being our drone’s ability to autonomously operate in GPS-denied environments. This
core attribute reduces the need for human input and expands the solutions scope of our offerings. This technology has critical applications across military and commercial use cases, and we believe we are uniquely suited to
capitalize on this opportunity.
We
also plan to provide DaaS offerings, including surveillance services for businesses interested in monitoring, surveying, and
evaluating their properties. Our DaaS strategy is rooted in our GPS-denied technology, which has strong commercial potential in
agriculture, security, and industrials applications. We plan to offer an extensive suite of capabilities for a wide range of
commercial use cases, including mapping, surveying, inspecting, photographing and filming, dispensing and spraying, warehousing, and
monitoring. We plan to expand our commercial capabilities by offering drone maintenance, repair, and overhaul services.
Sales
of our drones to the DoD is a key future initiative. Our production facility in Phoenix is currently in the process
of obtaining Blue UAS certification, which will enable us to manufacture and sell our RQ-35 drone to the DoD. This certification process
involves sponsors in various U.S military branches supporting our product, with full certification contingent on U.S.-domiciled
production. A version of the RQ-35 intended for Blue UAS certification, the RQ-35 v.251, is currently in our development plan, along
with a follow-on certification program. We expect to achieve Blue UAS certification by June 2026.
We are leveraging the full breadth of our product development excellence, public sector relationships, and our platform to penetrate
the U.S. military drone market.
To
support future new product development, we are designing and engineering efficient, reliable, and low-carbon-emission unmanned aircraft
systems for both commercial and military markets. We are actively developing improvements for our existing RQ-35 Heidrun drone while
also designing the next generation of fully autonomous, fixed-wing mini drones.
Finally,
we are developing a global command, control and communications network for safe, efficient and seamless air platform interoperability
called “AIRO Link.” This network would be designed to enable ground operators to establish a data link to unmanned aircraft
systems, providing valuable flight analytics and support the development of drone flights performed in BVLOS. Currently, we are researching
the requirements and framework that will enable multiple BVLOS drone operations at low altitudes in airspace where FAA air traffic services
are not provided. We are also working to demonstrate the feasibility of using small radio or communication links on drone airframes.
Avionics
The
Avionics segment develops, manufactures, and sells avionics for military and general aviation aircraft, drones, and eVTOLs. Our avionics products include flight displays, Connected Panels, and GPS/GNSS sensors, all of which have been installed on legacy military
aircraft and general aviation platforms. With technology constantly advancing and general aviation fleets aging, we believe there is
considerable potential for military and general aviation aircraft to be upgraded with our solutions. Key market tailwinds include technological
advancements, robust general aviation delivery numbers, and an aging general aviation fleet.
Our
Aspen Avionics brand provides avionics solutions to the general aviation aftermarket, including Connected Panels and OEM displays and
integrations for select partners. Our Aspen Avionics brand is well-known in the avionics market, given its extensive presence on older
military, general aviation, and rotary wing platforms. In addition, our Aspen Avionics brand possesses over 20 years of experience and
strong, long-term customer acceptance of its value proposition. We also supply parts to OEMs, including displays to Robinson Helicopters,
our Connected Panels to Pilatus and Honeywell, and are developing solutions for our Jaunt eVTOL platforms and other eVTOL operators like
Joby Aviation.
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Our
product assortment is built on our Connected Panels, Evolution Flight Display System, and NexNAV offerings depicted below:
The
Avionics segment uses a book and bill model, leveraging our strong relationships with more than 650 dealers worldwide. We primarily use
contract manufacturers based in the United States for our avionics products. Product-market fit has been robust with our flight
display system, our Connected Panels, and NexNav, which have been well received by consumers.
Our
solutions demonstrate strong points of parity with products manufactured by competitors Garmin Ltd., Dynon Avionics, Inc., and
Avidyne Corporation along many core product functionality attributes such as Primary Flight (“PFD”) and Multi-functional
Displays, PFD Backup, Vacuum System Removal, Small Form Factor, and GPS / GNSS Integration. Our key point of differentiation is our
products’ easy-use, low-cost installation, and unique upgradeability, with our avionics engineered ground-up to allow for
value-added features to be added seamlessly throughout the ownership lifecycle.
We
are developing new avionics systems with additional capabilities. These systems are being designed to improve detection and avoidance
with obstacles that could enable manned and unmanned BVLOS operations and enhance connectivity and health monitoring between ground-based
and flight-based systems. We are also developing sensor payloads for specific missions and researching the use of advanced light field
and near-eye optics for display systems.
We
are also developing larger screen displays which will allow us to serve as an OEM supplier for a variety of platforms. Additionally,
these larger screen displays will also be used on our Jaunt cargo and passenger aircraft, which we expect will significantly reduce total
eVTOL and Avionics production costs.
Training
The
Training segment provides military and commercial pilot training for the military and commercial sectors. We offer professional training
and consulting services to the U.S. military, select NATO countries, and other U.S. allies under our CDI brand. These offerings include
adversary air, close air support, ISR, aircraft leasing, pilot training, ground liaison services, JTAC training, as well as full joint
theatre ISR and simulated ground strike training. We work closely with special military forces such as SEAL teams, the U.S. Naval Air
Warfare Center, and USAF Air Combat Command. Our top security clearances and established relationships at the Pentagon provide us a differentiated
ability to bid on mandates. We also offer commercial pilot training for individuals looking to satisfy their training requirements to
earn their commercial pilot license and are actively expanding our non-military capabilities. Our owned aircraft platforms include the Cessna 310, Cessna 206, and L-39 Albatros, and we lease the Marchetti S-211,
which together enable us to provide a wide range of training services.
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Coastal
Defense Incorporated. CDI provides a full suite of services including close air support, intelligence surveillance and
reconnaissance and simulated ground strike training. We are highly experienced in special forces and possess top secret clearance
for our facility, which enables us to bid on contracts with special clearance requirements. Our staff includes a large network of
Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps pilots. CDI is an approved participant under certain multiple award IDIQ contracts issued by the
U.S. military. Approved IDIQ contract participants such as CDI bid on task orders as they are issued by the U.S. military pursuant
to such IDIQ contracts. The U.S. military chooses winning bids based on such factors as cost, certainty of fulfilling the
requirements of a specific task order, safety records, and other factors. Key market tailwinds include a persistent military pilot shortage and the DoD outsourcing pilot training to the private
sector.
CDI
is a current participant under three such IDIQ contracts. The first is for Combat Air Force CAS services, for which CDI is a
mandated participant as one of seven companies approved by U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command to bid for contract military training
contracts. This contract was awarded in September 2024 and is expected to be completed by September 2029, with a combined
not-to-exceed aggregate award of $5.7 billion across all task orders and participants. The Combat Air Force CAS contract is still
active and is expected to continue through 2029. We plan to compete for task orders under this contract that we qualify for based on
our fleet of aircraft. The second contract is for terminal air attack controller trainer services (“TAACTS”). The TAACTS
contract will be active through 2028, with a combined not-to-exceed aggregate award of $249 million across all task orders and
participants. We plan to compete for task orders under this contract as they are released. The third contract is a contract for the
Navy to provide joint terminal air controller training for customers within the Navy that will be active through the end of 2026
with an aggregate award of $1.95 million. In addition to the IDIQ contracts, CDI also bids quarterly on individual contracts and
purchase orders to provide ISR support services, including a current contract award until April 30, 2029.
Commercial
Flight School. In November 2023, we signed non-binding letters of intent to acquire two businesses for the Training segment, including
a flight school for training pilots. There can
be no assurance that we will acquire the pilot school on the terms described herein or at all.
Electric
Air Mobility
The
Electric Air Mobility segment is developing a rotorcraft eVTOL for cargo applications through our Jaunt brand. Use cases
include fixed route flights, on-demand trips, and cargo operations. Our R&D efforts are focused on developing the cargo eVTOL platform,
targeting the attractive middle mile delivery cargo market. We plan to certify our platforms through existing CAR 529 Rotorcraft standards,
with our eVTOL platform including the best attributes of both rotary and fixed wing aircraft. This certification process does not require
us to modify existing rules to get certified, which we believe is a distinct advantage versus our competitors who are certifying under
FAA Part 21.17(b) rules. Our patented compound rotorcraft technology is a core point of technological differentiation that will underpin
our cargo eVTOL’s commercial capability and it has over 300 piloted flight hours on multiple Jaunt demonstrator aircraft. We believe
the range and payload capabilities driven by this technology uniquely positions us to provide a compelling commercial solution for the
eVTOL cargo market. Once developed and certified, our cargo eVTOL will serve as the foundation of our commercialization efforts, with
passenger applications as a longer-term secondary initiative.
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Our
R&D efforts are focused on designing efficient energy management systems, flight control computers, and fly-by-wire systems capable
of delivering cargo and passengers. Additionally, we are collaborating with other technology companies to provide high-fidelity virtual-reality
flight simulators to eventually support eVTOL aircraft testing and pilot training. We are also researching robotic automation technologies
for thermoplastic airframe manufacturing to accelerate the mass production of electric air mobility aircraft and reduce overall production
costs. Key growth tailwinds include increasing demand for mid mile cargo, urban mobility access, and the inherent commercial efficiency
advantages of electric platforms vis-à-vis traditional propulsion systems. Our four big target markets include cargo, passenger,
emergency response, and the military, with cargo being our initial focus due to its readily addressable market potential.
We
believe we are well-positioned to penetrate the eVTOL cargo market due to our certification approach and funding support. We anticipate
that our certification strategy under CAR 529 Rules through the TCCA will significantly expedite the certification process. Once certified,
our cargo aircraft will immediately be recognized by U.S. and European aviation authorities via FAA/EASA reciprocity, allowing us to
bring our eVTOL aircraft to market in the United States, Europe, and Canada concurrently. We expect to receive significant funding
support from multiple sources, including the Canadian government, suppliers, and customer deposits. Additionally, we benefit from supplier
cost sharing, whereby our suppliers have agreed to defer the costs of non-recurring engineering expenses until commercialization, which
reduces our initial funding requirements prior to commercialization. As a result, we believe we have access to funding to cover most
of our aircraft development.
We
began conceptual design of our cargo-configured electric and hybrid-electric aircraft in 2024 and anticipate entering preliminary design
in early 2026. We are targeting first flight by the end of 2026 and initial aircraft deliveries beginning in the fourth quarter of 2027.
Our development program is focused on a runway-independent vertical takeoff and landing aircraft designed to support medium-lift cargo
operations and government mission profiles. Initial commercialization efforts are centered on middle-mile logistics, remote cargo delivery,
tactical resupply, emergency response, and ISR applications, where customers
value range, endurance, payload capacity, and operational flexibility.
The
aircraft architecture incorporates compound rotorcraft aerodynamics and electric or hybrid-electric propulsion to balance endurance,
payload capability, and operating economics. We believe hybrid-electric configurations may provide extended range and mission duration
relative to fully electric platforms, particularly for government and remote logistics use cases. Our phased development approach is
intended to retire technical and regulatory risk through staged design reviews, flight testing, and certification engagement prior to
scaled production.
In
parallel with the cargo program, we expect to continue development of multi-role configurations and enabling technologies, including
autonomy systems, advanced flight controls, mission payload integration, and ground control infrastructure, to expand the addressable
set of cargo and government applications over time. These efforts are intended to support increased operational flexibility, multi-mission
deployment, and potential future variants.
Customers
Our
customer relationships underpin the strength and growth potential of our business. We service a wide variety of end markets, with a diverse
mix of customers ranging from blue-chip OEMs to NATO. Our track record of success, innovative products, tight customer relationships,
and excellent service have driven strong customer retention.
Drones. We
sell our drones to military and defense entities worldwide, including NATO member countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark, and
Germany, which procure the drones through their sovereign funds at the country level, and then donate the majority of the drones to
Ukraine. European demand is robust, as NATO countries continue to procure RQ-35s for their own use with the majority of drones
subsequently donated to Ukraine for in-field use. We
believe that drones can be a key component of NATO countries’ defense spending plans to meet their 5% GDP contribution target
and that we have a unique opportunity for our products to take a share of these countries’ defense spending, particularly with
our mUAS. Expansion of the RQ-35 into the U.S. market is in process, and we believe we will obtain certification as we have already
demonstrated the RQ-35’s capabilities to U.S. forces overseas in Europe. We are now assembling the RQ-35 and will start fully
manufacturing it in the United States to certify for sales to the DoD. In the future, we aim to serve commercial end markets through
our drone services and AIRO Link offerings, targeting Fortune 500 companies. For the year ended December 31, 2025, two customers
accounted for 79% of our consolidated revenue, all of which related to Drone segment revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2024,
two customers accounted for 72% of our revenue, all of which related to Drone segment revenue. No other customer directly or
indirectly accounted for more than 10% of our revenue for either period.
Avionics .
We sell our avionics solutions through our network of more than 650 dealers to sell products to owner-operators of general aviation aircraft
and directly as an OEM solution to Robinson Helicopters, Pilatus, Honeywell, and Joby Aviation. In addition, the Drones and Electric Air Mobility segments
use our avionics and electronics components on their platforms.
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Training .
We have contracts with the U.S. government to provide military training and simulation services.
Electric
Air Mobility . We intend to market and sell our electric and hybrid-electric aircraft to commercial cargo operators, middle-mile
and remote logistics providers, and government customers, including defense, border security, emergency response, and ISR operators. Target customers may include regional and remote cargo carriers, energy and industrial
logistics operators, humanitarian and disaster relief organizations, and public-sector agencies seeking runway-independent vertical lift
solutions. Passenger applications may represent a longer-term opportunity subject to additional development and certification.
Drones
Segment Backlog
Drones
segment backlog represents unfilled orders for which we have purchase orders or other definitive agreements with customers, as well
as orders for which NATO countries have allocated funds but for which no definitive agreement has been executed, in each case
against which we expect to perform and recognize revenue in the next 12 months. As of March 31, 2026, we had approximately
$150 million in Drones segment backlog. This backlog amount was translated to U.S. dollars using applicable exchange rates as of
market close on March 27, 2026, and may increase or decrease based on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. We may experience
reductions to Drones segment backlog and/or significant order cancellations due to various factors, including delivery delays and
production disruptions.
Corporate
History
We
were formed on August 30, 2021 for the purpose of acquiring and integrating various companies engaged in the aerospace and defense industry.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we completed our “Put-Together Transaction” to acquire six companies which are now
organized into our four reportable segments: (i) Drones, through our subsidiaries, AIRO Drone and Sky-Watch; (ii) Avionics, through our
subsidiary, Aspen Avionics; (iii) Training, through our subsidiaries, Agile Defense and CDI; and (iv) Electric Air Mobility, through
our subsidiary, Jaunt.
Competition
We
operate in highly competitive markets that are sensitive to technological advances. In each of our market segments, many of our
competitors are larger and can maintain higher levels of expenditures for R&D. In each of our markets, we concentrate on the
opportunities that we believe suit our resources, overall technological capabilities, and objectives. Principal competitive factors
in these markets are product quality and reliability; technological capabilities, including reliable, resilient, and innovative
cyber capabilities; service; past performance; ability to develop and implement complex, integrated solutions; ability to meet
delivery schedules; the effectiveness of third-party sales channels in international markets; and cost-effectiveness. We frequently
“partner” or are involved in subcontracting and teaming relationships with companies that are, from time to time,
competitors on other programs.
Drones. We anticipate the defense market for
sUAS continues to evolve in response to changing technologies, shifting customer needs and expectations, and the potential introduction
of new products. We believe that a number of established domestic and international defense contractors have developed or are developing
sUAS that continue to compete, or will compete, directly with our products. Some of these contractors have significantly greater financial
and other resources than we possess. Our current principal sUAS competitors include Elbit Systems Ltd., Teledyne Technologies, Inc., L3
Technologies, Inc., and Lockheed Martin Corporation. The U.S. defense market for mUAS has been addressed primarily by Boeing’s ScanEagle
and Textron Inc.’s Shadow UAS. Our current principal mUAS competitors include those competing with us for the U.S. Army’s
Future Tactical UAS Program: Martin UAV, LLC and Northrop Grumman Corporation’s V-Bat, Textron Inc.’s Aerosonde, and L3Harris
Technologies, Inc.’s FVR-90. International mUAS competitors include Elbit Systems Ltd. and Israel Aircraft Industries International,
Inc. We do not view large UAS, such as Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Global Hawk or General Atomics, Inc.’s Predator and
its derivatives, as direct competitors to the sUAS because they perform different missions, do not typically deliver their information
directly to front-line ground forces, and are not hand launched and controlled. However, we cannot be certain that these platforms will
not become direct competitors in the future. Potential competition from consumer-focused drone manufacturers is emerging as their capabilities
increase and their prices remain low relative to existing defense solutions, which is resulting in some level of military consideration
even if such drones do not meet traditional military performance or security specifications. Such potential competitors include Skydio
Inc. and Shield AI, Inc.
The market for commercial UAS products and services is in an early stage of development, but is evolving rapidly,
generating a great deal of interest as government regulations evolve to accommodate commercial UAS operations in the NAS and in the airspace
systems of other countries. Given the breadth of applications and the diversity of industries that could benefit from UAS technology,
a growing number of potential competitors in this market include consumer drone manufacturers such as Da Jiang Innovations (although regulation
is trending toward further restrictions against Chinese made drones, Da Jiang Innovations remains a global industry leader and continues
to serve markets on which we are focused), who seek to enhance their systems’ capabilities over time; other sUAS manufacturers,
including large aerospace companies such as Lockheed Martin Corporation, and drone and aerial surveying and mapping service providers
such as PrecisionHawk, Inc., Sentera LLC, and SlantRange, Inc.; ground-based surveying and mapping service providers; satellite imagery
providers; and specialty system manufacturers, software as a service and other service providers aiming to address specific market segments.
The emerging non-military market is attracting numerous additional competitors and significant venture capital funding given perceived
lower barriers to entry and a much more fragmented marketplace as compared to the military market. Potential additional competitors include
start-up companies providing low-cost solutions.
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Avionics .
We have several competitors in the avionics market. Those major competitors include companies such as Honeywell International Inc.
(HON), Avidyne Corporation, Collins Aerospace, Dynon Avionics, Inc., uAvionix Corporation, L3Harris Technologies, Inc., and Garmin Ltd.
(“Garmin”). In the display and integrated avionics segment, the primary competitor is Garmin, which has the largest market
share in the aftermarket segment. Garmin, Honeywell, and Collins Aerospace are the leaders in the OEM segment. As the eVTOL market emerges,
we expect new market competitors as well as the existing competitors in the avionics segment. Our primary competitors in the Connected
Panel market include Honeywell, Garmin, and Teledyne. In the GPS market space, the NexNav system has few direct competitors. NexNav products
include licensing, Circuit Card Assemblies (“CCA”), and Line Replaceable Units or boxes (“LRU”). Competitors
include Honeywell’s wholly owned division, Bendix/King, CMC Electronics Inc./Esterline Technologies Corp., FreeFlight Systems Inc.
(“FreeFlight”) Trig Avionics Ltd. (“Trig Avionics”), and uAvionix Corporation. FreeFlight and Trig Avionics also
license our design. Other manufacturers of GPS components such as Garmin, Honeywell, and Collins Aerospace do not sell standalone GPS
devices in our markets and typically provide that functionality embedded in an integrated product.
Training.
Our Training segment is part of an industry that is highly concentrated with several well capitalized competitors including, without
limitation, Draken International, Inc. (“Draken”), Top Aces Inc. (“Top Aces”), Airborne Tactical Advantage Company,
LLC (“ATAC”), and Tactical Air Defense Services Inc. (“TacAir”). Draken has a large inventory of domestic and
foreign-built aircraft including A4 Skyhawk, L-159G Alca, Aermacchi MB 339, MiG 21, L-39 Albatros, F1 Mirage, and Atlas Cheetah. A current
contractor with the U.S. Air Force (“USAF”) and the U.S. Navy (“Navy”), Top Aces, is a Canadian-based company
with an inventory of domestic and foreign-built aircraft, including A4 Skyhawk and Dornier Alpha Jet, and is set to acquire F-16 Falcons
through its acquisition of Advanced Training Systems International in Mesa, Arizona. ATAC is a current contractor with the USAF and Navy,
and has a large inventory of foreign-built fighter jets, including F21 Kfir, MK-58 Hawker, L-39 Albatros, and F1 Mirage, of which the
newest aircraft was operational in 1968. TacAir has a medium inventory of domestic built F-5 Freedom Fighters and also operates customer-owned
domestic and foreign-built aircraft, including F-16 Falcon and SU-27. We also compete with simulation training.
Electric
Air Mobility.
The
electric air mobility market is highly competitive and includes companies developing aircraft for passenger transportation, cargo logistics,
and government applications. Certain publicly traded competitors, including Archer Aviation Inc., Eve Holding, Inc., Joby Aviation, Inc.,
and Vertical Aerospace Ltd., are primarily focused on passenger eVTOL aircraft and urban air mobility services. In the cargo segment,
companies such as Elroy Air and MightyFly are developing autonomous or hybrid-electric cargo aircraft targeting middle-mile logistics
markets similar to those we intend to address. We also compete indirectly with incumbent aircraft charter services that have long served
comparable markets using hydrocarbon-based rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft, as well as ground-based transportation providers, including
Uber Technologies, Inc. and Lyft, Inc., to the extent our offerings overlap with certain passenger or logistics use cases.
We
anticipate utilizing existing rotorcraft certification standards for certain of our aircraft configurations, which we believe may provide
a defined regulatory pathway to commercial service relative to certain competitors pursuing alternative certification approaches. Our
electric and hybrid-electric compound rotorcraft architecture is designed to support medium- to heavy-lift cargo and government mission
profiles, including tactical resupply and ISR applications, where endurance,
payload capacity, and runway-independent operations are critical. We believe the principal competitive factors in this market include
certification approach and timeline, cost, manufacturing efficiency, product performance, reliability and safety, service capabilities,
supplier partnerships, and technological innovation. Many of our competitors, however, have substantially greater financial resources,
manufacturing scale, operational experience, or regulatory track records, and competition is expected to intensify as the market evolves.
Research
and Development
We
benefit from the intellectual experience and capacity of visionary leadership and a robust R&D culture linked directly to our operating
business model. We leverage this to continue our thought and innovation leadership among industries, government, military, academic,
aviation, and other market segments.
Business
survival and evolution of best systems demand comprehensive self-assessment and disruption analysis to be a true leader in the industry.
Accordingly, we characterize our company and our people as an “innovation and invention machine.”
To
this end, we promote company-wide experimentation, partnering and client/customer collaboration to assimilate and harness the best ideas.
We plan to induce R&D through big data collection, an internal architecture for participation and an enablement process to absorb
external innovation resources extensively and assimilate them into our indigenous business. Our R&D process is matrixed internally
with operating segments and engineering efforts. It involves management and oversight from idea conception to prototyping, to commercialization
and sales; then cycles to improve products and services continuously.
Additionally,
we partner with appropriate industry leaders, scientific and technology communities, academia, government entities and others to foster
simultaneous research, design, development, and maintenance of both new and existing products.
Our
R&D focuses in five areas that correspond to government and industry needs: (1) Advanced Avionics and Sensors, Displays and Integrations;
(2) Electric Air Mobility System; (3) UAS and sUAS Critical Systems; (4) Drone Command, Control, and Communication Systems; and (5) U.S.
and Global Standards.
Advanced
Avionics and Sensors, Displays and Integration. We design and engineer advanced systems that include, but are not limited to:
● Cockpit
display system functions for primary flight and multi-functional devices installed in general
aviation cockpits;
● connectivity
and health monitoring between ground-based and flight-based systems; and
● sensor
payloads for specific missions.
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Electric
Air Mobility Systems. We design and engineer electric and hybrid-electric compound rotorcraft platforms and associated systems intended
to support cargo and government mission profiles, including middle-mile logistics, tactical resupply, and ISR applications. Our research and development activities include, but are not limited to, the following:
● design, integration, and testing of electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems, including energy management,
power distribution, and endurance optimization for compound rotorcraft applications; and
●
development of flight control computers, fly-by-wire
systems, autonomy capabilities, and aerodynamic optimization to support stable, runway-independent performance and mission flexibility;
and
● integration of cargo and ISR mission payloads, ground
control systems, communications infrastructure, and related systems engineering and certification planning activities.
UAS
and sUAS Critical Systems. We design and engineer safe, efficient, low-carbon-emission, reliable and functional platforms and systems
for multi-mission roles through stringent flight testing and evaluation. This includes, but is not limited to the research, development
or analysis of:
● sense
and avoid systems and standards necessary to comply with the Code of Federal Regulations
that apply to operating and flight rules (14 C.F.R. pt. 91);
● de-risking
operations by AI-enhanced on-board autonomy and decision-making for collision avoidance,
mapping and path-planning, particularly in confined and largely inaccessible areas;
● enabling
the scale of UAS missions and services by minimizing UAS training lead-time via on-board
AI/algorithm modification and hardware modularity to enhance flight safety and performance
across broader applications;
● disposable
and recyclable drones; and
● partner
to design leading-edge vertiports and operations.
Drone
Command, Control and Communications Systems. We develop a global Command, Control and Communications network for safe, efficient
and seamless air platform interoperability termed, “AIRO-NET;” through which we will:
● explore
operation, data exchange requirements and the supporting framework to enable multiple BVLOS
drone operations at low altitudes (under 400 feet above ground level) in airspace where FAA
air traffic services are not provided;
● demonstrate
and prove the feasibility of using a small radio or communications link in sUAS, UAS, and
UAM airframes, while evaluating the operating compatibility with existing avionics equipment;
● develop
secure Command and Control links with interference mitigation among satellite, drone-to-drone,
and drone-to-controllers;
● design
command centers for BVLOS Drone and Advanced Air Mobility missions and services; and
● absorb,
assimilate and develop best services, roles and responsibilities, information architecture,
data exchange protocols, software functions, infrastructure, and performance requirements
systems for a drone “traffic management” ecosystem for uncontrolled operations
complementary to FAA’s Air Traffic Management system.
U.S.
and Global Standards. Our goal is to be a leader of standard setting in the new aerosphere, such that it will support the development
of regulations, policies, procedures, guidance, and standards for manned and unmanned aircraft operations, including but not limited
to function allocation, control station requirements, pilot training and certification requirements. To accomplish that goal, we:
● provide
information from flight tests, modeling and simulation, technology evaluations, risk assessments,
and data gathering and analysis to provide the FAA and other global authorities with critical
information in areas such as Detect and Avoid, UAS communications, Human Factors, System
Safety, and Certification;
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● support
the FAA and industry with ongoing participation with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association
and the American Society for Testing and Materials in the development of standards for UAS
and electric aircraft systems; and
● address
human factors, maintenance and safety concerns that are unique to manned and unmanned aircraft.
Intellectual
Property and Brand Protection
Our
success depends in part upon our ability to protect our core technology and intellectual property. To establish and protect our proprietary
rights, we rely on a combination of intellectual-property rights (e.g., patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets including
know-how and expertise) and contracts (e.g., license agreements, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements with third parties, and
employee and contractor disclosure and invention assignment agreements).
We
own or have exclusive rights to patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and/or other intellectual property rights in the United
States and abroad that support us and the respective brands, products and services of each of our four segments. We have 34 issued patents
worldwide (of which 27 are U.S. patents and 7 of which are British, French, German, and Italian validations of European patents). Without
accounting for any potential patent term adjustments or extensions or other forms of exclusivity with respect to our U.S. issued patents,
4 expire before 2026, 13 expire between the beginning of 2026 and the end of 2030, and 10 expire between the beginning of 2031 and the
end of 2039. The European patents are expected to expire between the beginning of 2027 and the end of 2032.
Of
the above referenced patents and applications, approximately 20 of the issued U.S. patents are related to electronic flight display technologies.
Approximately 7 of the issued U.S. patents are related to vertical take-off and landing aircraft technologies. We also have 5 U.S. trademark
registrations and 1 pending U.S. trademark application. Our various portfolio companies regularly file for patent and trademark protection,
and we have also acquired intellectual property by way of corporate acquisition.
We
believe that our differentiated and balanced portfolio of intellectual property rights in the aerospace, defense and drone technologies
spaces, our diversified product portfolio, ranging from established and mature product offerings to innovative drone and eVTOL solutions,
and the brand reputation of our companies, provide us with a competitive advantage.
In
the future, we intend to continue to seek intellectual property protection for our new products, technologies and designs, and exercise
our rights to exclusively use these valuable assets.
Employees
and Human Capital Management
As of December 31, 2025, we had 223
employees across our platform, all of which were full-time, including 153 in the Drones segment, 36 in the Avionics segment, 10 in
the Training segment, 6 in the Electric Air Mobility segment, and 18 supporting corporate functions. Our human capital resources objectives include, as applicable,
identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating existing and new employees, advisors and consultants. We
anticipate additional hiring activity across our four segments as we continue to scale our operations.
As of December 31, 2025, 45
employees based in Denmark in the Drones segment are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the Danish Industry union.
Apart from such employees, no other employees are currently covered by collective bargaining agreements or represented by labor
unions.
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We
anticipate increased hiring activity as we continue to scale operations. In particular, our Electric Air Mobility segment anticipates
substantial hiring activity, although it will also augment staffing using third-party service providers. We intend to hire operational
management and engineering staff for R&D.
Government
Regulation
We
are subject to various local, state, federal and international laws and regulations relating to the development, manufacturing, sale
and distribution of our products, systems and services, and it is our policy to comply with the applicable laws in each jurisdiction
in which we conduct business. Regulations include but are not limited to those related to import and export controls, corruption, bribery,
environment, government procurement, wireless communications, competition, product safety, workplace health and safety, employment, labor
and data privacy.
Drones
Because
it contracts with the Department of Defense/Department of War and other agencies of the U.S. government—and, for certain of
those contracts, requires access to classified information—our Drones segment is subject to extensive federal statutes and
regulations, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”), the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (“DFARS”), the
Truthful Cost and Pricing statute, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, and the regulations implementing the
National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (“NISPOM”). The NISPOM regulations establish the security
requirements applicable to classified contracts and programs, facility security clearances, and personnel security clearances. The
federal government audits and reviews contractors’ performance on contracts, pricing practices, cost accounting systems and
practices, and compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards. Like most government contractors, the Drones
segment’s contracts are audited and reviewed regularly by federal agencies, including the Defense Contract Management Agency
and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.
Certain
of these statutes and regulations impose or subject the Drones segment to risk of substantial penalties for violations, including
significant financial liability and suspension or debarment from government contracting or subcontracting for a period of time. Our
management monitors its government business to reduce the risk of such violations occurring.
In
addition, the Drones segment is subject to industry-specific regulations due to the nature of the products and services it provides.
For example, certain aspects of its business are subject to further regulation by additional U.S. government authorities, including:
(i) the FAA, which regulates airspace for all air vehicles in the NAS; (ii) the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration and the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), which regulate the wireless communications upon which its UAS depend in
the U.S. and also regulate any device that emits radiofrequency regulation as a result of its operations; (iii) the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls of the U.S. Department of State, which administers the International
Traffic in Arms Regulations that regulate the export of controlled technical data, defense articles and defense services and (iv)
the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which regulates export of dual-use items and
technology.
On
June 21, 2016, the FAA released its final rules that allow routine use of certain sUAS in the NAS. The FAA rules, which went into effect
in August 2016, provide safety rules for sUAS (under 55 pounds) conducting non-recreational operations. The rules limit flights to visual-line-of-sight
daylight operation, unless the UAS has anti-collision lights in which case twilight operation is permitted. The final rule also addresses
height and speed restrictions, operator certification, optional use of a visual observer, aircraft registration and marking and operational
limits, including prohibiting flights over unprotected people on the ground who are not directly participating in the operation of the
UAS. Current FAA regulations require drone operators to register their systems with the FAA and secure operating licenses for their drones
as per the Part 107 specifications. These regulations continue to evolve to accommodate the integration of UAS into the NAS for commercial
applications, including High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite UAS.
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In
December 2019, the FAA proposed rules requiring the remote identification of UAS. Remote identification, which provides for a UAS in
flight to provide identification that can be received by other parties, is designed to enhance safety and security by allowing the FAA
and other agencies to identify a UAS that appears to be flying unsafely or in an area in which flight is not permitted. The public comment
period for the proposed rules expired on March 2, 2020. On April 21, 2021, the final rule for remote identification of UAS went into
effect. On the same day, the final rule for operation of sUAS over people also went into effect. This rule permits routine operations
of sUAS over people, moving vehicles, and at night under certain conditions. The final rule also makes changes to the recurrent testing
framework and expands the list of persons who may request the presentation of a remote pilot certificate. Additionally, in February 2020,
the FAA issued a public request for comment on its proposed policy for the creation of a new type certification of certain UAS as a special
class of aircraft under FAA regulations. Currently the Part 107 Rules allow for the operation of sUAS without the need for FAA airworthiness
certification as long as the UAS meets certain specified criteria and certain flight rules are followed; larger UAS and operations of
sUAS outside the scope of the Part 107 Rules require a waiver from the FAA. The FAA’s proposed policy proposes a new special class
of UAS for which airworthiness certification can be obtained, however, the proposed policy only applies to the procedures for the type
certification of the new class of UAS, not the criteria that will be needed for the UAS or the flight operations to be followed to operate.
Further rulemaking by the FAA is anticipated regarding the particular criteria for the airworthiness certification standards under the
new special class proposed by the new policy. The comment period for the FAA’s proposed policy expired on March 4, 2020.
As a result of Executive Order 14307 entitled “Unleashing American
Drone Dominance” issued by the President on June 6, 2025 (“EO 14307”), a number of policies are slated to change in
2026. Final rules are expected in mid-2026 to comply with the 240-day deadline established in EO 14307 for finalizing the BVLOS rule.
The NPRM issued at the direction of EO 14307 in August 2025 contemplates changes to Part 108 that will enable BVLOS operations without
the requirement of filing individual waivers for each operation, which will expand commercial drone capabilities. Also noteworthy is that
drones must meet compliance standards through manufacturer declarations. Finally existing Part 107 rules for visual line of sight operations
remain unchanged. However, Part 146 establishes a framework for Automated Data Service Providers to manage drone traffic and safety services.
While
it is currently anticipated that the enactment of remote identification, operation of sUAS over people, and a new airworthiness certification
process for a newly created special class of UAS will help formalize the process for manufacturing and obtaining airworthiness certification
for UAS within the newly created class and accelerate the development of commercial UAS in the U.S., it is uncertain whether the FAA’s
actions, if any, will have such effects. Additionally, it is unclear when, if ever, the FAA will implement final rules regarding remote
UAS identification and whether they will differ from the proposed rules. It is also unclear when, if at all, the FAA will create a new
class of UAS and what the final rules regarding the certification of such UAS will look like. We cannot be certain as to how its business
will be affected by the FAA’s proposals until the final rules for such matters are issued by the FAA.
Furthermore,
our non-U.S. operations are subject to the laws and regulations of foreign jurisdictions, which may include regulations that are more
stringent than those imposed by the U.S. government on our U.S. operations.
The
defense and security mUAS segment, most often represented by government clients, has, in our opinion, the best possibility to utilize
mUAS systems, as both armed forces and security agencies often times have access to restricted airspace in which to train, build capabilities,
and operate. Nevertheless, the extent to which the mUAS market—defense, security and civilian professional—can be accessed,
expanded, and commercially exploited is tied to clients’ ability to fly in non-restricted airspace and, moreover, the ability to
fly BVLOS. National and international regulation, such as the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management initiative implemented by the
FAA and NASA in the U.S. or the “U-Space” initiative implemented by the EASA to address UAS traffic management in the EU,
is still underway, as is standardization of operator certification and platform (airworthiness) certification. Until these standards,
certifications, and traffic management are effectively clarified and ratified systematically and internationally, certain clients of
the targeted customer segment may be hesitant, or even prevented, in acquiring and utilizing our mUAS solutions. Accordingly, the nature
of and the speed with these regulations are completed and implemented pose a risk for both our financial performance and condition, timing
of growth and (short-term) growth potential.
Government
Contracting Process
Our
Drones segment sells the significant majority of its small and medium UAS and traffic management system products and services as the
prime contractor under contracts with the U.S. government. Certain important aspects of its government contracts are described below.
Proposal
Process
Most
of the Drones segment’s current government contracts were awarded through a competitive proposal process. The U.S. government
awards competitive contracts based on solicitations that describe the procuring agency’s needs and establish proposal criteria
for evaluation and source selection. Each interested supplier prepares a proposal in response to the agency’s
solicitation. Proposals usually must be prepared in a short time period in response to a deadline identified in the solicitation,
and the proposal effort requires extensive involvement of numerous technical and administrative personnel. Following award
announcements, unsuccessful offerors may challenge the agency’s award decision in a proceeding known as a “bid
protest.”
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Funding
The
funding of U.S. government programs is subject to congressional appropriations. Although multi-year contracts may be authorized in connection
with major procurements, Congress generally appropriates funds on a fiscal year basis, even though a program may continue for many years.
Consequently, programs are often only partially funded initially, and additional funds are committed only as Congress makes further appropriations.
The
U.S. military funds its contracts for full-rate production UAS either through operational need statements or as programs of record.
Operational need statements require allocations of discretionary spending or reallocations of funding from other government
programs. We define a program of record as a program that, after undergoing extensive Department of Defense/Department of War review and product testing, is
included in the five-year government budget cycle, meaning that funding is allocated for purchases under these contracts during the
five-year cycle, absent affirmative action by the customer or Congress to change the budgeted amount. Despite being included in the
five-year budget cycle, funding for these programs is subject to annual approval.
Material
Government Contract Clauses
All
contracts with the U.S. government contain clauses, and are subject to laws and regulations, that give the government rights and remedies
not typically found in commercial contracts, including rights that allow the government to:
● terminate
existing contracts for the government’s convenience, in whole or in part, when it is in the interest of the
government to do so;
● terminate
contracts for default upon the occurrence of certain enumerated events;
● unilaterally
modify contracts regarding certain requirements;
● terminate
contracts (including multi-year contracts) and related orders if funds for contract performance
become unavailable;
● obtain
rights in, or potentially ownership of, intellectual property developed or delivered by a
contractor as a result of its performance of the contract;
● adjust
contract costs and fees based on audits completed by its agencies;
● suspend
or debar a contractor from doing business with the U.S. government; and
● control
or prohibit the export of certain items.
Generally,
government contracts are subject to oversight audits by government representatives. Compensation, if any, in the event of a termination
for default is limited to payment for work completed at the time of termination. In the event of a termination for convenience, the contractor
may receive the contract price for completed work, as well as its costs of performance of terminated work including an allowance for
profit and reasonable termination settlement costs.
NATO
Foreign Drone Contracting Process
While
similar to U.S. government processing, the NATO acquisition process for defense products and services differs in a few key ways, as discussed
below. NATO coordinates capability development and engagement with the defense industry through the Conference of National Armaments
Directors (“CNAD”), the principal committee that brings together the top national officials responsible for defense procurement
in NATO member and partner countries. The CNAD is the senior NATO committee responsible for promoting cooperation between countries in
the armaments field. The CNAD implements decisions taken by member countries as part of the NATO Defense Planning Process (“NDPP”).
Through the NDPP, NATO identifies the capabilities that it requires and promotes their development and acquisition by member countries.
It facilitates the timely identification, development and delivery of the necessary range of forces that are interoperable and adequately
prepared, equipped, trained and supported, as well as the associated military and non-military capabilities, to undertake NATO’s
full spectrum of missions.
The
Defense Industrial Production Board (“DIPB”), created as a result of the Defense Production Action Plan in 2023, brings together
experts from NATO member countries on defense industrial planning and procurement, to share best practices on defense planning and other
relevant issues such as procurement and supply chains. The DIPB meets regularly and reports to the CNAD. The DIPB addresses challenges
related to defense industrial capacity, integration of industry into defense planning, as well as broader obstacles related to enhancing
defense industrial cooperation. The DIPB also serves as a forum for identifying measures to step up defense production and increase national
capabilities for deterrence and defense, replenish depleted stockpiles and operationalize NATO’s support for Ukraine.
The
NATO Industrial Advisory Group is a high-level consultative body comprised of senior industrialists from NATO member countries and partner
countries. It advises the CNAD on how to foster government-to-industry and industry-to-industry armaments co-operation within NATO. Furthermore,
it provides advice to the CNAD on how to foster government-to-industry and industry-to-industry armaments co-operation within NATO.
The
NATO Support and Procurement Agency (“NSPA”) also plays a role in NATO’s logistics and procurement activities. It acquires,
operates and maintains a wide range of capabilities that support NATO, its member countries, partners and other international organizations.
The NSPA brings together NATO’s logistics support and procurement activities, providing effective and cost-efficient multinational
support solutions. The NSPA is a sponsoring country customer-funded agency, operating on a “no profit - no loss” basis.
Government
Contract Categories
There
are three primary types of government contracts in the commercial drones industry, each of which involves a different payment methodology
and level of risk related to the cost of performance. These basic types of contracts are typically referred to as fixed-price contracts,
cost reimbursable contracts (including cost-plus-fixed fee, cost-plus-award fee, and cost-plus-incentive fee), and time-and-materials
contracts.
In
some cases, depending on the urgency of the project and the complexity of the contract negotiation, one of our Drones segment subsidiaries
will enter into a Letter Contract prior to finalizing the terms of a definitive fixed-price, cost reimbursable or time-and-materials
contract. A Letter Contract is a written preliminary contractual instrument that provides limited initial funding and authorizes the
contractor to begin immediately performing while negotiating the definitive terms of the definitive contract.
Fixed-Price .
These contracts are not subject to adjustment by reason of costs incurred in the performance of the contract. With this type of contract,
the contractor assumes the risk that it will not be able to perform at a cost below the fixed price, except for costs incurred because
of contract changes ordered by the customer. Upon the U.S. government’s termination of a fixed-price contract, generally the contractor
would be entitled to payment for items delivered to and accepted by the U.S. government and, if the termination is at the U.S. government’s
convenience, for payment of fair compensation for work performed plus the costs of settling and paying claims by any terminated subcontractors,
other settlement expenses and a reasonable allowance for profit on the costs incurred.
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Cost
Reimbursable . Cost reimbursable contracts include cost-plus-fixed fee contracts, cost-plus-award fee contracts and cost-plus-incentive
fee contracts, each of which is described below. Under each type of cost reimbursable contract, the contractor may recover allowable
and allocable costs incurred in performing the contract, but it assumes the risk that it may not be able to recover costs if they are
not allowable or allocable under the contract terms or applicable regulations, or if the costs exceed the contract funding.
● A
cost-plus-fixed fee contract is a cost reimbursable contract that provides for payment of
a negotiated fee that is fixed at the inception of the contract. This fixed fee does not
vary with actual cost of the contract, but may be adjusted as a result of changes in the
work to be performed under the contract. This contract type poses less risk of loss than
a fixed-price contract, but a contractor’s ability to win future contracts from the
procuring agency may be adversely affected if it fails to perform within the maximum cost
set forth in the contract.
● A
cost-plus-award fee contract is a cost reimbursable contract that provides for a fee consisting
of a base amount, which may be zero, fixed at inception of the contract and an award amount,
based upon the government’s satisfaction with the performance under the contract. With
this type of contract, the contractor assumes the risk that it may not receive the award
fee, or only a portion of it, if it does not perform satisfactorily.
● A
cost-plus-incentive fee contract is a cost reimbursable contract that provides for an initially
negotiated fee to be adjusted later by a formula based on the relationship of total allowable
costs to total target costs.
Time-and-Materials .
Under a time-and-materials contract, compensation is based on a fixed hourly rate established for specified labor or skill categories.
Contractors are paid at the established hourly rates for the hours it expends performing the work specified in the contract. Labor costs,
overhead, general and administrative costs and profit are included in the fixed hourly rate. Materials, subcontractors, travel and other
direct costs are reimbursed at actual costs plus an amount for material handling. Contractors make critical pricing assumptions and decisions
when developing and proposing time-and-materials labor rates, risking reduced profitability if actual costs exceed the costs incorporated
into the fixed hourly labor rate. One variation of a standard time-and-materials contract is a time-and-materials, award fee contract.
Under this type of contract, a positive or negative incentive can be earned based on achievement against specific performance metrics.
Electric
Air Mobility
A
transport category type certification is the highest level in safety provided by the Civil Aviation Authorities. Jaunt intends to certify
under CAR 529, single pilot IFR (instrument flight rules) and comply with Category Enhanced of EASA SC-VTOL-01 by:
● using
System Safety Assessment processes (Aerospace Recommended Practice “ARP” 4761
with ARP 4754A) that are industry standard for commercial transport aircraft (Exposure Draft
(ED) 79A);
● designing
flight critical systems to meet the requirements of a probability of catastrophic failure
of less than 10-9 per flight hour (less than once every billion flight hours);
● developing
robust software design processes to meet Development Assurance Level A for functions that
could exhibit catastrophic failures; and
● meeting
requirements for bird strike, fatigue and damage tolerance, lightning strike, fire protection,
and designing and incorporating elements for crashworthiness right from conceptual stage.
We
believe that this approach puts the design of the Jaunt Journey air taxi in line with the commercial transport category aircraft and
rotorcraft in terms of safety and robustness. We also believe it provides Jaunt with a clear, low risk path to certification by using
existing eVTOL regulations, thereby removing any guesswork from the certification approach.
Government
Regulations and Compliance
In
the near-term, the efforts of the Electric Air Mobility segment will focus on obtaining FAA certification of its aircraft and engaging
with key decision makers in the cities in the United States in which it anticipates its aircraft and UAM service will initially operate.
Its aircraft will be required to comply with regulations governing aircraft design, production and airworthiness. In the United States,
this primarily includes regulations put forth by the FAA and the Department of Transportation (“DOT”). Outside the United
States, similar requirements are generally administered by the national civil aviation and transportation authorities of each country.
Producing
the Aircraft
Production
certification is the FAA’s approval for aircraft manufacturers to be able to manufacture aircraft under an FAA approved type design.
To obtain production certification from the FAA, the manufacturer must demonstrate that its organization and its personnel, facilities,
and quality system can produce the aircraft such that they conform to the approved design. Jaunt is working to develop the systems and
processes it will need to obtain FAA production certification with the goal of obtaining such certification shortly following completion
of the aircraft type certificate.
Operating
the Aircraft
Airworthiness
certification from the FAA signifies that an aircraft meets its approved type design and is in a condition for safe operation in the
NAS. As is the industry standard, each of the aircraft manufactured by Jaunt will need to be issued an airworthiness certificate. We
expect that the airworthiness certificates issued to Jaunt’s aircraft will be a Standard Airworthiness certificate in the Normal
Category, as such terms are defined by the FAA.
Operating
the UAM Service
The DOT and the FAA have regulatory authority over air transportation operations
in the United States. To operate its UAM in air taxi service, Jaunt will be required to hold an FAA Air Carrier Certificate and operate
under Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations and register as an air taxi operator at the DOT. Jaunt will also be required to comply
with the requirement that an air carrier be a “citizen of the United States” as that term is defined in U.S.C. Section 40102(a)(15)
and interpreted by the DOT. In addition, takeoff and landing locations (e.g., airports and heliports) typically require state and local
approval for zoning and land use and their ongoing use are subject to regulations by local authorities. We expect that as Jaunt builds
out its UAM service there will be additional local, state and federal laws, regulations and other requirements that will cover its operations.
Therefore, Jaunt has already begun and will continue to grow its engagement and collaboration with the cities in which it intends to operate
its service in an effort to ensure that it operates in a safe and sustainable manner.
Regulatory
Approvals Relating to Passenger-grade AAVs
Jaunt
operates in a new and rapidly evolving industry, which is subject to extensive legal and regulatory requirements. While regulations governing
this industry are evolving, currently in the jurisdictions where Jaunt plans to sell its products, the commercial use of its passenger-grade
AAVs, if approved, and in some cases its non-passenger-grade AAVs, is subject to an uncertain or lengthy approval process. In order for
customers to use Jaunt’s passenger-grade AAVs, Jaunt is working on obtaining, or working closely with customers to obtain, relevant
approvals and permits in the jurisdictions where it sells and plans to sell its products. We are unable to estimate the average length
of time required to obtain the applicable regulatory approvals due to the nascent nature of AAV-related regulations and the lack of relevant
precedents. For example, we are not aware of any operator having been granted all required approvals for the commercial operations of
passenger-grade AAVs in China or the United States. See the section titled “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business.”
In the jurisdictions where Jaunt plans to sell its products, the commercial use of its passenger-grade AAVs, and in some cases of its
non-passenger-grade AAVs, is subject to an uncertain or lengthy approval process. We cannot predict when regulations will change, and
any new regulations may impose onerous requirements and restrictions with which Jaunt, its AAVs and its potential customers may be unable
to comply. As a result, Jaunt may be limited in, or completely restricted from, growing its business in the foreseeable future.
24
Avionics
Aspen
Avionics designs and manufactures equipment under worldwide aviation regulatory agency approvals. These include but are not limited to
FAA, EASA, TCCA, and ENAC (Brazil) regulations. These govern the design test, certification, installation, and manufacturing of Aspen’s
equipment.
The
FAA regulates the manufacture, repair and operation of all aircraft and aircraft parts operated in the United States. Its regulations
are designed to ensure that all aircraft and aviation equipment are continuously maintained in proper condition to ensure safe operation
of the aircraft. Similar rules apply in other countries. All aircraft must be maintained under a continuous condition monitoring program
and must periodically undergo thorough inspection and maintenance. The inspection, maintenance and repair procedures for the various
types of aircraft and equipment are prescribed by regulatory authorities and can be performed only by certified repair facilities utilizing
certified technicians. Certification and conformance is required prior to installation of a part on an aircraft. Aircraft operators must
maintain logs concerning the utilization and condition of aircraft engines, life-limited engine parts and airframes. In addition, the
FAA requires that various maintenance routines be performed on aircraft engines, some engine parts, and airframes at regular intervals
based on cycles or flight time. Engine maintenance must also be performed upon the occurrence of certain events, such as foreign object
damage in an aircraft engine or the replacement of life-limited engine parts. Such maintenance usually requires that an aircraft engine
be taken out of service. Aspen Avionics’ operations may in the future be subject to new and more stringent regulatory requirements.
In that regard, Aspen Avionics closely monitors the FAA and industry trade groups in an attempt to understand how possible future regulations
might impact it. Our businesses that sell defense products directly to the U.S. government or for use in systems delivered to the U.S.
government can be subject to various laws and regulations that govern pricing and other factors.
Import/Export
Regulations . Aspen Avionics sells products and solutions to customers all over the world and is required to comply with U.S.
export control regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations and U.S., EU and other economic and trade sanctions
programs limiting or banning sales into certain countries and territories and to certain designated parties. Countries outside of the
United States have implemented similar controls and sanction regulations. Together these controls and regulations may impose licensing
requirements on exports of certain technology and software from the United States and the EU and may impact Aspen Avionics’ ability
to transact business in certain countries or with certain customers. Aspen Avionics has developed compliance programs and training to
prevent violations of these programs and regulations, and regularly monitors changes in the law and regulations and creates strategies
to deal with changes. In December 2025, the FCC issued a public notice announcing that it no
longer would authorize most new drones and critical drone components that were not manufactured in the United States on national security
grounds. Changes in the law may restrict or further restrict Aspen’s ability to sell products and solutions.
Anti-Corruption
Regulations . Because Aspen Avionics has significant international operations, it must comply with complex regulations, including
the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act and other local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to governmental officials,
and anticompetition regulations. Aspen Avionics has compliance policies, programs and training to prevent non-compliance with such anti-corruption
regulations in the United States and outside the United States. Aspen Avionics monitors pending and proposed legislation and regulatory
changes that may impact its business and develops strategies to address the changes and incorporate them into existing compliance programs.
Environmental
Regulations . Aspen Avionics’ facilities and operations are subject to numerous domestic and international laws and regulations
designed to protect the environment, particularly with regard to waste and emissions. The applicable environmental laws and regulations
are common within the industries and markets in which Aspen Avionics operates and serves. Aspen Avionics believes that it has complied
with these requirements and that such compliance has not had a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations,
cash flows or equity. Aspen Avionics has installed waste treatment facilities and pollution control equipment to satisfy legal requirements
and to achieve its waste minimization and prevention goals.
Electronic
products are subject to governmental environmental regulation in a number of jurisdictions, such as domestic and international requirements
requiring end-of-life management and/or restricting materials in products delivered to customers, including the European Union’s
Directive 2012/19/EU on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Directive 2011/65/EU on the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous
Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, as amended. Other jurisdictions have adopted similar legislation. Such requirements
typically are not applicable to most equipment produced by Aspen Avionics. Aspen Avionics believes that it has complied with such rules
and regulations, where applicable, with respect to its existing products sold into such jurisdictions. Aspen Avionics intends to comply
with such rules and regulations with respect to its future products.
Wireless
Communications Regulations . Wireless communications of all types are also subject to governmental
regulation. Equipment produced in Aspen Avionics’ Communication Systems and Space and Airborne Systems segments, in particular,
is subject to domestic and international requirements to avoid interference among users of radiofrequency spectrum and to limit human exposure to radiofrequency radiation. Aspen Avionics is also required to comply with technical operating and licensing requirements
that pertain to its wireless licenses and operations. Aspen Avionics believes that it has complied with such rules and regulations and
licenses with respect to its existing products and services, and it intends to comply with such rules and regulations and licenses with
respect to its future products and services. Governmental reallocation of the frequency spectrum could impact Aspen Avionics’ business,
financial condition, and results of operations.
Environmental
Regulation
Operations
in all of our segments are subject to extensive, and frequently changing, federal, state and local environmental laws and substantial
related regulation by government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency. Among other matters, these regulatory authorities
impose requirements that regulate the operation, handling, transportation and disposal of hazardous materials; protect the health and
safety of workers; and require us to obtain and maintain licenses and permits in connection with our operations. This extensive regulatory
framework imposes significant compliance burdens and risks on us. Notwithstanding these burdens, we believe that we are in material compliance
with all federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations governing our operations. To date, there have been no material adverse
effect to our consolidated financial statements nor competitive positions as a result of these environmental regulations.
Other
Regulation
We
are also subject to a variety of other regulations including work-related and community safety laws. The Occupational Safety and Health
Act of 1970 mandates general requirements for safe workplaces for all employees and established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(“OSHA”) in the Department of Labor. In particular, OSHA provides special procedures and measures for the handling of certain
hazardous and toxic substances. In addition, specific safety standards have been promulgated for workplaces engaged in the treatment,
disposal or storage of hazardous waste. Requirements under state law, in some circumstances, may mandate additional measures for facilities
handling materials specified as extremely dangerous. We believe that our operations are in material compliance with OSHA’s health
and safety requirements.
Available
Information
We
maintain an internet website at https://theairogroup.com. We make available on our website, free of charge, our annual reports on
Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, including any exhibits attached to such filings, and
amendments to such reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the “Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after such forms are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “SEC”). Information contained in or accessible through our website does not constitute a part of this
Annual Report on Form 10-K and is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We have included our website
address as an inactive textual reference only.
25
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
Investing
in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Prospective and current investors in our securities should carefully consider the
following risks, together with all the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the sections titled
“Forward-Looking Information” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. If any of the following
risks actually occur, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could suffer. The risks described below are not the
only ones facing us. The occurrence of any of the following risks, or of additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us
or that we currently believe to be immaterial, could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, or
results of operations. In such case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose part or all of your investment.
Risk
Factors Summary
Our
business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in the section titled “Risk Factors”
immediately following this summary. The following is a summary of the principal risks we face:
●
We
have a limited operating history in new and evolving markets, which may make it difficult to evaluate our current business and future
prospects and increase the risk of your investment.
●
We
are an early-stage company with a history of losses, and we expect to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable
future.
●
We depend on a limited number of customers for most of our revenue. The loss of, or a significant reduction in orders
from our key customers that are not replaced by orders from new or existing customers, would significantly reduce our revenue and adversely
impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
●
We do not have long-term commitments from our customers, and end customers may cease purchasing our products at any
time.
●
We
have made and may in the future make acquisitions and investments, which involve numerous risks.
●
We
may not be able to successfully integrate the businesses and personnel of acquired companies and businesses, and may not realize the anticipated synergies and benefits of such acquisitions.
●
We
face significant competition from other companies, many of which have substantially greater resources than we do.
●
We
may not be able to keep pace with technological advances and we depend on advances in technology by other companies.
●
We
may not be able to produce aircraft in the volumes or on the timelines that we anticipate.
●
In
order to reach production for our aircraft, we need to develop complex software and technology systems in coordination with our partners
and suppliers, and there can be no assurance such systems will be successfully developed.
●
We
may be unable to acquire additional aircraft to support our Training segment on acceptable terms or at all.
●
Due
to the nature of our products and services, a product safety failure, quality issue or other failure affecting our or our customers’
or suppliers’ products or systems could seriously harm our business.
●
Our
future success depends on the continuing efforts of our key personnel and on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel
and senior management.
●
We
rely on a limited number of suppliers in Canada and Europe for critical components and raw materials used to manufacture and develop
our products.
●
We
rely on independent dealers and distributors to sell our Avionics products, and disruption to these channels would harm our business.
●
We
currently, and may in the future, use and develop generative AI technologies throughout our business, which may expose us to certain
regulatory and other risks that could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
●
If
our information technology systems or data, or the third parties with whom we work, are or were compromised, we could experience
adverse consequences resulting from such compromise, including but not limited to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation;
fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; loss of revenue or profits; loss of customers or
sales; and other adverse consequences, risks which are amplified by our work for world governments.
26
●
Our
commercial aviation products, systems and services businesses are affected by global demand and economic factors that could negatively
impact our financial results.
●
The
market for eVTOL aircraft and electric air mobility has not been clearly defined, is still emerging and may not achieve the growth
potential we expect or may grow more slowly than expected, which may harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
●
We
are still developing our eVTOL aircraft, have not yet obtained FAA certification of our eVTOL aircraft under development and we have
yet to manufacture or deliver any aircraft to customers, which makes evaluating our business and future prospects difficult and increases
the risk of investment.
●
There
may be reluctance by consumers to adopt a new form of mobility, or an unwillingness to pay aircraft operators’ projected prices.
●
We
are subject to extensive government regulation, and our failure to comply with applicable regulations may subject us to significant
financial liability, penalties, and other government actions that restrict our ability to conduct our business.
●
U.S.
government contracts are subject to a competitive bidding process, are generally not fully funded at inception, and contain certain
terms that may be unfavorable to us, which could result in contracts and opportunities consuming significant resources without generating
revenue or profit.
●
We
rely to a significant degree on sales to the U.S. government, particularly to agencies of the Department of Defense/Department of War, and a decline in government budgets,
funding, changes in spending or budgetary priorities, or delays in contract awards may materially adversely affect our future revenue,
business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and equity.
●
The
U.S. government may modify, curtail or terminate one or more of our contracts.
●
Shutdowns of the U.S. federal government could materially impair our business and financial condition.
●
Our
business may benefit in part from government funding, and our inability to receive such financial support could harm our business.
●
Many
of our products and services are subject to local, state, federal and international regulatory frameworks that are costly to comply
with, are subject to interpretation, may be dependent on political pressures and factors and/or are subject to change.
●
Our
business is highly regulated and our ability to generate revenues and profit may be limited by regulatory restrictions and/or changes
and the speed with which such restrictions and/or changes occur.
●
We
are subject to the risks associated with conducting international business operations.
●
If
we fail to protect, or incur significant costs in defending or enforcing, our intellectual property and other proprietary rights,
our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially harmed.
●
We
have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to effectively remediate these
material weaknesses, identify additional material weaknesses in the future, or otherwise fail to maintain effective internal control
over financial reporting, then we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations,
which may adversely affect our business.
27
Risks
Related to Our Limited Operating History, Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital
We
have a limited operating history in new and evolving markets, which may make it difficult to evaluate our current business and future
prospects and increase the risk of your investment.
We
were organized in August 2021 for the purpose of acquiring and integrating various companies in the aerospace and defense industry and
the history of operating each of our businesses together is relatively short. Our limited operating history and rapidly evolving business
make it difficult to evaluate our current business, future prospects and plan for growth. In addition, our drones, eVTOL aircraft and
other products are sold or will be sold in new and rapidly evolving markets. Accordingly, our business and future prospects may be difficult
to evaluate, the extent to which demand for our products and services will increase, if at all, could be impacted by our ability to do
the following:
●
attract
new customers to our products or services;
●
timely receive Blue UAS certification and commence U.S. drone manufacturing;
●
develop,
renew and expand contracts;
●
acquire
and maintain market share;
●
attract,
integrate, train and retain leadership and other highly qualified personnel;
●
achieve
or manage growth in our operations;
●
acquire
new technologies;
●
adapt
to required redirection or changes in services or direction caused by geopolitical crises;
●
successfully
develop and commercially market new products and services;
●
keep
pace with technological developments;
●
timely
address the increasingly sophisticated needs of our customers, including as a result of changes in government regulation related
to our products and services;
●
secure
sufficient quantities or cost-effective production of our products due to supply chain challenges;
●
adapt
to new or changing policies and spending priorities of governments and government agencies;
●
generate
sufficient revenue to achieve or maintain profitability; and
●
access
initial and additional capital when required and on reasonable terms.
If
we fail to address these and other challenges, risks and uncertainties successfully, our business, results of operations, prospects and
financial condition would be materially harmed.
We
are an early-stage company with a history of losses, and we expect to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the
foreseeable future.
We
have incurred significant net losses since inception including net losses of $4.1 million and $38.7 million for the year ended
December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. As of December 31, 2025, we had an accumulated deficit of $210.6 million.
We expect to continue incurring
net losses as we invest in scaling and expanding our operations. Developing and commercializing products and services in the defense
and broader aerospace industry is capital intensive and subject to long development timelines. We have allocated significant resources
to our R&D programs, and we may not ultimately generate products that achieve market acceptance or meaningful revenue.
Looking
ahead, we expect our operating expenses to increase substantially in connection with: expansion of our headcount; acceleration
of product development, including aircraft and related technologies; regulatory and compliance activities; and scaling our manufacturing
and commercialization infrastructure.
In
addition, as a newly public company, we expect to continue to incur increased legal, accounting and compliance costs.
To
achieve and sustain profitability, we must generate substantial additional revenue. Our ability to do so depends on a number of factors,
including the successful development, approval, and market adoption of our products. If our revenue does not grow sufficiently to offset
our operating expenses, we may not achieve or maintain profitability. Furthermore, while we believe our current capital position provides
us with a strong foundation, we may need to raise additional capital to support our R&D and commercialization efforts. If we are
unable to obtain financing on acceptable terms when needed, we may be forced to delay or reduce our operations, which could materially
and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
28
Risks
Related to Our Business
We
depend on a limited number of customers for most of our revenue. The loss of, or a significant reduction in orders from our key customers
that are not replaced by orders from new or existing customers, would significantly reduce our revenue and adversely impact our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Our
largest customer historically has accounted for a significant portion of our sales. For the year ended December 31, 2025, two customers
accounted for 79% of our consolidated revenue, all of which related to Drone segment revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2024, two
customers accounted for 72% of our revenue, all of which related to Drone segment revenue. No other customer directly or indirectly accounted
for more than 10% of our revenue for either period. We expect our operating results for the foreseeable future to continue to depend
to a significant extent on sales to a relatively small number of customers.
While
revenue attributable to our largest customers may fluctuate from period to period, we expect to remain dependent on a limited number
of customers for a meaningful portion of our revenue for the foreseeable future. If these customers reduce their purchases, cease purchasing
our products, or otherwise alter their purchasing patterns, and we are unable to replace such sales with orders from new or existing
customers, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. Any reduction in sales
attributable to our largest customers would have a significant and disproportionate impact on our business, financial condition and results
of operations.
We
do not have long-term commitments from our customers, and end customers may cease purchasing our products at any time.
We
sell our products to customers directly and through distributors primarily on a purchase order basis rather than pursuant to long-term
purchase commitments. As a result, our customers generally do not have minimum or binding purchase obligations to us, and orders may
be cancelled, reduced or rescheduled, or otherwise modify, which may affect anticipated sales. In addition, the timing and size of purchase
orders, as well as modifications to existing orders, may vary from period to period and could cause significant fluctuations in the timing
and amount of our revenue from period to period.
Our
customer base includes military and defense entities, OEM customers, distributors and government agencies across multiple end markets.
In our Drone segment, we sell our drones to military and defense entities worldwide, including NATO member countries such as the Netherlands,
Denmark and Germany, which may procure drones through sovereign funding mechanisms. Demand for our drones may be affected by factors
outside our control, including defense spending priorities, procurement cycles, geopolitical developments, budget approvals and the availability
of government funding. While we may have bookings or other indications of interest for future purchases, these arrangements generally
do not constitute binding purchase commitments and may be delayed, reduced or cancelled. In our Avionics segment, we sell products through
a network of more than 650 dealers as well as directly to OEM customers, including aircraft manufacturers and avionics providers. These
relationships also typically do not include long-term purchase commitments and demand from these customers may fluctuate based on market
conditions, aircraft production levels and other factors outside our control. In our Training segment, we provide military training and
simulation services pursuant to contracts with the U.S. government, which may be subject to renewal, funding availability and other government
contracting considerations.
Cancellations
or reductions of orders could result in the loss of anticipated sales without allowing us sufficient time to reduce our inventory levels
or operating expenses. In addition, changes in forecasts or the timing of orders from our customers expose us to risks of inventory shortages
or excess inventory, which could cause our operating results to fluctuate. Our customers may also choose to use competing products, develop
in-house alternatives or diversify their supplier bases, which could reduce demand for our products. Any of these factors could materially
and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
have made and may in the future make acquisitions and investments, which involve numerous risks.
We
have made certain acquisitions, including our acquisitions of the Acquired Companies in connection with the Put-Together Transaction,
and continue to routinely evaluate potential acquisitions, investments and strategic alliances involving complementary technologies,
teams, products and companies. We expect to continue to pursue such transactions if appropriate opportunities arise. For example, in
November 2023, we signed non-binding letters of intent to acquire two businesses for the Training segment, including a flight training
school. The parties have undertaken due diligence to determine whether a binding purchase agreement will be negotiated. The total anticipated
purchase price for the acquisitions is expected to range from $5.1 million to $7.7 million, which would be paid in a combination of cash
and shares of our common stock, and if consummated on the terms anticipated, would result in dilution to current investors. As of December
31, 2025, we did not have any binding agreements or commitments to enter into any material acquisitions.
29
Moreover,
we may not be able to identify other potentially suitable transactions in the future or if we do identify such transactions, we may
not be able to complete them on commercially acceptable terms or at all and may face intense competition for such opportunities. In
pursuing transactions, we have and will continue to face numerous risks, including diverting management’s attention from
normal daily operations of our business; difficulties in integrating the financial reporting capabilities and operating systems of
any acquired operations to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures;
potential loss of key personnel of the acquired company as well as their know-how, relationships and expertise; challenges
successfully integrating acquired personnel, operations and businesses; failing to realize the anticipated synergies and benefits of
an acquisition; maintaining favorable business relationships of acquired operations; generating insufficient revenue from completed
transactions to offset expenses associated with our efforts; acquiring material or unknown liabilities associated with any acquired
operations; litigation associated with merger and acquisition transactions; and increasing expense associated with amortization or
depreciation of intangible and tangible assets we acquire. For example, in November 2025, AIRO Drone, LLC and Nord Drone Group, LLC (“NDG”), entered into a Joint
Venture and Operating Agreement (the “JV Agreement”) pursuant to which we and NDG will form AIRO Nord-Drone, LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company (the “JV”). In addition, in October 2025, we entered into a non-binding letter of intent with Bullet
(Degree-Trans LLC), a Ukrainian developer of turbojet unmanned interceptor systems, to establish a 50/50 joint venture to produce and
deploy Bullet’s combat-proven fixed-wing UAV technology across the United States, NATO defense markets and Ukraine and there can
be no assurance that a definitive joint venture agreement will be entered into or that the joint venture will be consummated on the terms
described herein or at all. The success of these joint ventures and any future joint ventures will depend, in part, on the successful
collaboration between us and our joint venture partners, and we may not realize all of the anticipated benefits.
The accounting treatment for any future
transaction may result in significant amortizable intangible assets which, when amortized, will negatively affect our consolidated results
of operations. The accounting treatment may also result in significant goodwill, which, if impaired, will negatively affect our consolidated
results of operations. Furthermore, we may incur additional debt or issue equity securities to pay for transactions. The incurrence of
additional debt could limit our operating flexibility and be detrimental to our profitability, and the issuance of equity securities
would be dilutive to our existing stockholders. Any or all of the above factors may differ from the investment community’s expectations
in a given quarter, which could negatively affect our stock price. In the event we make future investments, the investments may decline
in value, we may lose all or part of our investment.
We
may not be able to successfully integrate the businesses and personnel of acquired companies and businesses, and may not realize the
anticipated synergies and benefits of such acquisitions.
We
may not be able to realize the expected benefits from acquisitions because of integration difficulties
or other challenges. The success of our acquisitions will depend, in part, on our ability to realize all or some of the anticipated synergies
and other benefits from integrating the acquired businesses with our existing businesses. Integration activities can be costly, complex
and time consuming. The potential difficulties we may face in integrating the operations of our acquisitions include, among others: the
failure to implement our business plans for the combined businesses and consolidation or expansion of production capacity as planned
and where applicable; unexpected losses of key employees, customers or suppliers of our acquired companies and businesses; unanticipated
issues in conforming our acquired companies’ and businesses’ standards, processes, procedures and controls with our operations;
coordinating new product and process development; increasing the scope, geographic diversity and complexity of our operations; diversion
of management’s attention from other business concerns; adverse effects on our or our acquired companies’ and businesses’
existing business relationships; unanticipated changes in applicable laws and regulations; operating risks inherent in our acquired companies’
and businesses’ business and operations; unanticipated expenses and liabilities; potential unfamiliarity with our acquired companies
and businesses technology, products and markets, which may place us at a competitive disadvantage; and other difficulties in the assimilation
of our acquired companies and businesses operations, technologies, products and systems.
Any
acquired companies and businesses may have unanticipated or larger than anticipated liabilities for patent and trademark infringement
claims, violations of applicable laws, rules and regulations, commercial disputes, taxes and other known and unknown types of liabilities.
There may be liabilities that we underestimated or did not discover in the course of performing our due diligence investigation of our
acquired companies and businesses. We may have no recourse or limited recourse under the applicable acquisition-related agreement to
recover damages relating to the liabilities of our acquired companies and businesses.
We
may not be able to maintain or increase the levels of revenue, earnings or operating efficiency that we, and each of our acquired companies
and businesses, had historically achieved or might achieve separately. In addition, we may not accomplish the integration smoothly, successfully
or within the anticipated costs or timeframe. If we experience difficulties with the integration process or if the business of our acquired
companies or businesses deteriorates, the anticipated cost savings, growth opportunities and other synergies of our acquired companies
and businesses may not be realized fully or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected. If any of the above risks occur, our
business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be materially and adversely impacted, we may fail to meet the
expectations of investors or analysts, and our stock price may decline as a result.
We
face significant competition from other companies, many of which have substantially greater resources than we do.
The
defense and broader aerospace industry is highly competitive and generally characterized by intense competition to win contracts. While
we expect to be one of the pioneering companies to market eVTOL aircraft, we expect this industry to be increasingly competitive, and
it is possible that our competitors could get to market before us, either generally or in specific markets. Our current principal competitors
include the following: (i) for our Drones segment: Da Jiang Innovations, Elbit Systems Ltd., Lockheed Martin Corporation, L3Harris Technologies,
Inc.’s FVR-90, L3 Technologies, Inc., Martin UAV, LLC, Northrop Grumman Corporation’s V-Bat, Teledyne Technologies, Inc.,
and Textron Inc.’s Aerosonde; (ii) for our Training segment: Airborne Tactical Advantage Company, LLC, Draken International, Inc.,
Tactical Air Defense Services Inc. and Top Aces Inc.; (iii) for our Avionics segment: Avidyne Corporation, Collins Aerospace, Dynon Avionics,
Inc., Garmin Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., L3Harris Technologies, Inc., and uAvionix Corporation; and (iv) for our Electric Air
Mobility segment: Archer Aviation Inc., BETA Technologies, Inc., Eve Holding Inc., Joby Aviation, Inc., Lilium N.V., Vertical Aerospace
Ltd., Volocopter GmbH, and Wisk Aero LLC, in addition to ground transportation services, such as Lyft, Inc. and Uber Technologies, Inc.,
and incumbent aircraft carrier services, such as Blade Air Mobility, Inc. and NetJets Inc.
30
Many
of these companies have substantially greater financial, management, research and marketing resources than we do. Our competitors may
be able to provide customers with different or greater capabilities or benefits than we can provide in areas such as technical qualifications,
past contract performance, geographic presence, price and the availability of key professional personnel, including those with security
clearances. Furthermore, many of our competitors may be able to utilize their substantially greater resources and economies of scale
to develop competing products and technologies, manufacture in high volumes more efficiently, divert sales away from us by winning broader
contracts or hire away our employees by offering more lucrative compensation packages. In particular, our competitors may be able to
obtain the relevant certification and approvals for their aircraft before us. Small business competitors may be able to offer more cost
competitive products and services, due to their lower overhead costs, and take advantage of small business incentives and set-aside programs
for which we are ineligible. In order to secure contracts successfully when competing with larger, well-financed companies, we may be
forced to agree to contractual terms that provide for lower aggregate payments to us over the life of the contract, which could adversely
affect our margins.
We
may not be able to keep pace with technological advances and we depend on advances in technology by other companies.
The
defense and broader aerospace industry continues to undergo significant changes, primarily due to technological developments. Because
of the rapid growth and advancement of technology, shifting consumer tastes and the popularity and availability of other forms of activities,
it is impossible to predict the overall effect these factors could have on potential revenue from, and profitability of, the defense
and broader aerospace industry. The development of specialized software and hardware is a costly, complex and time-consuming process,
and investments in product development often involve a long wait until a return, if any, can be achieved on such investment. We might
face difficulties or delays in the development process that will result in our inability to timely offer products that satisfy the market,
which might allow competing products to emerge during the development and certification process. We anticipate making significant investments
in R&D relating to our products and technology, but such investments are inherently speculative and require substantial capital expenditures.
Any unforeseen technical obstacles and challenges that we encounter in the R&D process could result in delays in or the abandonment
of product commercialization, may substantially increase development costs, and may negatively affect our results of operations. In the
time it takes to develop or improve upon a product, that product may become obsolete.
It
is impossible to predict the overall effect these factors could have on our ability to compete effectively in a changing market, and
if we are not able to keep pace with these technological advances, then our revenues, profitability and results of operations may be
materially adversely affected. However, if we struggle to adapt to an industry-shifting technological advancement or competitor offerings
that render our products relatively less attractive or obsolete, including due to competitive pressures we face relative to other drone
companies, it could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Further,
we rely on and will continue to rely on components of our products that are developed and produced by other companies over which we have
limited control. The commercial success of certain of our planned future products will depend in part on advances in these and other
technologies by other companies, and our ability to procure them from such third parties in a timely manner and on economically feasible
terms. We may, from time-to-time, contract with and support companies developing key technologies in order to accelerate the development
of such products for our specific uses. Such activities might not result in useful technologies or components for us.
We
may be unable to acquire additional aircraft to support our Training segment on acceptable terms or at all .
The
success of our Training segment, including our ability to bid and complete future task orders under certain multiple awards and IDIQ
contracts issued by the U.S. military, is dependent on our financing or leasing additional aircraft that meet our customers’
needs. There are a limited number of aircraft available that meet our customers’ needs and potential seller countries have
been retaining aircraft in light of the Ukrainian conflict and instability in other areas of the world as well as delayed deliveries
from manufacturers of new aircraft, creating more limited supply. In addition, as a result of policy changes regarding aircraft
transfers to the United States, purchased aircraft often need to be disassembled, imported into the United States, and appropriately
modified to meet customer needs. This requires significant capital and lead time to put an aircraft into operation. Delays or
failure in obtaining suitable aircraft could adversely impact financial results and growth plans due to missed task order bidding
opportunities.
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Due
to the nature of our products and services, a product safety failure, quality issue or other failure affecting our or our customers’
or suppliers’ products or systems could seriously harm our business.
Our
products and services are highly sophisticated and specialized, involve complex advanced technologies, are often integrated with third-party
products and services, and are utilized for specific purposes that require precision, reliability, and durability. Many of our products
and services include both hardware and software that involve industrial machinery and intricate aviation and defense systems, including
commercial and military jet engines, power and control systems, and other aircraft parts, and military sensors and command and control
systems. Technical, mechanical, quality, electronic, and other failures may occur from time to time, whether as a result of manufacturing
or design defect, operational process, or production issue attributable to us, our customers, suppliers, partners, third party integrators,
or others. Product design changes and updates could also have associated cost and schedule impacts. In addition, our products could fail
as a result of cyber-attacks, such as those that seize control and result in misuse or unintended use of our products, or other intentional
acts. The impact of a catastrophic product or system failure or similar event affecting our or our customers’ or suppliers’
products or services could be significant, and could result in injuries or death, property damage, loss of strategic capabilities, loss
of intellectual property, loss of reputation, and other significant negative effects. A product or system failure, or perceived failure,
could lead to negative publicity, a diversion of management attention, and damage to our reputation that could reduce demand for our
products and services. It could also result in product recalls and product liability and warranty claims (including claims related to
the safety or reliability of our products) and related expenses, other service, repair and maintenance costs, labor and material costs,
customer support costs, significant damages, and other costs, including fines and other remedies, and regulatory and environmental liabilities.
We may also incur increased costs, delayed payments, reputational harm, or lost equipment or services revenue in connection with a significant
issue with a third party’s product with which our products are integrated. Further, our insurance coverage may not be adequate
to cover all related costs and we may not otherwise be fully indemnified for them. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse
effect on our competitive position, results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity.
Our
customers may experience service failures or interruptions due to defects in the software, infrastructure, components or engineering
system that compromise our products and services, or due to errors in product installation, any of which could harm our business.
Our
products and services may contain undetected defects in the software, infrastructure, components or engineering system. Sophisticated
software and applications, such as those adopted and offered by us in connection with or as a part of our eVTOL, drone, and avionics
offerings, may contain “bugs” that can unexpectedly interfere with the software and applications’ intended operations.
Our communication services may from time to time experience outages, service slowdowns or errors. Defects may also occur in components
or processes used in our products or for our services.
There
can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix all defects in the hardware, software and services we offer. Failure to do
so could result in decreases in sales of our products and services, lost revenues, significant warranty and other expenses, decreases
in customer confidence and loyalty, losing market share to our competitors, and harm to our reputation.
Our
future success depends on the continuing efforts of our key personnel and on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel
and senior management.
Due
to the specialized nature of our business, our future performance is highly dependent upon the continued services of our key technical
personnel and executive officers, including the contributions of Captain Joseph D. Burns, our Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Chirinjeev
Kathuria, our Executive Chairman, and John Uczekaj, our President and Chief Operating Officer, as well as other members of our management
team, and the hiring, development, and retention of qualified technical, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and management
personnel for our operations. The loss of services of any of these individuals could make it more difficult to achieve our business plans.
Although we have executed employment agreements or offer letters with each member of our senior management team, these agreements are
terminable at will with or without notice and, therefore, we may not be able to retain their services. We do not currently maintain “key
person” life insurance on the lives of our executives. This lack of insurance means that we may not have adequate compensation
for the loss of the services of these individuals.
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We
aim to significantly increase our headcount in the near-term, but have experienced, and continue to experience, challenges hiring highly
qualified personnel including engineers, pilots, skilled laborers, and security clearance holders. Currently, there is a shortage of
pilots that could exacerbate over time as more pilots in the industry approach mandatory retirement age which will affect our Training
segment. We expect these difficulties to continue in the future. In addition, the cost of labor remains high. Some candidates and new
personnel may have job-related expectations that differ from our current workforce and are inconsistent with our corporate culture. With
respect to existing personnel, some may become required to receive various security clearances and substantial training in order to work
on certain programs or perform certain tasks. Necessary security clearances may be delayed, which may impact our ability to perform on
our U.S. government contracts. We also may not be successful in training or developing qualified personnel with the requisite relevant
skills or security clearances. Moreover, some of our employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements. If we have additional
challenges renegotiating agreements or if our employees pursue new collective representation, then we could experience additional costs
and/or be subject to work stoppages. Any of the above factors could seriously harm our business.
We
rely on a limited number of suppliers in Canada and Europe for critical components and raw materials used to manufacture and develop
our products. If we are forced to use suppliers outside these jurisdictions and, as a result, such materials become scarce or unavailable,
or such suppliers fail, then we may incur delays in development, manufacture and delivery of our products, which could damage our business.
We
obtain hardware components, raw materials, and various systems and subsystems from a limited group of suppliers located in Canada and
Europe, some of which are sole source suppliers. We do not have long-term agreements with any of these suppliers that obligate them to
continue to sell such components, materials, systems or subsystems to us. Our reliance on these suppliers involves significant risk and
uncertainty, including whether such suppliers will provide an adequate supply of products of sufficient quality, will increase prices
for the products and will perform their obligations on a timely basis.
Changes in business conditions, wars, governmental changes, political
intervention, and other factors beyond our control or which we do not presently anticipate, could also affect our suppliers’ ability
to deliver components to us on a timely basis. Current high inflation levels have increased
material and component prices, labor rates, and supplier costs, and put pressure on our margins. Credit market conditions, including
higher interest rates and the availability of credit, have impacted some of our suppliers and subcontractors as well. As a result of
these procurement issues, the production flow in our factories has been negatively impacted, which has, in turn, hindered our ability
to perform on our commitments to customers and negatively affected our results of operations.
The
timing of the impacts of these supply chain risks and issues and our ability to mitigate them are uncertain and difficult to predict.
However, we expect the current supply chain, inflation, price issues and potential tariffs and their negative impacts on our business
to continue into 2026. Furthermore, the existing supply chain issues could
be compounded by other events, such as an economic downturn; supplier capacity constraints for other reasons; supplier quality issues
(for example, defects or fraudulent parts); supplier closing, bankruptcy, or financial difficulties; price increases for various reasons;
and worsening shortages of raw materials or commodities, including as a result of war or other geopolitical actions, natural disaster
(including the effects of climate change), health pandemic or other business continuity events, or transport and distribution issues,
any of which could further negatively impact our ability to meet our commitments to customers or increase our operating costs and therefore
incrementally affect our results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity.
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Furthermore,
if we experience significant increased demand, or need to replace our existing suppliers, there can be no assurance that additional supplies
of component parts will be available when required on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all, or that any supplier would allocate
sufficient supplies to us in order to meet our requirements or fill our orders in a timely manner. In addition, certain components and
raw materials used in the development and manufacture of our products are periodically at risk of supply shortages, and our business
is subject to the risk of price increases and periodic delays in delivery. If shortages occur and we are unable to obtain components
from third party suppliers in the quantities and of the quality we require, on a timely basis and at acceptable prices, then we may not
be able to timely complete development of or deliver our products on a timely or cost effective basis to our customers, which could cause
customers to terminate their contracts with us, increase our costs and seriously harm our business, results of operations, prospects
and financial condition. Moreover, if any of our suppliers become financially unstable, or otherwise unable or unwilling to provide us
with raw materials or components, then we may have to find new suppliers. It may take several months to locate alternative suppliers,
if required, or to redesign our products to accommodate components from different suppliers. Even if we are successful at locating alternative
suppliers the costs of the components may be higher than the original supplier’s components or we may be required to purchase in
larger quantities than we normally would, which may result in higher inventory levels than desired. We may experience significant delays
in manufacturing and shipping our products to customers and incur additional development, manufacturing and other costs to establish
alternative sources of supply if we lose any of these sources or are required to redesign our products. We cannot predict if we will
be able to obtain replacement components within the time frames that we require at an affordable cost, if at all.
We
do not control our suppliers’ labor or other compliance practices, including environmental, health and safety practices. If our
current suppliers, or any other suppliers we may use in the future, violate U.S. or foreign laws or regulations, we may be subjected
to extra duties, significant monetary penalties, adverse publicity, the seizure and forfeiture of products that we are attempting to
import or the loss of our import privileges. The effects of these factors could render the conduct of our business in a particular country
undesirable or impractical and have a negative impact on our operating results.
We
rely on independent dealers and distributors to sell our Avionics products, and disruption to these channels would harm our business.
A
significant portion of aftermarket sales in our Avionics segment are made through a worldwide network of independent dealers and distributors,
which subjects us to many risks, including risks related to their inventory levels and support for our products. If dealers and distributors
attempt to reduce their levels of inventory or if they do not maintain sufficient levels to meet customer demand, our sales could be
negatively impacted.
Many
of our dealers and distributors also sell products offered by our competitors. If our competitors offer our dealers and distributors
more favorable terms, those dealers and distributors may de-emphasize or decline to carry our products. In the future, we may not be
able to retain or attract a sufficient number of qualified dealers and distributors. If we are unable to maintain successful relationships
with dealers and distributors or to expand our distribution channels, our business will suffer.
We
currently, and may in the future, use and develop generative AI technologies throughout our business, which may expose us to certain
regulatory and other risks that could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We
use AI, machine learning and automated decision-making technologies, including proprietary AI and machine learning algorithms and models
(“AI Technologies”) in our business. For example, AIRO Drone expects to operate drones in an AI-based commercial inspection
service known as DaaS and build and operate a worldwide drone datacom network known as “AIRO-NET.” As with many technological
innovations, there are significant risks involved in developing, maintaining and deploying these technologies and there can be no assurance
that the usage of, or our investments in, such technologies will always enhance our products or services or be beneficial to our business,
including our efficiency or profitability. In particular, if the models underlying our AI Technologies are incorrectly designed or implemented;
trained or reliant on incomplete, inadequate, inaccurate, biased or otherwise poor quality data or on data to which we do not have sufficient
rights or in relation to which we and/or the providers of such data have not implemented sufficient legal compliance measures; used without
sufficient oversight and governance to ensure their responsible use; and/or adversely impacted by unforeseen defects, technical challenges,
cybersecurity threats or material performance issues, the performance of our products, services and business, as well as our reputation,
and the reputations of our customers, could suffer or we could incur liability resulting from the violation of laws or contracts to which
we are party or civil claims. Finally, the overall regulatory framework for AI Technologies is rapidly evolving as many federal, state
and foreign government bodies and agencies have introduced, or are currently considering, additional laws and regulations. Additionally,
existing laws and regulations may be interpreted in ways that would affect the operation of our AI Technologies. As a result, implementation
standards and enforcement practices are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future.
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If
our information technology systems or data, or those of the third parties with whom we work, are or were compromised, we could
experience adverse consequences resulting from such compromise, including but not limited to regulatory investigations or actions;
litigation; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; loss of revenue or profits; loss of
customers or sales; and other adverse consequences, risks which are amplified by our work for world governments.
In
the ordinary course of our business, we and the third parties with whom we work may process proprietary, confidential, and sensitive
data, including personal data, intellectual property, and trade secrets.
Cyberattacks,
malicious internet-based activity, online and offline fraud, and other similar activities threaten the confidentiality, integrity,
and availability of our sensitive information and information technology systems, and those of the third parties with whom we work.
Such threats are prevalent and continue to rise, are increasingly difficult to detect, and, as a government contractor, these
security threats are amplified. These threats come from a variety of sources, including traditional computer “hackers,”
threat actors, personnel (such as through theft or misuse), “hacktivists,” organized criminal threat actors,
sophisticated nation-states, and nation-state-supported actors. Some actors now engage and are expected to continue to engage in
cyberattacks, including without limitation nation-state actors for geopolitical reasons and in conjunction with military conflicts
and defense activities. During times of war and other major conflicts, we and the third parties with whom we work may be vulnerable
to a heightened risk of these attacks, including retaliatory cyberattacks that could materially disrupt our systems and operations,
supply chain, and ability to produce, sell and distribute our products. We and the third parties with whom we work may be subject to
a variety of other evolving threats, including, but not limited to, social-engineering attacks (including through deep fakes, which
may be increasingly more difficult to identify as fake, and phishing attacks), malicious code (such as viruses and worms), malware
(including as a result of advanced persistent threat intrusions), denial-of-service attacks, credential stuffing attacks, credential
harvesting, personnel misconduct or error, ransomware attacks, supply chain attacks, software bugs, server malfunctions, software or
hardware failures, loss of data or other information technology assets, adware, telecommunications failures, attacks enhanced or
facilitated by artificial intelligence, and other similar threats. In particular, severe ransomware attacks, including those from
organized criminal threat actors, nation-states and nation-state supported actors, are becoming increasingly prevalent and severe
and can lead to significant interruptions, delays, or outages in our operations, ability to provide our products and services, loss
of sensitive data and income, reputational harm and diversion of funds. Extortion payments may alleviate the negative impact of a
ransomware attack, but we may be unwilling or unable to make such payments, due to, for example, if applicable laws or regulations
prohibiting such payments.
Additionally, remote work has increased risks to our information technology systems and data, as our
employees utilize network connections, computers, and devices outside our premises or network, including working at home, while in transit,
and in public locations. Future or past business transactions (such as acquisitions or integrations) could also expose us to additional
cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, as our systems could be negatively affected by vulnerabilities present in acquired or integrated
entities’ systems and technologies. Furthermore, we may discover security issues that were not found during due diligence of such
acquired or integrated entities, and it may be difficult to integrate companies into our information technology environment and security
program.
35
We
rely upon third parties and technologies to operate critical business systems to process sensitive information in a variety of contexts,
including, without limitation, cloud-based infrastructure, encryption and authentication technology, employee email, and other functions.
Our ability to monitor these third parties’ information security practices is limited, and these third parties may not have adequate
information security measures in place. If the third parties with whom we work experience a security incident or other interruption, we could experience
adverse consequences. While we may be entitled to damages if the third parties with whom we work fail to satisfy their
privacy or security-related obligations to us, any award may be insufficient to cover our damages, or we may be unable to recover such
award. In addition, supply chain attacks have increased in frequency and severity, and we cannot guarantee that third parties’
infrastructure in our supply chain or that of the third parties with whom we work have not been compromised.
While
we have implemented security measures designed to protect against security incidents, there can be no assurance that these measures
will be effective. We take steps designed to detect, mitigate and remediate vulnerabilities in our information security systems
(such as our hardware and/or software, including that of third parties with whom we work). We may not detect and remediate all such
vulnerabilities including on a timely basis. Further, we may experience delays in developing and deploying remedial measures and
patches designed to address identified vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities could be exploited and result in a security incident. It may
also be difficult and/or costly to detect, investigate, mitigate, contain, and remediate a security incident. Actions taken by us or
the third parties with whom we work to detect, investigate, mitigate, contain, and remediate a security incident could result in
outages, data losses, and disruptions of our business. Threat actors may also gain access to other networks and systems after a
compromise of our networks and systems. For example, threat actors may use an initial compromise of one part of our environment to gain access to other parts
of our environment, or leverage a compromise of our networks or systems to gain access to the networks or systems of third parties with
whom we work, such as through phishing or supply chain attacks.
Any
of the previously identified or similar threats could cause a security incident or other interruption that could result in
unauthorized, unlawful, or accidental acquisition, modification, destruction, loss, alteration, encryption, disclosure of, or access
to our sensitive information or our information technology systems, or those of the third parties with whom we work. A security
incident or other interruption could disrupt our ability (and that of third parties with whom we work) to provide our products and
services. For example, in November 2025, the Company became aware of a social engineering attempt in which an individual external to
the Company impersonated a member of senior management via text message to request information from an employee. The employee
reported the message to the Company’s information technology team, and the incident was reviewed in accordance with the
Company’s cybersecurity response procedures. No Company systems were accessed, and no sensitive information was disclosed. We
expect that similar security incident and other cybersecurity attempts may continue to occur in the future. We may expend
significant resources or modify our business activities to try to protect against security incidents. Certain data privacy and
security obligations, such as the U.S. Department of War’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (“CMMC”),
require us to implement and maintain specific security measures or industry-standard or reasonable security measures to
protect our information technology systems and sensitive information.
Applicable
data privacy and security obligations may require us, or we may voluntarily choose, to notify relevant stakeholders of certain
security incidents, including affected individuals, customers, regulators and investors, or to take other actions, such as providing
credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. Such disclosures and related actions can be costly, and the disclosures or
the failure to comply with such applicable requirements, could lead to adverse consequences. If we (or a third party with whom we
work) experience a security incident or are perceived to have experienced a security incident, we may experience material adverse
consequences such as government enforcement actions (for example, investigations, fines, penalties, audits, and inspections),
additional reporting requirements and/or oversight, restrictions on processing sensitive information (including personal data),
litigation (including class claims), indemnification obligations, negative publicity, reputational harm, monetary fund diversions,
diversion of management attention, interruptions in our operations (including availability of data), financial loss and other
similar harms. Security incidents and attendant material consequences may and negatively impact our ability to grow and operate our
business.
Our
contracts may not contain limitations of liability, and even where they do, there can be no assurance that limitations of liability
in our contracts are sufficient to protect us from liabilities, damages, or claims related to our data privacy and security
obligations. In addition, we cannot be sure that our insurance coverage will adequate or sufficient to protect us from or to
mitigate liabilities arising out of our privacy and security practices, that such coverage will continue to be available on
commercially reasonable terms or at all, or that such coverage will pay future claims.
In
addition to experiencing a security incident, third parties may gather, collect, or infer sensitive information about us from public
sources, data brokers, or other means that reveals competitively sensitive details about our organization and could be used to undermine
our competitive advantage or market position. Sensitive information of us or our customers could also be leaked, disclosed, or revealed
as a result of or in connection with our employee’s, personnel’s, or vendor’s with whom we work use of generative AI
Technologies.
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Our
commercial aviation products, systems and services businesses are affected by global demand and economic factors that could negatively
impact our financial results.
The
operating results of our commercial aviation products, systems and services businesses – particularly our Electric Air Mobility
and Avionics segments – have been and may in the future be adversely affected by downturns in the global demand for air travel,
which impacts new aircraft production and orders, and global flying hours, which impacts air transport, regional and business aircraft
utilization rates and pilot training needs. The aviation industry is highly cyclical, and the level of demand for air travel is correlated
to the strength of the U.S. and international economies and is impacted by long-term trends in airline passenger and cargo traffic. The
results of our commercial aviation businesses also depend on other factors, including general economic growth, political stability in
both developed and emerging markets, pricing pressures, trends in capital goods markets and changes in OEM production rates.
Extreme
weather, natural disasters and other adverse events could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
Adverse
weather conditions and natural disasters, such as hurricanes, winter snowstorms or earthquakes, can cause flight cancellations or significant
delays. Cancellations or delays due to adverse weather conditions or natural disasters, air traffic control problems or inefficiencies,
breaches in security or other factors may affect us to a greater degree than our competitors who may be able to recover more quickly
from these events, and therefore could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition
to a greater degree than other air carriers.
The
sizes of the markets for our current and future solutions may be smaller than we estimate.
Our
estimates of the total addressable market for our current products and services are based on a number of internal and third-party estimates.
While we believe our assumptions and the data underlying our estimates are reasonable, these assumptions and estimates may not be correct
and the conditions supporting our assumptions or estimates may change at any time, thereby reducing the predictive accuracy of these
underlying factors. As a result, our estimates of the total addressable market for our current or future products and services may prove
to be incorrect. If the actual number of customers who will use our products and services, the price at which we can sell our products
and services or the total addressable market for our products and services is smaller than we have estimated, it may impair our sales
growth and have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The
market for eVTOL aircraft and electric air mobility has not been clearly defined, is still emerging and may not achieve the growth potential
we expect or may grow more slowly than expected, which may harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The
electric air mobility market is still emerging and has not been clearly defined. We are uncertain as to what extent market acceptance
will grow, if at all. Our customers will likely initially launch operations in a limited number of metropolitan areas. The success of
these markets, if any, and the opportunity for future growth in these and other markets may not be representative of the potential market
for electric air mobility in other metropolitan areas. Our success will depend to a substantial extent on regulatory approval and availability
of eVTOL technology, as well as the willingness of commuters and travelers to widely adopt air mobility as an alternative for ground
transportation. If the public does not perceive electric air mobility as beneficial, or chooses not to adopt electric air mobility as
a result of concerns regarding safety, affordability, value proposition or for other reasons, then the market for our aircraft may not
develop, may develop more slowly than we expect or may not achieve the growth potential we expect. Any of the foregoing could materially
adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects, and results of operations.
37
We
are still developing our eVTOL aircraft, have not yet obtained FAA certification of our eVTOL aircraft under development and we have
yet to manufacture or deliver any aircraft to customers, which makes evaluating our business and future prospects difficult and increases
the risk of investment.
We
have a limited operating history in designing, developing, and working to certify an eVTOL aircraft. Our eVTOL aircraft is in the development
stage, and we do not expect our first passenger production aircraft to be certified by the TCCA under existing CAR 529 Transport Category
Rotorcraft airworthiness rules until 2031 or later and certification of our 33% scaled cargo version to be certified under drone rules
until 2027 or later. As a result, we have no experience as an organization in volume manufacturing of aircraft. Many of our current and
potential competitors are larger and have substantially greater resources than we currently have or expect to have in the future. As
a result, those competitors may be able to allocate greater resources to the development of their current and future technologies, the
promotion and sale of their offerings, and/or offer their technologies at lower prices. Notably, our competitors may be able to receive
Type, Airworthiness or Production certification from the FAA covering their eVTOL aircraft prior to us receiving such certifications.
Our current and potential competitors may also establish cooperative or strategic relationships amongst themselves or with third parties
that may further enhance their resources and offerings. Further, it is possible that domestic or foreign companies or governments, some
with greater experience in the aerospace industry or greater financial resources than we possess, will seek to provide products or services
that compete directly or indirectly with ours in the future. Any such foreign competitor, for example, could benefit from subsidies from,
or other protective measures by, its home country.
We
cannot assure you that we or our partners will successfully develop manufacturing and supply chain capabilities that will enable us to
meet the quality, price, engineering, design and production standards, as well as the production volumes, required to successfully commercialize
our aircraft.
There
may be reluctance by consumers to adopt a new form of mobility, or an unwillingness to pay aircraft operators’ projected prices.
Our
growth is highly dependent upon the adoption by consumers of an entirely new form of mobility offered by eVTOL aircraft and the electric
air mobility market. If consumers do not adopt this new form of mobility or are not willing to pay the projected prices for the aerial
ridesharing services provided by our customers, our prospects, financial condition and operating results will be harmed. This market
is new, rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, price competition, additional competitors, evolving government
regulation and industry standards, new aircraft announcements and changing consumer demands and behaviors. There may be heightened public
skepticism of this nascent technology and its adopters. In particular, there could be negative public perception surrounding eVTOL aircraft,
including the overall safety and the potential for injuries or death occurring as a result of accidents involving eVTOL aircraft, regardless
of whether any such safety incidents involve our aircraft. Any of the foregoing risks and challenges could adversely affect our prospects,
business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our
success in a given market will depend on our customers’ ability to develop a network of passengers and accurately assess and predict
passenger demand and price sensitivity. Demand and price sensitivity may fluctuate based on a variety of factors, including macroeconomic
factors, quality of service, negative publicity, safety incidents, corporate reporting related to safety, quality of customer support,
perceived political or geopolitical affiliations, or dissatisfaction with our products and offerings in general. If the operators of
our aircraft fail to attract passengers or fail to accurately predict demand and price sensitivity, it could reduce demand for our aircraft
and harm our financial performance.
In
addition, while our aircraft will be operating within the existing aviation airspace and infrastructure, long-term continued adoption
of electric air mobility will depend on operators’ ability to develop and operate vertiports in desirable locations in metropolitan
locations. Developing and operating vertiport locations will require permits and approvals from federal, state, and local regulatory
authorities and government bodies, and operation of our aircraft will depend on such permits and approvals. If our operators are prohibited,
restricted, or delayed from developing and operating desirable vertiport locations, then demand for our aircraft could decline and our
business could be adversely affected.
We
expect that a large driver of passenger demand for electric air mobility will be time savings when compared with alternative modes of
transportation. Should operators of our aircraft be unable to deliver a sufficient level of time savings for passengers, or if expected
time savings are impacted by delays or cancellations, it could reduce consumer demand and, in turn, demand for our aircraft. If demand
does not materialize or falls, our business, financial conditions, prospects, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
38
Operators
of our aircraft may be unable to reduce end-user pricing over time at rates sufficient to stimulate demand for our aircraft, drive expected
growth and accomplish planned production.
Operators
of our aircraft may not be able to successfully reduce end-user pricing over time to increase demand, address new market segments and
develop a significantly broader customer base. We expect that initial end-user pricing may be most applicable to relatively affluent
consumers, and operators will need to address additional markets and expand their customer demographic in order to further grow their
electric air mobility business. If operators are unable to meet their end-user pricing projections, then demand for our aircraft will
decline and we will be unable to meet our production plans, resulting in an increase in our per-unit costs, adversely affecting our results
of operations.
Our
aircraft may not perform at the level we expect, and may have design or manufacturing deficiencies, such as higher than expected noise
profiles, lower payloads than initially estimated, shorter ranges and/or shorter useful lives than we anticipate.
Our
aircraft may contain defects in design or manufacture that may cause them not to perform as expected or that may require repair. For
example, our aircraft may have a higher noise profile than we expect or carry a lower payload or have a shorter maximum battery range
than we estimate. Our aircraft also use a substantial amount of software code to operate. Software products are inherently complex and
often contain defects and errors when first introduced. There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix any such defects
in these products prior to their use. While we have performed extensive testing, in some instances we are still relying on projections
and models to validate the projected performance of our aircraft. To date, we have been unable to validate the performance of our aircraft
over the expected lifetime of the aircraft.
Accidents
or safety incidents involving eVTOL aircraft, us or our competitors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition,
and results of operations.
Test
flying prototype aircraft is inherently risky, and accidents or incidents involving our aircraft are possible. Urban environments may
present particular challenges to the operators of UAS, such as an increased risk of collisions resulting in property damage, injury or
death. As the usage of UAS has increased, the danger of such collisions has increased. Any such occurrence would negatively impact our
development, testing and certification efforts, and could result in re-design, certification delay and/or postponements or delays to
the sales of our aircraft. In addition, such occurrences could significantly damage the reputation of and support for UAS in general.
The
operation of aircraft is subject to various risks, and we expect demand for our aircraft to be impacted by accidents or other safety
issues regardless of whether such accidents or issues involve our aircraft. Such accidents or incidents could also have a material impact
on our ability to obtain certification from the Civil Aviation Authorities for our aircraft, or to obtain such certification in a timely
manner. Such events could impact confidence in a particular aircraft type or the air transportation services industry as a whole, particularly
if such accidents or disasters were due to a safety fault. We believe that regulators and the general public are still forming their
opinions about the safety and utility of aircraft that are highly reliant on lithium-ion batteries and/or advanced flight control software
capabilities. An accident or other safety incident involving either our aircraft or a competitor’s aircraft during these early
stages of opinion formation could have a disproportionate impact on the longer-term view of the emerging electric air mobility market.
Further,
if our personnel, our aircraft or other types of aircraft are involved in a public incident, accident, catastrophe or regulatory enforcement
action, we could be exposed to significant reputational harm and potential legal liability. The insurance we carry may be inapplicable
or inadequate to cover any such incident, accident, catastrophe or action. In the event that our insurance is inapplicable or inadequate,
we may be forced to bear substantial losses from an incident or accident, which would adversely impact our business, results of operations
and financial condition.
If
we experience harm to our reputation and brand by customers, employees or operators, our business, financial condition, and results of
operations could be adversely affected.
Continuing
to increase the strength of our reputation and brand for high-performing, sustainable, safe and cost-effective electric air mobility
is critical to our ability to attract and retain customers and partners. In addition, our growth strategy includes international expansion
through joint ventures or other partnerships with local companies that would benefit from our reputation and brand recognition. The successful
development of our reputation and brand will depend on several factors, many of which are outside of our control. Negative perception
of our aircraft or company may harm our reputation and brand, including as a result of:
●
complaints
or negative publicity or reviews about us, independent third-party aircraft operators, passengers, or other brands or events that
we associate with, even if factually incorrect or based on isolated incidents;
39
●
our
involvement during times of war and other major conflicts, including the current conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the
Middle East;
●
changes
to our operations, safety and security or other policies that customers, end-users or others perceive as overly restrictive, unclear
or inconsistent with our values;
●
illegal,
negligent, reckless or otherwise inappropriate behavior by operators or independent third parties involved in the operation of our
business or by our management team or other employees;
●
actual
or perceived disruptions or defects in our aircraft;
●
litigation
over, or investigations by regulators into, our operations or those of our independent third-party aircraft operators;
●
a
failure to operate our business in a way that is consistent with our values;
●
negative
responses by independent third-party aircraft operators to new mobility offerings; or
●
any
of the foregoing with respect to our competitors, to the extent such resulting negative perception affects the public’s perception
of us or our industry as a whole.
Any
of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In
order to reach production for our aircraft, we need to develop complex software and technology systems in coordination with our partners
and suppliers, and there can be no assurance such systems will be successfully developed.
We
anticipate that our aircraft will use a substantial amount of sophisticated software and hardware to operate. The development of such
advanced technologies is inherently complex, and we will need to coordinate with our partners and suppliers in order to reach production
for our aircraft. Defects and errors may be revealed over time and our control over the performance of third-party services and systems
may be limited. If any of our partners and suppliers fail to adequately fulfill their obligations towards us or experience interruptions
or disruptions in production or provision of services due to, for example, bankruptcy, natural disasters, labor strikes or disruption
of its supply chain, we may experience a significant delay in the delivery of or fail to receive previously ordered systems and parts,
which would adversely affect our revenue and profitability and could jeopardize our ability to meet the demands of our program participants
or develop the necessary software and technology systems may harm our competitive position.
We
are relying on third-party partners to develop a number of emerging technologies for use in our products. These technologies are not
currently, and may not ever be, commercially viable. There can be no assurances that our partners will be able to meet the technological
requirements, production timing, and volume requirements to support our business plan. In addition, the technology may not comply with
the cost, performance, useful life, and warranty characteristics that we anticipate in our business plan or may have performance problems
related to mechanical or software defects. As a result, our business plan could be significantly adversely impacted, and we may incur
significant liabilities under warranty claims, which could adversely affect our business, prospects, and results of operations.
40
We
may not be able to produce aircraft in the volumes or on the timelines that we anticipate.
There
are significant challenges associated with mass producing aircraft in the volumes that we are anticipating. The aerospace industry has
traditionally been characterized by significant barriers to entry, including large capital requirements, investment costs of designing
and manufacturing aircraft, long lead times to bring aircraft to market from the concept and design stage, the need for specialized design
and development expertise, extensive regulatory requirements, difficulty establishing a brand name and image, and the need to establish
maintenance and service locations. As a manufacturer of electric aircraft, we face a variety of added challenges to entry that a traditional
aircraft manufacturer would not encounter, including additional costs of developing and producing an electric powertrain, regulations
associated with the transport of lithium-ion batteries and unproven high-volume consumer demand for a fully electric aerial mobility
service. Additionally, we are developing production lines for components and at volumes for which there is little precedent within the
traditional aerospace industry. If we are not able to overcome these barriers, our business, prospects, operating results and financial
condition will be negatively impacted, and our ability to grow our business will be harmed.
There
can also be no assurance that our operator customers will not experience operational or process failures and other problems, including
pilot error, cyberattacks or other intentional acts, that could result in potential safety risks. Any actual or perceived safety issues
may result in significant reputational harm to the electric air mobility industry and, accordingly, our business, in addition to tort
liability, increased safety infrastructure and other costs that may arise. Such issues could result in increased regulation or other
systemic consequences. Adverse publicity affecting the industry and our reputation as a result of accidents, operational failures, or
other safety incidents could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, prospects, and results of operation.
In addition, our aircraft may be grounded by regulatory authorities due to safety concerns that could have a material adverse impact
on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
We
will also need to do extensive testing to ensure that the aircraft is in compliance with applicable TCCA safety regulations and other
relevant regulations prior to beginning mass production. In addition to certification of the aircraft, we will be required to obtain
TCCA approval to manufacture completed aircraft pursuant to a TCCA-approved type design (e.g., type certificate). Production approval
involves initial TCCA manufacturing approval and extensive ongoing oversight of mass-produced aircraft. If we are unable to obtain production
approval for the aircraft, or if TCCA imposes unanticipated restrictions as a condition of approval, our projected costs of production
could increase substantially.
The
timing of our production ramp is dependent upon finalizing certain aspects of the design, engineering, component procurement, testing,
build out, and manufacturing plans in a timely manner and upon our ability to execute these plans within the current timeline. It is
also dependent on being able to timely obtain TCCA certification. If we experience any delays in the execution of these plans or in obtaining
TCCA certification, our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition will be negatively impacted.
The
anticipated benefits of potential joint ventures may not be fully realized or take longer to realize than expected. In addition, our
joint venture investments could expose us to risks and liabilities in connection with the formation of the new joint ventures, the operation
of such joint ventures without sole decision-making authority, and our reliance on joint venture partners who may have economic and business
interests that are inconsistent with our business interests.
We
have entered into joint ventures in the past and may enter into joint ventures in the future. For example, in November 2025, AIRO Drone,
LLC and NDG, entered into the JV Agreement
pursuant to which we and NDG will form the JV. Pursuant to
the terms of the JV Agreement, the JV will develop, manufacture, and commercialize unmanned aerial systems primarily designed for delivering
munitions, targeting U.S., NATO, and Ukrainian defense markets. The consummation of the JV is subject to various closing conditions and
there can be no assurance that closing conditions under the JV Agreement will be satisfied or when or that the JV will be consummated
on the terms described herein or at all. In addition, in October 2025, we entered into a non-binding letter of intent with Bullet (Degree-Trans
LLC), a Ukrainian developer of turbojet unmanned interceptor systems, to establish a 50/50 joint venture to produce and deploy Bullet’s
combat-proven fixed-wing UAV technology across the United States, NATO defense markets and Ukraine and there can be no assurance that
a definitive joint venture agreement will be entered into or that the joint venture will be consummated on the terms described herein
or at all. The success of these joint ventures and any future joint ventures will depend, in part, on the successful collaboration between
us and our joint venture partners, and we may not realize all of the anticipated benefits. Such joint ventures may be more difficult,
time-consuming, or costly than expected and could result in increased costs, decreases in the amount of expected revenues, and diversion
of management’s time and energy, which could materially impact our business, operating results, financial condition, and prospects.
In addition, these joint ventures involve material risks including operational challenges related to operations in Ukraine during ongoing
military conflict, complex export control and sanctions compliance requirements, and potential regulatory scrutiny regarding foreign
defense partnerships.
41
A
failure to successfully partner, or a failure to realize our expectations for the joint ventures, including any contemplated exit strategy
from a joint venture, could materially impact our business, operating results, financial condition, and prospects. These joint ventures
could also be negatively impacted by inflation, supply chain issues, an inability to obtain financing on favorable terms or at all and
development and construction delays.
Further,
in the future, we may co-invest with other third parties through partnerships, joint ventures, or other entities in the future. These
joint ventures could result in our acquisition of non-controlling interests in, or shared responsibility for, managing the affairs of
a property or portfolio of properties, partnership, joint venture, or other entity. We may be subject to additional risks, including:
●
we
may not have the right to exercise sole decision-making authority regarding the properties, partnership, joint venture, or other
entity;
●
if
our partners become bankrupt or fail to fund their share of required capital contributions, we may choose to or be required to contribute
such capital;
●
our
partners may have economic, tax, or other business interests or goals which are inconsistent with our business interests or goals,
and may be in a position to take actions contrary to our interests or objectives;
●
our
joint venture partners may take actions that are not within our control, which could require us to dispose of the joint venture asset
or purchase the partner’s interests or assets at an above-market price;
●
our
joint venture partners may take actions unrelated to our business agreement but which reflect poorly on us because of our joint venture
relationship;
●
disputes
between us and our partners may result in litigation or arbitration that would increase our expenses and prevent our management from
focusing their time and effort on our day-to-day business;
●
we
may in certain circumstances be liable for the actions of our third-party partners or guarantee all or a portion of the joint venture’s
liabilities, which may require us to pay an amount greater than its investment in the joint venture;
●
we
may need to change the structure of an established joint venture or create new complex structures to meet our business needs or the
needs of our partners which could prove challenging; and
●
a
joint venture partner’s decision to exit the joint venture may not be at an opportune time for us or in our business interests.
Each
of these factors may result in returns on these investments being less than we expect or in losses, and business, operating results,
financial condition, and prospects may be adversely affected.
Risks
Related to Our U.S. Government Contracts
We
are subject to extensive government regulation, and our failure to comply with applicable regulations may subject us to significant financial
liability, penalties, and other government actions that restrict our ability to conduct our business.
As
a contractor to the U.S. government and provider of various technologies, we are subject to and must comply with various government regulations
that impact our revenue, operating costs, profit margins and the internal organization and operation of our business. We also need special
security clearances and regulatory approvals to continue working on certain projects with the U.S. government. Our failure to comply
with applicable regulations, rules and approvals, changes in the government’s interpretation of such regulations, rules and approvals
as have been and are applied to our contracts, proposals or business or misconduct by any of our employees could result in financial
liability, the imposition of fines and penalties, the loss of security clearances, a decrease in profitability, the loss of our government
contracts or our suspension or debarment from contracting with the U.S. government generally, any of which could harm our business, financial
condition, and results of operations. We are also subject to certain regulations of comparable government agencies in other countries,
and our failure to comply with these non-U.S. regulations could also harm our business, financial condition or results of operations.
42
U.S.
government agencies, including the FAA, the Defense Contract Audit Agency, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, and various agency
Inspectors General, routinely audit and investigate government contractors. These agencies review a contractor’s compliance with
applicable laws, regulations and contract terms, regarding, among other things, contract pricing, contract performance, cost structure
and business systems. U.S. government audits and investigations often take years to complete, and many result in no adverse action against
us. Like many U.S. government contractors, we have received audit and investigative reports recommending the reduction of certain contract
prices or that certain payments be repaid, delayed, or withheld, and may involve substantial amounts. Similarly, like other U.S. government
contractors, audits and investigations also occur related to cost reimbursements that are based upon our final allowable incurred costs
for each year. We have unaudited or unsettled incurred cost claims related to past years, which limit our ability to issue final billings
on contracts for which authorized and appropriated funds may be expiring or can result in delays in final billings and our ability to
close out a contract.
If
an audit or investigation uncovers improper or illegal activities, we may be subject to civil or criminal penalties and administrative
sanctions, including reductions of the value of contracts, contract modifications or terminations, forfeiture of profits, suspension
of payments, penalties, fines or suspension or debarment from doing business with the U.S. government. Suspension or debarment could
have a material adverse effect on us because of our dependence on contracts with the U.S. government. In addition, we could suffer serious
reputational harm if allegations of impropriety were made against us. Similar government oversight and risks to our business and reputation
exist in most other countries where we conduct business.
U.S.
government contracts are frequently awarded only after formal, protracted competitive proposal processes and, in many cases, unsuccessful
offerors for U.S. government contracts are provided the opportunity to protest contract awards through various agency, administrative
and judicial channels. Competing for U.S. government contracts presents a number of risks, including the following:
●
the
need to bid on programs in advance of the completion of their design, which may result in unforeseen technological difficulties and
cost overruns;
●
the
substantial cost and managerial time and effort that must be spent to prepare bids and proposals for contracts that may not be awarded
to us;
●
the
need to estimate accurately the resources and cost structure that will be required to service any contract we are awarded; and
●
the
expense and delay that may arise if our competitors protest or challenge contract awards made to us pursuant to competitive bidding.
The
U.S. military chooses winning proposals based on such factors as cost, certainty of fulfilling the needs of a specific task order, safety
records, and other criteria stated in solicitations. For example, while our Training segment is an approved provider under U.S. military
contracts with a limited number of competitors, the U.S. military periodically releases task order solicitations requesting specific
services pursuant to a competitive process.
U.S.
government contracts are subject to a competitive bidding process, are generally not fully funded at inception, and contain certain terms
that may be unfavorable to us, which could result in contracts and opportunities consuming significant resources without generating revenue
or profit.
U.S.
government contracts typically involve long lead times for design and development, and are subject to significant changes in scheduling.
Congress generally appropriates funds on a fiscal year basis even though a program may continue for several years. Consequently, programs
are often only partially funded initially, and additional funds are committed only as Congress makes further appropriations. The termination
or reduction of funding for a government program would result in a loss of anticipated future revenue attributable to that program. In
addition, U.S. government contracts generally contain provisions permitting termination, in whole or in part, at the government’s
convenience. Because a substantial majority of our revenue is dependent on the procurement, performance and payment under our U.S. government
contracts, the termination of one or more critical government contracts could have a negative impact on our results of operations and
financial condition.
43
We
rely to a significant degree on sales to the U.S. government, particularly to agencies of the Department of Defense/Department of War, and a decline in government budgets,
funding, changes in spending or budgetary priorities, or delays in contract awards may materially adversely affect our future revenue,
business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and equity.
We
derive a significant portion of our total sales from the U.S. government and its agencies, either as a prime contractor or subcontractor,
particularly in connection with our Drones and Training segments. The Department of Defense/Department of War (“DoD”) is our principal U.S. government customer. We believe that
the success and growth of our business for the foreseeable future will continue to depend to a significant degree on our ability to win
government contracts, in particular from the DoD. Additionally, the military and defense market is significantly dependent upon government
budget trends, particularly the DoD budget. In addition to normal business risks, our supply of products to the U.S. government is subject
to unique risks largely beyond our control. DoD budgets could be negatively impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to,
a change in defense spending policy as a result of the presidential election or otherwise, the U.S. government’s budget deficits,
spending priorities (for example, shifting funds to efforts to combat the impact of the pandemic or efforts to assist Ukraine in the
Russia and Ukraine conflict), the cost of sustaining the U.S. military presence internationally, possible political pressure to reduce
U.S. government military spending and the ability of the U.S. government to enact appropriations bills and other relevant legislation,
each of which could cause the DoD budget to remain unchanged or to decline. In recent years, the U.S. government has been unable to complete
its budget process before the end of its fiscal year, resulting in both governmental shutdowns and continuing resolutions providing only
enough funds for U.S. government agencies to continue operating at prior- year levels. Further, if the U.S. government debt ceiling is
not raised and the national debt reaches the statutory debt ceiling, the U.S. government could default on its debts. A significant decline
in U.S. military expenditures could result in a reduction in the amount of our products sold to the various agencies and buying organizations
of the U.S. government.
The
U.S. government may modify, curtail or terminate one or more of our contracts.
The
U.S. government contracting parties may modify, curtail or terminate their contracts with us, without prior notice and either at their convenience
or for default based on performance. In addition, funding pursuant to our U.S. government contracts may be reduced or withheld as part
of the U.S. Congressional appropriations process due to fiscal constraints, changes in U.S. national security strategy and/or priorities
or other reasons. Historically, our Training segment has received some U.S. government contract funding under programs designed to benefit
“small businesses” as defined under certain provisions of the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) regulations.
The SBA regulations address multiple different programs that have varying eligibility requirements. Moreover, the SBA regulations are
subject to different interpretations, and the U.S. government may determine, under a changed interpretation, that we should no longer
be classified as small. If the U.S. government made such a determination, it could terminate, cancel, or decide not to award options
on existing agreements.
Any
loss or anticipated loss or reduction of expected funding and/or modification, curtailment, or termination of one or more of our U.S.
government contracts could have a material adverse effect on our earnings, cash flow and/or financial position, as well as our access
to government testing facilities and/or our ability to secure pre-certification operating experience and/or revenues.
Our
business may benefit in part from government funding, and our inability to receive such financial support could harm our business.
We
may receive subsidies and grants from governments in some countries. These programs are subject to periodic review by the relevant governments,
and if any of these programs are curtailed or discontinued, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations. As the availability of government funding is outside our control, we cannot guarantee that we will continue
to benefit from government support or that sufficient alternative funding will be available if we lose such support. For example, we
previously entered into discussions with the federal and the provincial government of Quebec to provide funding for our aircraft development
program and Quebec’s Minister of Economy and Innovation has conditionally agreed to financially support the program. The funding
mechanisms have not yet been determined but it is anticipated that they would include grants and/or tax rebates. If we do not receive
this funding, our aircraft development program could be adversely affected.
44
Additionally,
a U.S. government contracting party or a higher tier contractor may modify, curtail or terminate its contracts and subcontracts with
us, without prior notice and either at its convenience or for default based on performance. In addition, funding pursuant to our
U.S. government contracts may be reduced or withheld as part of the U.S. Congressional appropriations process due to changes in U.S.
national security strategy and/or priorities, fiscal constraints, including enforceable spending caps, a sequester or a lack of
funding available to pay incurred obligations, or for other reasons. Further uncertainty with respect to ongoing programs could
result in the U.S. government financing its operations through temporary funding measures such as continuing resolutions rather than
full-year appropriations. Any loss or anticipated loss or reduction of expected funding and/or modification, curtailment or
termination of one or more large programs could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations
and/or cash flows.
Shutdowns
of the U.S. federal government could materially impair our business and financial condition.
The
U.S. Congress may fund U.S. government departments and agencies with one or more continuing resolutions, which could delay new programs
or competitions and/or negatively impact the execution of certain program activities. A lapse in appropriations for government departments
or agencies would result in a full or partial government shutdown, which could impact our operations. In the event of a prolonged shutdown,
requirements to furlough employees in the U.S. DoD, the Department of Transportation, including the FAA, or other government agencies
could result in an impact to our operations, negatively impact future contracts, and/or cause other disruptions or delays. There is uncertainty
regarding which government functions would shut down or continue operations during a lapse in appropriations, and corresponding uncertainty
regarding the extent or magnitude of potential impacts to our operations.
For
our Training segment, a shutdown or an extended continuing resolution could delay DoD IDIQ solicitations and task-order competitions,
slow or suspend new awards and funding modifications, and defer government inspection/acceptance and related payments, which could delay
revenue recognition for completed milestones.
For
the Avionics segment, we anticipate that a shutdown could impact the FAA’s processing of certain approvals for engine instruments,
both during and following the end of any shutdown, which could delay revenues from future new product launches.
In
the event of an extended U.S. government shutdown, our business, program performance and results of operations could be impacted by the
resulting disruptions to federal government offices, workers, and operations, including risks relating to the funding of certain programs,
stop work orders, as well as delays in contract awards, new program starts, payments for work performed, and other actions. We also may
experience similar impacts in the event of an extended period of continuing resolutions. Generally, the significance of these impacts
will primarily be based on the length of the continuing resolution or shutdown.
Risks
Related to Legal and Regulatory Requirements
Many
of our products and services are subject to local, state, federal and international regulatory frameworks that are costly to comply with,
are subject to interpretation, may be dependent on political pressures and factors and/or are subject to change.
Many
of the products we develop and manufacture are highly dependent on our ability to meet local, state, federal and international regulations.
In particular, our ability to meet the certification requirements for our products in the United States and abroad could determine the
ability to sell, deliver, and manufacture our products, and therefore, could impact our operating results. These regulations include
design and manufacture of products and components. While a common framework exists among many regulatory authorities allowing for recognition
of different regulatory approvals by other regulatory entities, often times there are differences that require additional validation
to meet the requirements of a specific entity. The risk not only lies in the viability of a particular product but also the time to market.
Delays in the process are not unusual and can lead to delays in bringing product to market. These delays could result in financial and
competitive impacts on our operations.
45
Our
business is highly regulated and our ability to generate revenues and profit may be limited by regulatory restrictions and/or changes
and the speed with which such restrictions and/or changes occur.
Aerospace
manufacturers and aircraft operators are subject to extensive regulatory and legal requirements that involve significant compliance costs.
The Civil Aviation Authorities may issue regulations relating to the operation of aircraft that could require significant expenditures.
Implementation of the requirements created by such regulations may result in increased costs for our electric air mobility passengers
and us. Additional laws, regulations, taxes and airport rates and charges have been proposed from time to time that could significantly
increase the cost of our operations or reduce the demand for air travel. If adopted, these measures could have the effect of raising
fares, reducing revenue and increasing costs. Moreover, the nature of and the speed with which these regulations are completed and implemented
pose a risk for our financial performance and condition, timing of growth and overall potential. As a result, we cannot ensure that these
and other laws or regulations enacted in the future will not have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, and results
of operations.
Governments
and regulatory agencies in the markets where we manufacture and sell drone products may enact additional regulations relating to product
safety and consumer protection in the future, and may also increase the penalties for failure to comply with product safety and consumer
protection regulations. In addition, one or more of our customers might require changes in our products, such as the non-use of certain
materials, in the future. Complying with any such additional regulations or requirements could impose increased costs on our business.
Similarly, increased penalties for non-compliance could subject us to greater expenses in the event any of our products were found to
not comply with such regulations. Such increased costs or penalties could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition,
and results of operations.
We
are subject to the risks associated with conducting international business operations.
In
addition to our U.S. operations, we have international operations in Canada and Denmark, sell our products and services to international
dealers and customers, including foreign governments and engage in sales and marketing efforts in many foreign jurisdictions. In international
sales, we face substantial competition from both U.S. manufacturers and international manufacturers whose governments sometimes provide
R&D assistance, marketing subsidies and other assistance for their products and services. International sales present risks that
are different and potentially greater than those encountered in our U.S. business. During the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024,
a majority of our total net sales were from international customers. International sales are subject to numerous political and economic
factors, including changes in foreign national priorities, foreign government budgets, global economic conditions, and fluctuations in
foreign currency exchange rates, the possibility of trade sanctions and other government actions, regulatory requirements, significant
competition, taxation, and other risks associated with doing business outside the United States. Sales of military products and services
and any associated industrial development (offset) agreements are subject to U.S. export regulations and foreign policy, and there could
be significant delays or other issues in reaching definitive agreements for announced programs. See “—We cannot predict the
consequences of future macroeconomic conditions or geopolitical events, but they may adversely affect market and economic conditions,
the markets in which we operate, our ability to insure against risks, our operations or our profitability.”
Our
international business is conducted through foreign military sales (“FMS”) contracted through the U.S. government and by
direct commercial sales (“DCS”) to international customers. FMS contracts with the U.S. government are subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (“FAR”)
and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (“DFARS”). Because the U.S. government functions as an intermediary in FMS sales, we are reliant on the capacity and speed of the
DoD’s administration of requests from non-U.S. countries to convert requests to sales. In contrast, DCS transactions represent
sales directly to international customers and are subject to U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including product testing, import-export
control, economic sanctions, technology transfer restrictions, investments, taxation, repatriation of earnings, exchange controls, the
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption laws and regulations, and the anti-boycott provisions of the U.S. Export Control
Reform Act of 2018. While we have extensive policies in place to comply with such laws and regulations, failure by us, our employees
or others working on our behalf to comply with these laws and regulations could result in administrative, civil, or criminal liabilities,
including suspension, debarment from bidding for or performing government contracts, or suspension of our export privileges, which could
have a material adverse effect on us. We frequently team with international subcontractors and suppliers who also are exposed to similar
risks.
In conjunction with defense procurements, some international
customers require contractors to comply with industrial cooperation regulations, including entering into industrial participation, industrial
development or localization agreements, sometimes referred to as offset agreements or offset contracts, as a condition to obtaining orders
for our products and services. These offset agreements generally extend over several years and obligate the contractor to perform certain
commitments, which may include in-country purchases, technology transfers, local manufacturing support, consulting support to in-country
projects, investments in joint ventures and financial support projects, and preference for local suppliers or subcontractors. The customer’s
expectations in respect of the scope of offset commitments can be substantial, including high-value content, and may exceed existing local
technical capability. Failure to meet these commitments, which can be subjective and outside of our control, may result in significant
penalties, and could lead to a reduction in sales to a country. Furthermore, some of our existing offset agreements are dependent upon
the successful operation of joint ventures that we do not control and involve products and services that are outside of our core business,
which may increase the risk of breaching our obligations, exposing us to compliance risks of the joint venture, and impairing our ability
to recover our investment. For more information on our industrial development obligations, including the notional value of our remaining
industrial development obligations and potential penalties for non-compliance, see the section titled “Management’s Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Contractual Obligations.”
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We
believe DCS transactions present a higher level of potential risks because they involve direct commercial relationships with parties
with which we typically have less familiarity. Additionally, international procurement and local country rules and regulations, contract
laws and judicial systems differ from those in the United States and, in some cases, may be less predictable than those in the United
States, which could impair our ability to enforce contracts and increase the risk of adverse or unpredictable outcomes, including the
possibility that certain matters that would be considered civil matters in the United States are treated as criminal matters in other
countries.
Additionally,
changes in regulatory, geopolitical, social, economic, or monetary policies and other factors, may have a material adverse effect on
our business in the future, or may require us to exit a particular market or significantly modify our current business practices. Abrupt
political change, terrorist activity and armed conflict pose a risk of general economic disruption in affected countries, including economic
sanctions and export license requirements, which could also result in an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
We
and the third parties with whom we work are subject to stringent and evolving U.S. and foreign laws, regulations, and rules, contractual
obligations, industry standards, policies and other obligations related to data privacy and security. Our (or the third parties with
whom we work) actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could lead to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation
(including class claims) and mass arbitration demands; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm;
loss of revenue or profits; loss of customers or sales; and other adverse business consequences.
In
the ordinary course of business, we collect, receive, store, process, generate, use, transfer, disclose, make accessible, protect,
secure, dispose of, transmit, and share (collectively, process) personal data and other sensitive information, including proprietary
and confidential business data, financial information, trade secrets, intellectual property, technical and operational information,
and sensitive third-party data. Our data processing activities subject us to numerous data privacy and security obligations, such as
various laws, regulations, guidance, industry standards, external and internal privacy and security policies, contractual
requirements, and other obligations relating to data privacy and security.
In the United States, federal, state, and local governments have enacted
numerous data privacy and security laws, including data breach notification laws, personal data privacy laws, consumer protection laws
(e.g., Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act), and other similar laws (e.g., wiretapping laws). For example, we are subject to
the U.S. Department of War’s CMMC, which imposes certain cybersecurity requirements on government contractors. In the past few years,
numerous U.S. states have enacted comprehensive privacy laws that impose certain obligations on covered businesses, including providing
specific disclosures in privacy notices and affording residents with certain rights concerning their personal data. As applicable, such
rights may include the right to access, correct, or delete certain personal data, and to opt-out of certain data processing activities,
such as targeted advertising, profiling, and automated decision-making. The exercise of these rights may impact our business and ability
to provide our products and services. Certain states also impose stricter requirements for processing certain personal data, including
sensitive information, such as conducting data privacy impact assessments. These state laws allow for statutory fines for noncompliance.
For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”) applies to personal data of consumers, business representatives,
and employees who are California residents, and requires businesses to provide specific disclosures in privacy notices and honor requests
of such individuals to exercise certain privacy rights. The CCPA provides for fines and allows private litigants affected by certain data
breaches to recover significant statutory damages. Similar laws are being considered in several other states, as well as at the federal
and local levels, and we expect more states to pass similar laws in the future.
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Outside
the United States, an increasing number of laws, regulations, and industry standards govern data privacy and security. For example,
the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, the United Kingdom’s General Data Protection Regulation
(collectively, the “GDPR”), and Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados
Pessoais) (Law No. 13,709/2018) impose strict requirements for processing personal data. In Canada, the Personal Information
Protection and Electronic Documents Act and various related provincial laws, as well as Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation, may
apply to our operations. For example, under the GDPR, companies may face temporary or definitive bans on data processing and other corrective
actions; fines of up to 20 million Euros under the EU GDPR, 17.5 million pounds sterling under the UK GDPR or, in each case, 4% of annual
global revenue, whichever is greater; or private litigation related to processing of personal data brought by classes of data subjects
or consumer protection organizations authorized at law to represent their interests.
Our employees and personnel use generative AI Technologies to perform their
work, and the disclosure and use of personal data in AI Technologies is subject to various privacy laws and other privacy obligations.
Governments have passed and are likely to pass additional laws regulating AI Technologies. Our use of this technology could result in
additional compliance costs, regulatory investigations and actions, and lawsuits. If we are unable to use generative AI, it could make
our business less efficient and result in competitive disadvantages.
In
the ordinary course of business, we may transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the United States or other countries.
Europe and other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring data to be localized or limiting the transfer of personal data to other countries.
In particular, the European Economic Area (the “EEA”) and the United Kingdom (the “UK”) have significantly restricted
the transfer of personal data to the United States and other countries whose privacy laws it generally believes are inadequate. Other
jurisdictions may adopt similarly stringent interpretations of their data localization and cross-border data transfer laws. Although
there are currently various mechanisms that may be used to transfer personal data from the EEA and the United Kingdom to the United States
in compliance with law, such as the EEA standard contractual clauses, the UK’s International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum,
and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and the UK extension thereto (which allows for transfers to relevant U.S.-based organizations
who self-certify compliance and participate in the Framework), these mechanisms are subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance
that we can satisfy or rely on these measures to lawfully transfer personal data to the United States. If there is no lawful manner for
us to transfer personal data from the EEA, the United Kingdom or other jurisdictions to the United States, or if the requirements for
a legally-compliant transfer are too onerous, we could face significant adverse consequences, including the interruption or degradation
of our operations, the need to relocate part of or all of our business or data processing activities to other jurisdictions (such as
Europe) at significant expense, increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and penalties, the inability to transfer
data and work with partners, vendors and other third parties, and injunctions against our processing or transferring of personal data
necessary to operate our business. Additionally, companies that transfer personal data out of the EEA and the United Kingdom to other
jurisdictions, particularly to the United States, are subject to increased scrutiny from regulators, individual litigants, and activist
groups. Some European regulators have ordered certain companies to suspend or permanently cease certain transfers out of Europe for allegedly
violating the GDPR’s cross-border data transfer limitations.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a rule entitled the Preventing Access to U.S. Sensitive Personal
Data and Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern or Covered Persons, which places additional restriction on certain data transactions
involving countries of concern (e.g., China, Russia, Iran) and covered persons (i.e., individuals and entities who are designated as such
by the U.S. Attorney General or considered “foreign persons” and are majority owned by, organized under the laws of, a primary
resident in, or a contractor of, a covered person or country of concern, as applicable) that may impact certain business activities such
as vendor engagements, sale or sharing of data, employment of certain individuals, and investor agreements. Violations of the rule could
lead to significant civil and criminal fines and penalties.
In addition to data privacy and security laws, we are contractually subject
to industry standards adopted by industry groups and, we are, or may become subject to such obligations in the future. We are also bound
by contractual obligations related to data privacy and security, and our efforts to comply with such obligations may not be successful.
For example, certain privacy laws, such as the GDPR and the CCPA, require our customers to impose specific contractual restrictions on
their service providers. We publish privacy policies and other statements regarding data privacy and security. Regulators in the United
States are increasingly scrutinizing these statements, and if these policies or statements are found to be deficient, lacking in transparency,
deceptive, unfair, or misrepresentative of our practices, we may be subject to investigation, enforcement actions by regulators or other
adverse consequences.
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Obligations
related to data privacy and security (and consumers’ data privacy expectations) are quickly changing, becoming increasingly
stringent, and creating uncertainty. Additionally, these obligations may be subject to differing applications and interpretations,
which may be inconsistent or conflict among jurisdictions. Preparing for and complying with these obligations requires us to devote
significant resources, which may necessitate changes to our services, information technologies, systems, and practices and to those
of any third parties that process personal data on our behalf. In addition, these obligations may require us to change our business
model. We may at times fail (or be perceived to have failed) in our efforts to comply with our data privacy and security
obligations. Moreover, despite our efforts, our personnel or third parties with whom we work may fail to comply with such
obligations, which could negatively impact our business operations.
If
we or the third parties with whom we work fail, or are perceived to have failed, to address or comply with applicable data privacy
and security obligations, we could face significant consequences, including but not limited to: government enforcement actions
(e.g., investigations, fines, penalties, audits, inspections, debarment or other restrictions on contracting with government
agencies and similar), litigation (including class-action claims) and mass arbitration demands, additional reporting requirements
and/or oversight, bans or restrictions on processing personal data; and orders to destroy or not use personal data. In particular,
plaintiffs have become increasingly active in bringing privacy-related claims against companies, including class claims and mass
arbitration demands. Some of these claims allow for the recovery of statutory damages on a per violation basis, and, if viable,
carry the potential for monumental statutory damages, depending on the volume of data and the number of violations. Any of these
events could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, or financial condition, including but not limited to, loss
of customers; inability to process personal data or to operate in certain jurisdictions; limited ability to develop or commercialize
our products; expenditure of time and resources to defend any claim or inquiry; adverse publicity; or substantial changes to our
business model or operations.
Our
international operations require us to comply with U.S. and certain foreign anti-corruption laws and regulations, export and import controls,
economic sanctions and embargoes. We could face liability and other serious consequences for violations, which could materially adversely
affect our business and reputation.
We
are subject to anti-corruption laws and regulations, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), the U.S. domestic
bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act and other state and national anti-bribery laws in the countries
in which we currently conduct activities, as well as those of any countries in which we may conduct activities in the future. Anti-corruption
laws are interpreted broadly and generally prohibit companies and their employees, agents, contractors and other third-party collaborators
from offering, promising, giving, soliciting, receiving, or authorizing others to give, solicit, or receive anything of value, either
directly or indirectly through third parties, to any person in the public or private sector to obtain or retain business. The FCPA also
requires public companies to make and keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect the transactions of the corporation and
to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls. We may engage third parties to sell our products or to obtain
necessary permits, licenses, patent registrations, and other regulatory approvals outside the United States. We can be held liable for
the corrupt or other illegal activities of our employees, agents, contractors, and other partners, even if we do not explicitly authorize
or have actual knowledge of such activities. Any violation of the laws and regulations described above may result in substantial civil
and criminal fines and penalties, imprisonment, the loss of export or import privileges, debarment, tax reassessments, breach of contract
and fraud litigation, reputational harm, and other consequences.
We
are also subject to export control and import laws and regulations and economic and financial sanctions and trade embargoes, including
the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the International
Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Customs regulations,
and various economic and financial trade sanctions regulations administered and enforced by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office
of Foreign Assets Controls, the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the EU and other relevant export controls
and sanctions authorities.
Pursuant
to these laws and regulations, we are required, among other things, to (i) maintain a registration under the ITAR (which controls the
export of defense-related items and services), (ii) determine the proper licensing jurisdiction and export classification of products,
software, and technology under U.S., EU and other applicable laws, and (iii) obtain licenses or other forms of government authorization
to engage in the conduct of our business. Furthermore, U.S. export control laws and economic sanctions prohibit the provision of certain
products and services to countries, governments and persons targeted by U.S. sanctions. EU sanctions and export controls operate in a
similar manner. Changes in U.S., EU or foreign trade control laws and regulations, or reclassifications of our products or technologies,
may restrict our operations. Compliance with applicable regulatory requirements regarding the export of our products may create delays
in the introduction of our products in international markets or, in some cases, prevent the export of our products to some countries
altogether. The inability to secure and maintain necessary licenses and other authorizations could negatively impact our ability to compete
successfully or to operate our business as planned. Any changes in export control laws and regulations or U.S., EU and other government
licensing policy may restrict our operations. For example, given the great discretion the government has in issuing or denying such authorizations
to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, there can be no assurance we will be successful in our future efforts
to secure and maintain necessary licenses, registrations, or other U.S. government regulatory approvals.
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Although
we maintain written policies, and have implemented procedures and safeguards, that are reasonably designed to maintain compliance with
export controls, import laws, and economic and financial sanctions, there is no certainty that all of our employees or agents for which
we may be held responsible, suppliers, manufacturers, contractors or collaborators, or those of our affiliates, will comply with all
applicable anti-corruption, export and import control, and sanctions laws and regulations. Our global operations expose us to the risk
of violating, or being accused of violating, economic and trade sanctions laws and regulations. Violations of these laws and regulations
could result in significant penalties, including: civil fines; criminal sanctions against us, our officers, or our employees; imprisonment;
the closing down of facilities, including those of our suppliers and manufacturers; disgorgement of profits; injunctions and debarment
from government contracts; requirements to obtain export licenses; cessation of business activities in sanctioned countries; implementation
of compliance programs; and prohibitions on the conduct of our business. Any such violations could include prohibitions on our ability
to offer our products in one or more countries, as well as difficulties in manufacturing or continuing to develop our products, and could
materially adversely affect our reputation, our brand, our international expansion efforts, our ability to attract and retain employees,
and our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition.
We
may be unable to source and sell our products profitably or at all if new trade protections are imposed or existing protections become
more burdensome.
The
United States and the countries in which our products are produced or sold have imposed and may impose additional quotas, duties, tariffs,
or other measures, or may adversely adjust prevailing quota, duty, or tariff levels. Such actions could have an adverse effect on our
financial statements for the period or periods for which the applicable final determinations are made. Countries impose, modify, and
remove tariffs and other trade measures in response to a diverse array of factors, including global and national economic and political
conditions, which make it impossible for us to predict future developments regarding tariffs, customs, and other trade measures. Trade
protections, including tariffs, quotas, safeguards, duties, and customs restrictions, could increase the cost or reduce the supply of
products available to us, could increase shipping times, or may require us to modify our supply chain organization or other current business
practices, any of which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Risks
Related to Our Intellectual Property
If
we fail to protect, or incur significant costs in defending or enforcing, our intellectual property and other proprietary rights, our
business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially harmed.
Our
success depends, in large part, on our ability to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights. We rely primarily on
patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and unfair competition laws, as well as license agreements and other contractual provisions,
to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights. In addition, a portion of our technology is not patented, and we may
be unable or may not seek to obtain patent protection for this technology. In addition, the U.S. government has licenses for certain
of our patents and certain other intellectual property that are developed or used in performance of government contracts, and it may
use or authorize others to use such patents and intellectual property for government and other purposes. We co-own, with Centro Italiano
Ricerche Aerospaziali Spca, US patents 9,983,023; 10,782,146; and 11,639,858, which describe technology related to determining angle
of attack of an aircraft without a dedicated angle of attack sensor. As co-owner, Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali Spca may make,
use, sell, offer for sale, or import the technology protected by these patents or authorize others to do so. If Centro Italiano Ricerche
Aerospaziali Spca chooses to compete with us or sells any or all of these patents and/or grants licenses to any or all of such patents
to our competitors, we would not be able to enforce our rights to the technology protected by these patents against such lawful owners
or licensees. A subset of our patents are co-owned, and our co-owner may use or authorize others to use technology protected by such
patents. Moreover, existing U.S. legal standards relating to the validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property
rights offer only limited protection, may not provide us with any competitive advantages, and our rights may be challenged by third parties.
The laws of countries other than the United States may be even less protective of our intellectual property rights. Accordingly, despite
our efforts, we may be unable to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating our intellectual property or otherwise
gaining access to our technology. Unauthorized third parties may try to copy or reverse engineer our products or portions of our products
or otherwise obtain and use our intellectual property. Moreover, many of our employees have access to our trade secrets and other intellectual
property. If one or more of these employees leave our employment to work for one of our competitors, then they may disseminate this proprietary
information despite our established procedures and policies to prevent such dissemination, which may as a result damage our competitive
position. If we fail to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights, then our business, results of operations or financial
condition could be materially harmed.
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In
addition, affirmatively defending our intellectual property rights and investigating whether any of our products or services violate
the rights of others may entail significant expense. Our intellectual property rights may be challenged by others or invalidated through
administrative processes or litigation. If we resort to legal proceedings to enforce our intellectual property rights or to determine
the validity and scope of the intellectual property or other proprietary rights of others, then the proceedings could result in significant
expense to us and divert the attention and efforts of our management and technical employees, even if we prevail.
We
may be sued by third parties for alleged infringement of their proprietary rights, which could be costly, time-consuming and limit our
ability to use certain technologies in the future.
We
may become subject to claims that our technologies infringe upon the intellectual property or other proprietary rights of third parties.
Defending against, or otherwise addressing, any such claims, whether they are with or without merit, could be time-consuming and expensive,
and could divert our management’s attention away from the execution of our business plan. Moreover, any settlement or adverse judgment
resulting from these claims could require us to pay substantial amounts or obtain a license to continue to use the disputed technology,
or otherwise restrict or prohibit our use of the technology. We cannot ensure that we would be able to: obtain from the third party asserting
the claim a license on commercially reasonable terms, if at all; develop alternative technology on a timely basis, if at all; or obtain
a license to use a suitable alternative technology to permit us to continue offering, and our customers to continue using, our affected
product. An adverse determination also could prevent us from offering our products to others. Infringement claims asserted against us
may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Risks
Related to Tax and Accounting Matters
Our
ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain tax credit carryforwards may be subject to limitation.
As
of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we had aggregate U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryforwards of $50.5 million and $79.0
million, respectively, which may be available to offset future taxable income for U.S. income tax purposes. If not utilized, a portion
of the net operating loss carryforwards may expire. Under Section 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the
“Code”) an “ownership change” may limit the amount of our pre-change net operating loss carryforwards and certain
other pre-change tax attributes that could be utilized annually to offset our future taxable income, if any. This limitation would generally
apply in the event of a cumulative change in the equity ownership of certain stockholders of our company of more than 50 percentage points
within a rolling three-year period. We have experienced, and may in the future experience, ownership changes as a result of shifts in
our stock ownership. As a result, if we earn net taxable income, our ability to use our pre-change U.S. net operating loss carryforwards
and other tax attributes to offset U.S. taxable income may be subject to limitations, which could potentially result in increased future
tax liability to us. Sales of our common stock by our existing stockholders or additional sales of our common stock by us could further
limit our ability to use our U.S. net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes and have a material adverse effect on our
results of operations in future years. Similar provisions of state tax law may also apply to limit our use of accumulated state tax net
operating losses. Net operating losses arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 are not subject to expiration, but
may not be carried back to prior taxable years, except that net operating losses generated in 2018, 2019 and 2020 may be carried back
five taxable years. Additionally, the deductibility of such U.S. federal net operating losses is limited to no more than 80% of our taxable
income (with certain adjustments) in any taxable year beginning after December 31, 2020.
We
have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to effectively remediate these
material weaknesses, identify additional material weaknesses in the future, or otherwise fail to maintain effective internal control
over financial reporting, then we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which
may adversely affect our business.
Internal
control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Any failure to maintain effective internal
control over financial reporting could cause us to fail to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations
to meet our reporting obligations. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial
reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements
will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
In connection with the preparation
of our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, material weaknesses were identified in the
design and operating effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. In 2024, we identified material weaknesses due to ineffective information and communication controls, resulting in lack
of timely identification and accounting for certain key debt and other agreements. Since fiscal year 2023, there have been misstatements that, individually and in the aggregate, were material to the
consolidated financial statements that were identified due to deficiencies related to technical accounting. More specifically, the review
controls over the transactions that gave rise to these misstatements lacked sufficient precision and the Company lacked a sufficient complement
of personnel with an appropriate level of accounting knowledge, training and experience to appropriately analyze, record and disclose
accounting matters timely and accurately. Due to the delays we
experienced in securing funding during 2024 and 2025, we were not able to hire and train sufficient staff to remediate the
previously identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. As such, these material weaknesses were not remediated and continued to be present as of December 31, 2025.
We
have initiated, and continue to implement, measures intended to remediate the material weaknesses described above and to strengthen our
internal control over financial reporting. These measures include: (i) hiring additional experienced accounting and SEC reporting personnel
at the corporate and subsidiary levels and enhancing segregation of duties; (ii) engaging an independent internal auditor and establishing
an internal audit plan focused on revenue recognition, complex financing arrangements, and acquisition accounting, with periodic reporting
to the Audit Committee; (iii) implementing formal contract-review controls including documented technical accounting reviews for new
or amended agreements; (iv) standardizing and documenting our monthly and quarterly close processes, including review and approval controls,
checklists, and enhanced management review controls over significant estimates and judgments; and (v) deploying certain technology solutions,
including a cloud-based planning and reporting system to reduce manual processes and improve data integrity and transparency.
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While
we believe these actions represent important steps toward remediation, the material weaknesses will not be considered remediated until
the applicable controls are designed, implemented, and operate effectively for a sufficient period of time and management has concluded,
through testing, that they are operating effectively. We can provide no assurance that the measures described above will fully remediate
the identified material weaknesses, that we will not identify additional material weaknesses in the future, or that our internal control
over financial reporting will be effective. Accordingly, there could continue to be a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement
of our consolidated financial statements would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
If
we fail to remediate our existing material weaknesses or identify new material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting,
if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, if we are unable to conclude
that our internal controls over financial reporting are effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable
to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting when we are no longer an emerging growth
company, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock
could be negatively affected. As a result of such failures, we could also become subject to investigations by Nasdaq, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, and become subject to litigation from investors and stockholders,
which could harm our reputation and financial condition or divert financial and management resources from our regular business activities.
A
failure to establish and maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, could adversely
affect our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations.
As
a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the rules and regulations
of the applicable listing standards of Nasdaq. We expect that the requirements of these rules and regulations will continue to increase
our legal, accounting, and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time consuming, and costly, and place significant
strain on our personnel, systems, and resources.
The
Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over
financial reporting. We are continuing to develop and refine our disclosure controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure
that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we will file with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized, and
reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and that information required to be disclosed in reports under the
Exchange Act, is accumulated and communicated to our principal executive and financial officers. We are also continuing to improve our
internal controls over financial reporting. To maintain and enhance the effectiveness of our disclosure controls
and internal control over financial reporting, we anticipate allocating significant resources, including accounting-related costs and
investments, to strengthen our accounting systems.
Our
current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate because of changes in conditions in our business. In addition,
changes in accounting principles or interpretations could also challenge our internal controls and require that we establish new business
processes, systems, and controls to accommodate such changes. We have limited experience with implementing the systems and controls that
are necessary to operate as a public company, or with adopting changes in accounting principles or interpretations mandated by
the relevant regulatory bodies. Additionally, if these new systems, controls or standards and the associated process changes do not give
rise to the benefits that we expect or do not operate as intended, it could adversely affect our financial reporting systems and processes,
our ability to produce timely and accurate financial reports or the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Moreover,
our business may be harmed if we experience problems with any new systems and controls that result in delays in their implementation
or increased costs to correct any post-implementation issues that may arise.
Further,
weaknesses in our disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting have occurred in the past and may be discovered
in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or
improvement could harm our results of operations or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a
restatement of our consolidated financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal
control over financial reporting also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent
registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting
that we will eventually be required to include in our periodic reports that will be filed with the SEC. Ineffective disclosure
controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported
financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock. In addition, if
we are unable to continue to meet these requirements, we may not be able to remain listed on Nasdaq. We are not currently required
to comply with the SEC rules that implement Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and are therefore not required to make a formal
assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for that purpose. In the future, we will be required to
provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting commencing with our second
annual report on Form 10-K.
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Our
independent registered public accounting firm is not required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over
financial reporting until after we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (“JOBS”) Act and we are an accelerated filer or large accelerated filer under SEC rules. At such time,
our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level
at which our internal control over financial reporting is documented, designed or operating. Any failure to maintain effective
disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting could harm our business, results of operations, and financial
condition and could cause a decline in the trading price of our common stock.
Our
corporate structure and intercompany arrangements are subject to the tax laws of various jurisdictions, which are subject to change,
and we could be obligated to pay additional taxes, which would harm our results of operations.
We
are or may be subject to income and non-income taxation in the United States under federal, state, and local jurisdictions and in certain
foreign jurisdictions in which we operate. The amount of taxes we pay in these jurisdictions could increase substantially as a result
of changes in the applicable tax principles, including increased tax rates, new or revised tax laws or revised interpretations of existing
tax laws (which may have retroactive effect), policies and precedents by taxing authorities and courts in various jurisdictions. The
authorities in these jurisdictions could review our tax returns or require us to file tax returns in jurisdictions in which we are not
currently filing and could impose additional tax, interest and penalties. In addition, the authorities could claim that various withholding
requirements apply to us or our subsidiaries, assert that benefits of tax treaties are not available to us or our subsidiaries, or challenge
our methodologies for valuing developed technology or intercompany arrangements, including our transfer pricing. The relevant taxing
authorities may determine that the manner in which we operate our business does not achieve the intended tax consequences. If such a
determination were to be made, we could be required to pay additional taxes and interest and penalties. Any increase in the amount of
taxes we pay or that are imposed on us could increase our worldwide effective tax rate and harm our business and results of operations.
Future
changes in financial accounting standards or practices may cause adverse and unexpected revenue fluctuations and adversely affect our
reported results of operations.
Future
changes in financial accounting standards may cause adverse, unexpected revenue fluctuations and affect our reported financial position
or results of operations. Financial accounting standards in the United States are constantly under review and new pronouncements and
varying interpretations of pronouncements have occurred with frequency in the past and are expected to occur again in the future. As
a result, we may be required to make changes in our accounting policies. Those changes could affect our financial condition and results
of operations or the way in which such financial condition and results of operations are reported. Compliance with new accounting standards
may also result in additional expenses. As a result, we intend to invest all reasonably necessary resources to comply with evolving standards,
and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from
business activities to compliance activities. See the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations—Recent Accounting Pronouncements.” As an emerging growth company, the JOBS Act allows us to delay
adoption of new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private
companies. We have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards and as a result
of this election, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates. However,
we may elect to early adopt any new or revised accounting standards whenever such early adoption is permitted for non-public companies.
We may take advantage of these exemptions up until the time that we are no longer an emerging growth company.
53
Risks
Related Ownership of Our Common Stock
An
active trading market for our common stock may not continue to develop or be sustained.
Prior
to the IPO, there was no public market for our common stock. An active trading market for our shares may not continue to develop or be
sustained. The lack of an active market may impair the value of your shares, your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to
sell them and the prices that you may obtain for your shares. Further, an inactive trading market for our shares may also impair our
ability to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock or enter into strategic partnerships and transactions by issuing our shares
of common stock as consideration.
The
trading price of our common stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
The
trading price of our common stock may be highly volatile and may be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some
of which are beyond our control, including:
●
announcements
of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by us or our competitors;
●
our
ability to effectively manage our growth;
●
actual
or anticipated variations in quarterly operating results;
●
our
cash position;
●
our
failure to meet the estimates and projections of the investment community or that we may otherwise provide to the public;
●
changes
in the market valuations of similar companies;
●
overall
performance of the equity markets;
●
sales
of our common stock by us or our stockholders in the future;
●
low
trading volume of our common stock, which may impair our ability to raise capital or enter into strategic collaborations and acquisitions
by using our common stock as consideration;
●
changes
in accounting practices;
●
ineffectiveness
of our internal controls;
●
disputes
or other developments relating to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters and our ability to obtain patent protection
for our technologies;
●
significant
lawsuits, including patent or stockholder litigation;
●
general
political and economic conditions; and
●
other
events or factors, many of which are beyond our control.
In
addition, the stock market in general, and the market for aerospace and defense companies in particular, have experienced extreme price
and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. Broad market
and industry factors, as well as local or global socio-economic and political factors, including the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine
and in the Middle East, may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. If
the market price of our common stock does not exceed the price you paid for them, you may not realize any return on your investment in
us and may lose some or all of your investment. In the past, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies
following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities. This type of litigation, if instituted, could result
in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources.
54
We
do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock so any returns will be limited to the value of our stock.
We
currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate
declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, future debt or other financing arrangements may contain
terms prohibiting or limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our common stock. Any return to stockholders will
therefore be limited to the appreciation of their stock.
Our
principal stockholders and management own a significant percentage of our stock and are able to exert significant control over matters
subject to stockholder approval.
Our
executive officers, directors, director nominees and their affiliates, as well as our principal stockholders beneficially hold a
significant percentage of our outstanding voting stock. These stockholders, acting together, are able to significantly influence
all matters requiring stockholder approval. For example, these stockholders are able to significantly influence elections of directors,
amendments of our governing documents, or approval of any merger, sale of assets, or other major corporate transaction. This may prevent
or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may feel are in your best interest as one of
our stockholders.
Our
management team has limited experience managing a public company.
Most
of the members of our management team have limited to no experience managing a publicly traded company, interacting with public company
investors and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies. Our management team has not worked together
at prior companies that were publicly traded. Our management team may not successfully or efficiently manage their new roles and responsibilities.
Operating as a public company subjects us to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under the federal
securities laws and the continuous scrutiny of securities analysts and investors. These obligations and constituents require
significant attention from our senior management and could divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business,
which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Future
issuances of debt or equity securities may adversely affect us, including the market price of our common stock, and may be dilutive to
existing stockholders.
In
the future, we may incur debt or issue equity-ranking senior to our common stock. Those securities will generally have priority upon
liquidation. Such securities also may be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating
flexibility. Additionally, any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges
more favorable than those of our common stock. Because our decision to issue debt or equity in the future will depend on market conditions
and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, nature or success of our future capital raising
efforts. As a result, future capital raising efforts may reduce the market price of our common stock and be dilutive to existing stockholders.
Any
issuance of additional capital stock in connection with financings, acquisitions, investments, our stock incentive plan or otherwise
will dilute all other stockholders.
We
expect to issue additional capital stock in the future that will result in dilution to all other stockholders. We expect to grant equity
awards to employees, directors, and consultants under our stock incentive plan. We may also raise capital through equity financings in
the future. As part of our business strategy, we may acquire or make investments in complementary companies, products, or technologies
and issue equity securities to pay for any such acquisition or investment. Any such issuances of additional capital stock, including
as a result of the exercise of any warrants to purchase shares of common stock, may cause stockholders to experience significant dilution
of their ownership interests and the per share value of our common stock to decline.
Future
sales, or the perception of future sales, by us or our stockholders in the public market could cause the market price for our common
stock to decline.
The
sale of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could harm the prevailing market
price of our common stock. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell
equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.
Pursuant
to the AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2025 Plan”), our management is
authorized to grant stock options and other equity-based awards to our employees, directors and consultants. Additionally, the
number of shares of our common stock reserved for issuance under our 2025 Plan will automatically increase on January 1 of each
calendar year, beginning on January 1, 2026 and continuing through and including January 1, 2035, by 3% of the total number of
shares of our common stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year, or a lesser number of shares determined by our
board of directors. Unless our board of directors elects not to increase the number of shares available for future grant each year,
our stockholders may experience additional dilution, which could cause our stock price to fall.
In
the future, we may also issue our securities in connection with investments or acquisitions. The amount of our securities issued in connection
with an investment or acquisition could constitute a material portion of the then-outstanding shares of our common stock. Any issuance
of additional securities in connection with investments or acquisitions may result in additional dilution to our stockholders.
We
are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth
companies and smaller reporting companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We
are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and may remain an emerging growth company until the last day
of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the closing of the IPO. However, if certain events occur prior to the end of such
five-year period, including if we become a “large accelerated filer,” our annual gross revenues exceed $1.235 billion or
we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt in any three-year period, we will cease to be an emerging growth company prior
to the end of such five-year period. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions
from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions
include, but are not limited to:
●
not
being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;
●
not
being required to comply with the requirement of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the communication of critical
audit matters in the auditor’s report on the financial statements;
55
●
the
ability to elect to defer compliance with new or revised accounting standards until such standards would apply to private companies;
●
reduced
disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, proxy statements and registration statements; and
●
exemptions
from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and any golden parachute payments not previously
approved.
We
have taken advantage of the reduced reporting burdens in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the information we provide to
stockholders will be different than the information that is available with respect to other public companies that are not emerging
growth companies. It is possible that this may cause investors to find our common stock less attractive. If some investors find our
common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our share price may be
reduced or more volatile.
Even
following the termination of our status as an emerging growth company, we may be able to take advantage of the reduced disclosure requirements
applicable to “smaller reporting companies,” as that term is defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and, in particular,
reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. To the extent that we are
no longer eligible to use exemptions from various reporting requirements, we may be unable to realize our anticipated cost savings from
these exemptions, which could have a material adverse impact on our operating results.
Delaware
law and provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make a merger, tender
offer or proxy contest difficult, thereby depressing the trading price of our common stock.
Provisions
of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, respectively, may delay or discourage transactions
involving an actual or potential change in our control or change in our management, including transactions in which stockholders might
otherwise receive a premium for their shares or transactions that our stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
Therefore, these provisions could adversely affect the price of our common stock. Among other things, our amended and restated certificate
of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws:
●
permit
our board of directors to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, with any rights, preferences and privileges as they may
designate (including the right to approve an acquisition or other change in our control);
●
provide
that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors;
●
provide
that the board of directors or any individual director may only be removed with cause and the affirmative vote of the holders of
at least 66-2/3% of the voting power of all of our then outstanding common stock;
●
provide
that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law, be filled by the affirmative
vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum;
●
divide
our board of directors into three classes;
●
require
that any action to be taken by our stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and not
be taken by written consent;
●
provide
that stockholders seeking to present proposals before a meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors
at a meeting of stockholders must provide notice in writing in a timely manner and also specify requirements as to the form and content
of a stockholder’s notice;
56
●
do
not provide for cumulative voting rights, therefore allowing the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to
vote in any election of directors to elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose; and
●
provide
that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the Chairman of the board, our Chief Executive Officer or by the
board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors.
The
amendment of any of these provisions, with the exception of the ability of our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock
and designate any rights, preferences and privileges thereto, requires approval by the holders of at least 66-2/3% of our then-outstanding
common stock.
In
addition, as a Delaware corporation, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. These provisions may prohibit
large stockholders, in particular those owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, from merging or combining with us for a certain
period of time. A Delaware corporation may opt out of this provision by express provision in its original certificate of incorporation
or by amendment to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws approved by its stockholders. However, we have not opted out of this provision.
These
and other provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law could make
it more difficult or costly for stockholders or potential acquirors to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that
are opposed by our then-current board of directors, including delay or impede a merger, tender offer or proxy contest involving our company.
The existence of these provisions could negatively affect the price of our common stock and limit opportunities for you to realize value
in a corporate transaction.
Our
amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and any appellate court
therefrom are the exclusive forums for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’
ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our
amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative
forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or
proceedings under Delaware statutory or common law: (i) any derivative claim or cause of action brought on our behalf; (ii) any
claim or cause of action that is based upon a violation of a duty owed by any current or former director, officer, other employee or
stockholder, to us or our stockholders; (iii) any claim or cause of action against us or any current or former director, officer or
other employee, arising out of or pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our Certificate of
Incorporation or our Bylaws; (iv) any claim or cause of action seeking to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our
Certificate of Incorporation or our Bylaws (including any right, obligation, or remedy thereunder); (v) any claim or cause of action
as to which the Delaware General Corporation Law confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; and (vi)
any claim or cause of action against us or any current or former director, officer or other employee, governed by the
internal-affairs doctrine or otherwise related to our internal affairs, in all cases to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law and subject to the court having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendant; provided, however, that
if the designation of such court as the sole and exclusive forum for a claim or action referred to in foregoing clauses (i) through
(vi) would violate applicable law, then the United States District Court for the District of Delaware shall be the sole and
exclusive forum for such claim or cause of action. These provisions do not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability
created by the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Furthermore, Section 22 of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all
such Securities Act actions. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. Additionally,
investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. To prevent having to
litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other
considerations, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation further provides that unless we consent in writing to the
selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the federal district courts of the United States of
America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities
Act, including all causes of action asserted against any defendant named in such complaint. While the Delaware courts have
determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue
other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions. In such instance, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity
and enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. This may require
significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions and there is uncertainty as to whether the
provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions.
57
These
choice of forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes
with us or our directors, officers or other employees and may discourage these types of lawsuits and result in increased costs for investors
to bring a claim. If a court were to find the choice of forum provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation
to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.
If
securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or if they downgrade our common stock or our sector, our common
stock price and trading volume could decline.
The
trading market for our common stock relies in part on the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us or
our business. We do not control these analysts. In addition, some financial analysts may have limited expertise with our model and operations.
Furthermore, if one or more of the analysts who do cover us downgrade our common stock or industry, or the stock of any of our competitors,
or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the price of our common stock could decline. If one or more of these
analysts ceases to cover us or fails to initiate coverage or publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the market,
which in turn could cause our common stock price or trading volume to decline.
General
Risk Factors
We
will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time
to new compliance initiatives and corporate governance practices.
As
a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting
and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, Nasdaq listing requirements
and other applicable securities rules and regulations impose various requirements on public companies, including establishment and maintenance
of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel needs to devote
a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial
compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, we expect that these rules and regulations
may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, which in turn could make it
more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors.
We
are evaluating these rules and regulations, and cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing
of such costs. These rules and regulations are often subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity,
and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies.
This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure
and governance practices.
Pursuant
to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act we will be required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial
reporting beginning with our second filing of an Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC. However, while
we remain an emerging growth company or smaller reporting company, we will not be required to include an attestation report on internal
control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. To achieve compliance with Section 404
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act within the prescribed period, we will be engaged in a process to document and evaluate our internal control
over financial reporting, which is both costly and challenging. In this regard, we will need to continue to dedicate internal resources,
potentially engage outside consultants, adopt a detailed work plan to assess and document the adequacy of internal control over financial
reporting, continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, validate through testing whether such controls are functioning
as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting. In addition,
w e have identified material weaknesses
in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to effectively remediate these material weaknesses, identify additional
material weaknesses in the future, or otherwise fail to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, it could result in an adverse
reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.
58
Our
business and financial performance could be adversely affected by inflation.
In recent years, we have been faced with challenging global economic conditions. U.S. and international markets have
experienced inflationary pressures, and inflation rates in the U.S. and in other countries in which we operate have been at elevated levels.
While more recently the global inflation rate has stabilized, we cannot be sure that this trend will continue. In the event
of a significant increase in consumer prices, particularly over an extended period of time, customer demand for our products and services
could be adversely affected and we could experience lower than expected sales. In addition, if any of our suppliers implemented price
increases in response to higher raw material, labor, and energy costs or otherwise, we may not be able to pass along such price increased
to our customers and our profitability may be reduced. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We
cannot predict the consequences of future macroeconomic conditions or geopolitical events, but they may adversely affect market and economic
conditions, the markets in which we operate, our ability to insure against risks, our operations or our profitability.
The
global credit and financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and disruptions in the past several years, including severely
diminished liquidity and credit availability, rising inflation and monetary supply shifts, rising interest rates, supply chain constraints,
labor shortages, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, increases in unemployment rates, recession risks and uncertainty
about economic stability. For instance, ongoing instability and current conflicts in global markets, including in Eastern Europe, the
Middle East and Asia, and the potential for other conflicts and future terrorist activities, as well as other recent geopolitical events
throughout the world, including new or increased tariffs and potential trade wars, have created and may continue to create economic and
political uncertainties and impacts that could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, and profitability. We have
not experienced, and do not anticipate, any disruption in our supply chain or other business operations due to the ongoing conflict in
Ukraine. However, if the conflict were to expand and impact our supply chain or sales, we could experience a negative impact
to our results of operations and financial position. Sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries in response to military conflicts,
including the one in Ukraine, may also adversely impact the financial markets and the global economy, and any economic countermeasures
by the affected countries or others could exacerbate market and economic instability. If credit in financial markets outside of the United
States tightened, it could adversely affect the ability of our international customers and suppliers to obtain financing and could result
in a decrease in or cancellation of orders for our products, systems and services or impact the ability of our customers to make payments.
In addition, global pandemics or other public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have in the past
and could in the future result in widespread unemployment, economic slowdown and extreme volatility in the capital markets.
These types of matters can cause uncertainty in financial markets and
may significantly increase the political, economic and social instability in geographic areas in which we operate now or may operate
in the future. The extent of the impact of these conditions on our operational and financial performance, including our ability to execute
our business strategies and initiatives in the expected timeframe, as well as that of third parties upon whom we rely, will depend on
future developments which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. There can be no assurance that further deterioration in credit and financial
markets and confidence in economic conditions will not occur. Events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other
adverse developments that affect financial institutions, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks,
have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. Our general business strategy may be adversely affected
by any such economic downturn, volatile business environment or continued unpredictable and unstable market conditions. If the current
equity and credit markets deteriorate, it may make any necessary debt or equity financing more difficult, more costly and more dilutive.
Failure to secure any necessary financing in a timely manner and on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our growth
strategy, financial performance and stock price and could require us to delay or abandon clinical development plans. In addition, there
is a risk that one or more of our current suppliers or other partners may not survive an economic downturn, which could directly affect
our ability to attain our operating goals on schedule and on budget.
59
Our quarterly results of operations, revenues
and cash flows may fluctuate from period to period due to a number of factors, which makes predicting financial results difficult.
We
expect our quarterly results of operations to continue to fluctuate due to a number of factors, including as a result of supply chain
issues, product introduction schedules, competitive products entering the market and the seasonality and uneven sales patterns of our
OEM customers.
For
example, we expect that a large portion
of the Avionics segment’s OEM sales in the future will consist of sales of products to a customer operating in the eVTOL market.
We are subject to changes in buying patterns among our OEM customers, including unpredictable circumstances such as failed certifications
and delayed production schedules. Significant delays to the certification and production of the OEM aircraft could delay revenues to
future years and may result in cancelled orders by the OEM’s customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business,
results of operations and financial condition. As a result of these and other factors, quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our results
of operations may not be reliable indicators of our future performance.
ITEM
1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not applicable.
ITEM
1C. CYBERSECURITY
Risk Management and Strategy
We
rely on information technology systems, operational networks, design and development tools, and data environments that support our business
activities. We have implemented and maintain information security processes designed to identify, assess, and manage material
risks from cybersecurity threats to our critical computer networks, third-party hosted services, communications systems, hardware and
software, and our critical data, including intellectual property and confidential, proprietary, strategic, or competitively sensitive
information (collectively, our “Information Systems and Data”).
Responsibility
for identifying, assessing, and managing cybersecurity threats and risks primarily resides with Company management, including the
Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) and the President of a third-party information technology service provider, who provide
centralized oversight across the Company. This oversight extends to all subsidiaries, with certain entities in the process of being
further integrated under a centralized information technology and cybersecurity governance structure. These personnel are
responsible for identifying and assessing cybersecurity risks by monitoring and evaluating the Company’s threat
environment using a combination of automated tools and external intelligence sources. These processes include real-time endpoint and
network monitoring through managed detection and response services, continuous monitoring of network and server traffic, and the use
of external cybersecurity intelligence feeds, including alerts and guidance issued by government and industry sources such as the
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”). Identified threats are evaluated based on applicability and
potential severity, and responsive actions are taken as appropriate.
Depending
on the environment and the nature of the systems involved, the Company maintains technical, physical, and organizational measures
designed to mitigate material cybersecurity risks. These measures include, among other things, network security controls, access
controls, data segregation, encryption of data, system and network monitoring, asset management and tracking, cybersecurity
insurance coverage, and physical security controls over critical infrastructure and data locations. The Company also utilizes
managed cybersecurity service providers to support real-time threat detection and response activities.
Cybersecurity
risk management is integrated into the Company’s broader enterprise risk management and internal control considerations. Cybersecurity
risks that could reasonably be expected to have a material impact on the Company’s operations, financial reporting, or business
objectives are considered as part of management’s overall risk assessment processes and are escalated to senior management and,
as appropriate, to the Board of Directors or its committees.
The
Company uses third-party service providers to assist in identifying, assessing, and managing cybersecurity risks, including managed detection
and response providers and information technology service providers that support day-to-day operations. In addition, the Company relies
on third-party vendors for certain critical business operations, including information technology services, enterprise resource planning
systems, payroll processing, financial systems, and consolidation and reporting platforms. Cybersecurity risks associated with critical
third-party providers are managed through contractual provisions, review of available assurance reports, controls over vendor system
access, and ongoing issue management by internal information technology personnel.
For
a discussion of cybersecurity risks that may materially affect the Company, see Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this Annual Report
on Form 10-K, including If our information technology systems or data, or those of the third parties with whom we work,
are or were compromised, we could experience adverse consequences resulting from such compromise, including but not limited to regulatory
investigations or actions; litigation; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; loss of revenue
or profits; loss of customers or sales; and other adverse consequences, risks which are amplified by our work for world governments .
Governance
The
Company’s Board of Directors oversees cybersecurity risk management as part of its general oversight responsibilities. The Audit
Committee assists the Board in overseeing the Company’s cybersecurity, data privacy, and information technology risks, consistent
with its oversight responsibilities under the Audit Committee charter.
Our
cybersecurity risk assessment and management processes are implemented and maintained by certain Company management, including the COO
and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”). Our COO has relevant experience overseeing the implementation of the Company’s
information systems and supporting the Company’s response to a cybersecurity incident, including recovery efforts that did not
result in operational disruption. Our CFO holds a certificate in Cyber Security for Directors from the Corporate Governance Institute.
Our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) also provides overall strategic oversight and has relevant technical and project management
credentials, including Project Management Professional (“PMP”) and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (“MCSE”)
certifications.
Our
COO is primarily responsible for the operational management of the Company’s cybersecurity program, including hiring appropriate
personnel, helping to integrate cybersecurity risk considerations into the Company’s overall risk management strategy, and communicating
key priorities to relevant personnel. Our COO is also responsible for approving budgets, helping prepare for cybersecurity incidents,
approving cybersecurity processes, and reviewing security assessments and other security-related reports. Our CFO shares responsibility
with our COO for overseeing cybersecurity risks related to financial reporting and assessing potential impacts of making certain cybersecurity
disclosures.
Our
cybersecurity incident response process is designed to escalate certain cybersecurity incidents to members of management depending on
the circumstances, including the COO. The COO works with the Company’s incident response team and third-party information technology
service providers, as appropriate, to help the Company assess, mitigate, and remediate cybersecurity incidents of which they are notified.
The
Audit Committee receives periodic updates from management regarding the Company’s cybersecurity risk profile, threat environment,
and mitigation activities, and reports to the full Board, as appropriate, on matters within the scope of its oversight. The Audit Committee also receives reports related to cybersecurity threats, risk and mitigation.
ITEM
2. PROPERTIES
We lease substantially all of our facilities
and do not own any material real property. Our principal facilities include: (i) an industrial facility located at 23048 N. 15th Avenue,
Phoenix, Arizona 85027, consisting of approximately 29,353 rentable square feet, used to support U.S. operations and our efforts to expand
our U.S. footprint for advanced drone innovation, including research and development and operational activities , under a 62 month lease
that expires in October 2030; (ii) a leased facility in Soevring, Denmark consisting of approximately 43,185 square feet used by our
Drones segment for office space, manufacturing, and inventory storage; and (iii) leased office space located at 8444 Westpark Drive,
Suite 840, McLean, Virginia 22102, consisting of approximately 2,815 rentable square feet, which serves as our principal executive offices,
under a 65 month lease that expires in March 2031. Management believes these facilities are adequate for our current needs. We may require
additional engineering and manufacturing capacity over time to support the design and production of products in our Electric Air Mobility
and Avionics segments.
ITEM
3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We
are not a party to any material legal proceedings and are not aware of any pending or threatened claims. From time to time, we may be
subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of our business activities. Regardless of outcome,
such proceedings or claims can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of resources and other
factors, and there can be no assurances that favorable outcomes will be obtained.
ITEM
4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Not applicable.
60
PART
II
ITEM
5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “AIRO”.
Holders
of Record
As
of March 24, 2026, there were 80 holders of record of our common stock.
Dividends
We have never declared or paid, and do not anticipate declaring or paying, in the foreseeable future, any cash dividends
on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to support our operations and finance
the growth and development of our business. Any future determination related to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of
our board of directors and will depend upon, among other factors, our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements,
contractual restrictions, business prospects and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant.
Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities
Set
forth below is information regarding shares of our common stock and warrants to purchase shares of a common
stock issued by us during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 that were not registered under the Securities Act. Also included is
the consideration, if any, received by us, for such securities and information relating to the Securities Act, or rule of
the SEC, under which exemption from registration was claimed.
(a)
Issuances of Common Stock
In
June 2025, we issued 546,173 shares of our common stock to Dangroup ApS (“Dangroup”) at the close of the IPO pursuant to the
Incentive Agreement, between us and Dangroup, dated June 28, 2024, as amended.
In
June 2025, we issued 33,995 shares of our common stock to New Generation Aerospace, Inc. (“NGA”) at the close of the IPO
pursuant to the Amended and Restated Success Fee Arrangement, between us and NGA, dated October 2, 2023.
No
underwriters were involved in the foregoing issuances of securities. The issuances of shares of our common stock
described above were issued pursuant to written compensatory plans or arrangements with our employees, directors, and consultants, pursuant
to Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act, relating to transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering. All recipients
either received adequate information about us or had access, through employment or other relationships, to such information.
(b)
Warrant Issuances
In
January 2025, February 2025 and July 2025, in connection with our entry into three Agreements of Sale of Future Receipts, we issued warrants
to Libertas Funding, LLC to purchase, in the aggregate, 156,622 shares of our common stock.
No
underwriters were involved in the foregoing issuance of securities. The issuance of the warrants described above were issued to investors
in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, as set forth in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities
Act, relating to transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering. Each recipient of securities in the transaction described
above represented that such recipient was an accredited investor and was acquiring the securities for its own account for investment
purposes only and not with a view to the public resale or distribution thereof and that it could bear the risks of the investment and
could hold the securities for an indefinite period of time, and appropriate legends were affixed to the instrument representing such
securities issued in such transaction.
In
June 2025, in connection with the closing of the IPO we issued warrants to certain underwriters of our IPO to purchase, in the
aggregate, 345,000 shares of our common stock (the “Underwriters’ Warrants”).
The
shares of our common stock underlying the Underwriters’ Warrants are deemed restricted securities for purposes of the Securities
Act. All certificates representing the issued shares of our common stock underlying the Underwriters’ Warrants will include appropriate
legends setting forth that the securities had not been registered and the applicable restrictions on transfer.
(c)
Promissory Note Issuance
In
2025, we raised $0.2 million in the form of unsecured promissory notes with no collateral and no guarantees to private investors, which
accrue interest payable in shares of our common stock.
No
underwriters were involved in the foregoing issuance of securities. The issuance of the convertible promissory notes described above
were issued to investors in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, as set forth in Section
4(a)(2) under the Securities Act, relating to transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering. Each recipient of securities
in the transaction described above represented that such recipient was an accredited investor and was acquiring the securities for its
own account for investment purposes only and not with a view to the public resale or distribution thereof and that it could bear the
risks of the investment and could hold the securities for an indefinite period of time, and appropriate legends were affixed to the instrument
representing such securities issued in such transaction.
Appropriate
legends were affixed to the securities issued in these transactions. Each of the recipients of securities in these transactions had adequate
access, through employment, business or other relationships, to information about us.
Use
of Proceeds from Initial Public Offering
On
June 12, 2025, our Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-285149), for the IPO became effective, pursuant to which
we registered and sold an aggregate of 6,900,000 shares of our common stock, including the full exercise of the underwriters’ option
to purchase additional shares, at a price to the public of $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $69.0 million. Cantor Fitzgerald
& Co., BTIG, LLC, and Mizuho Securities USA LLC acted as joint lead book-running managers for the IPO and Bancroft Capital, LLC acted
as book-running manager for the IPO.
The
net proceeds to the Company from the IPO, after deducting $10.7 million of underwriting discounts and commissions, and issuance costs
paid were $58.3 million. In connection with our IPO, no direct or indirect payments were made by us to directors, officers or persons
owning ten percent or more of our common stock or to their associates or to our affiliates. There has been no material change in the
planned use of proceeds from our IPO as described in our prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) under the Securities Act with the
SEC on June 16, 2025.
61
Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities
The
following table summarizes repurchases of our common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2025.
Period
Total
number of shares purchased (1)
Average
price paid per share
Total
number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced plans or programs (1)
Maximum
number of shares that may yet be purchased under the plans or programs
October 1 – October 31, 2025
-
$ -
-
-
November 1 – November 30, 2025
-
$ -
-
-
December 1 – December 31, 2025
25,050
$ 20.20
-
-
Total
25,050
$ 20.20
—
—
(1)
Consists of shares withheld by us in satisfaction of income tax withholding obligations associated with the vesting
of compensatory stock awards.
ITEM
6. [RESERVED]
ITEM
7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The
following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated
financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Some of the information contained in this
discussion and analysis, including information with respect to our plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance,
financing needs, plans or intentions relating to markets, and business trends, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties. You should review the sections titled “Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors”
in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of forward-looking statements and important factors that could cause actual results
to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion
and analysis.
Overview
We
are a technologically differentiated aerospace, autonomy, and air mobility platform targeting 21 st century aerospace and defense
opportunities. We leverage decades of industry expertise and connections across the drone, aviation, and avionics markets to provide
leading solutions to the aerospace and defense market. We offer connected and diversified solutions providing operational synergies across
our segments and are powered by an international footprint as well as supplier and public sector relationships. Supported by complementary
and innovative technologies, we believe we bring a unique value proposition to the market and are well-positioned to become a differentiated
leader in the industry.
Our
business is organized into four operating segments, each of which represents a critical growth vector in the aerospace and defense market:
Drones, Avionics, Training, and Electric Air Mobility. These four segments collectively target a combined total addressable market estimated
to be over $315.4 billion by 2030.
Drones .
The Drones segment develops, manufactures, and sells drones and will provide drone services, such as DaaS, for military and commercial
end users. Our military drones are sold through our Sky-Watch brand, which is a key supplier to European NATO countries. A critical point
of differentiation lies in our drones’ ability to perform in a GPS-denied environment, which is a technology application relevant
for both military and commercial end markets.
62
Avionics .
The Avionics segment develops, manufactures, and sells avionics for military and general aviation aircraft, drones, and eVTOLs. Our
avionics products include flight displays, Connected Panels, and GPS/GNSS sensors, all of which have been installed on legacy
military aircraft and general aviation platforms. We sell our avionics products through our Aspen Avionics brand, which is
well-recognized in the general aviation aftermarket sector with over 20 years of operating history and long-term customer loyalty
for our value proposition. We also serve as an avionics supplier for OEMs, including Robinson Helicopters, Pilatus, Honeywell, and
Joby Aviation. We believe our avionics solutions have a considerable market opportunity as general aviation fleets continue to age,
with owners and operators seeking to upgrade the avionics technology on their aircraft.
Training .
The Training segment currently provides military pilot training. We offer professional training and consulting services
to the U.S. military, select NATO countries, and other U.S. allies under our CDI brand. These offerings include adversary air, close air
support, ISR, aircraft leasing, pilot training, ground liaison services, and JTAC, as well as full joint theatre ISR and simulated ground
strike training. We work closely with special military forces such as SEAL teams, the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, and USAF Air Combat
Command, and are a mandated recipient on a $5.7 billion IDIQ contract and a $1.9 million IDIQ contract. Our personnel’s top security
clearances and established relationships at the Pentagon provide us with a differentiated ability to bid on mandates. We also plan to
offer commercial pilot training and plan to expand our non-military capabilities in response to the global pilot shortage.
Electric Air Mobility .
The Electric Air Mobility segment, operated through our Jaunt brand, is developing dual-use electric and hybrid-electric compound rotorcraft
aircraft designed for cargo, government, and passenger applications. Our near-term focus is on a cargo-configured platform intended to
support middle-mile logistics, tactical resupply, emergency medical delivery, law enforcement, ISR, and other commercial and government
missions. Over time, we intend to develop a multi-role variant capable of supporting both cargo and passenger operations. We plan to
pursue certification of our aircraft under existing CAR 529 Transport Category Rotorcraft standards. Our aircraft integrate characteristics
of both rotary- and fixed-wing platforms through our patented compound rotorcraft configuration, which has accumulated over 300 piloted
flight hours across multiple Jaunt demonstrator aircraft. We are evaluating both fully electric and hybrid-electric propulsion architectures
to support varying mission requirements, including extended range and increased operational flexibility. We believe this compound rotorcraft
architecture, combined with electric and hybrid-electric propulsion strategies, provides favorable range, payload capacity, and mission
adaptability relative to conventional rotorcraft and certain eVTOL configurations. Upon certification, we expect our cargo-configured
aircraft to serve as the initial foundation of our commercialization efforts.
Initial
Public Offering, Follow-on Offering and Repurchase
On
June 16, 2025, we completed our IPO of 6.9 million shares of our common stock, which
included an additional 0.9 million shares of common stock pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to
purchase additional shares, at an initial public offering price of $10.00 per share (the “Closing”). Our common stock began trading on the Nasdaq
Global Market under the ticker symbol “AIRO” on June 13, 2025. The net proceeds from the IPO, after deducting
$10.7 million of underwriting discounts and commissions, and issuance costs paid were $58.3 million.
On
September 12, 2025, we completed our Follow-on Offering of 4.8 million shares of common stock, which included an additional
0.6 million shares of common stock pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, at
an offering price of $18.50 per share. The net proceeds from the Follow-on Offering, after deducting $6.8 million of underwriting
discounts and commissions were $82.6 million.
On
September 12, 2025, we repurchased 1.1 million shares, which included an additional 0.1 million shares of common stock as a
result of the underwriters’ option described above, from certain existing stockholders, including certain directors and
executive officers and their affiliates at an offering price of $17.39 per share. The proceeds to such stockholders were $19.4
million.
63
Key
Factors Affecting Our Performance
Our
financial condition and results of operations have been, and will continue to be, affected by a number of factors, including the following.
Customer Concentration and Drone Segment Revenue
Concentration
We believe that our operating results for the foreseeable future
will continue to depend to a significant extent on sales attributable to certain end customers. For the year ended December 31, 2025,
two customers accounted for 79% of our consolidated revenue, all of which related to Drone segment revenue. For the year ended December
31, 2024, two customers accounted for 72% of our revenue, all of which related to Drone segment revenue. No other customer directly or
indirectly accounted for more than 10% of our revenue for either period.
Lack of Long-Term Customer Commitments
Our sales are generally made on a purchase
order basis, and we typically do not have long-term purchase commitments from our customers. As a result, customers may cancel, reduce,
reschedule, or otherwise modify their purchase orders, which may affect anticipated sales. In addition, the timing and size of purchase
orders, as well as modifications to existing orders, may vary from period to period and could cause fluctuations in our operating results.
Global
Supply Chain
We
are dependent on a global supply chain and, in recent years, have experienced supply chain disruptions that resulted in delays and increased
costs which adversely affected our performance. These disruptions impacted our ability to procure raw materials, microelectronics, and
certain commodities on a timely basis and/or at expected prices, and have been driven by supply chain constraints and macroeconomic
conditions, including inflation and labor market shortages. Current geopolitical conditions, including conflicts and other causes of
strained intercountry relations, as well as sanctions and other trade restrictions, continue to contribute to these issues.
Furthermore, our suppliers and subcontractors have been affected by these same factors. We also experience periodic shortages of electronic
and mechanical parts. Management continues to proactively manage the supply and transportation of parts during regular sales inventory
and operations meetings. This proactive planning is an integral part of our normal operations and has allowed us to anticipate potential
shortages and introduce redundancy along our supply chain. These mitigation efforts have not introduced new material risks related to
product quality, reliability or regulatory approval of products. We continue to monitor the condition of our supply chain and evaluate
our procurement strategy to reduce any negative impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We have implemented
actions and programs designed to mitigate the impacts of supply chain disruptions, but anticipate that we and others in our industry
will continue to face such challenges for the foreseeable future. The supply chain disruptions discussed above did not materially impact
our outlook, business goals, results of operations or capital resources during 2024 or the first six months of 2025.
During
the quarter ended September 30, 2025, a key customer requested a configuration change to dual-band antennas on certain RQ-35
systems. During the fourth quarter of 2025, we qualified additional antenna suppliers and implemented dual-sourcing to reduce
component risk.
Geopolitical
Matters
We
operate in a complex and evolving global security environment, and our business is affected by geopolitical and security issues. Conflicts,
including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East and heightened tension in the Pacific region, have elevated
global security concerns resulting in increased interest for our products and services as countries seek to improve their security posture.
In addition, security assistance provided by NATO and its allies to Ukraine has increased demand to replenish NATO stockpiles, resulting
in additional and potential future orders, including for the ramp-up in production capacity for certain products. We continue to expect
additional orders over the next several years attributable to the global threat environment.
64
Economic
Environment
Our
business and financial performance is also affected by elevated levels of inflation and interest rates. Certain costs, including rising
labor rates and supplier costs, have increased as a result of inflation, and have adversely affected our margins on certain programs.
Due to the nature of our government and commercial aerospace businesses, and their respective customer and supplier contracts, we are
not always able to offset cost increases by increasing our contract value or pricing, in particular on our fixed-price contracts. Increasing
material, component, and labor prices could subject us to losses in our fixed price contracts in the event of cost overruns. In addition,
higher interest rates have increased the cost of borrowing and tightened the availability of capital. Among other things, these effects
can affect our ability to acquire equipment and constrain our customers’ purchasing power and decrease orders for our products
and services and impact the ability of our customers to make payments and of our suppliers to perform. Moreover, volatility in interest
rates and financial markets can lead to economic uncertainty, an economic downturn or recession and impact the demand for our products
and services as well as our supply chain.
Development
of the Electric Air Mobility Market
Our
future revenue for our Electric Air Mobility segment will be tied to the continued development of short distance aerial
transportation. While we believe the global market for electric air mobility will be large, it remains undeveloped and there is no
guarantee of future demand. We anticipate receiving certification of our 33% downscaled cargo eVTOL under drone rules as early as
2027 and expect our first passenger production aircraft to be certified by the TCCA under existing CAR 529 Transport Category
Rotorcraft airworthiness rules as early as 2031. Our business will require significant investment leading up to launching these
services, including, but not limited to, final engineering designs, prototyping and testing, manufacturing, software development,
certification, pilot training, infrastructure and commercialization. We benefit from supplier cost sharing, whereby our suppliers
have agreed to defer their non-recurring engineering costs until commercialization, which has reduced our initial funding
requirements prior to commercialization.
Key
Components of Results of Operations
Revenue
Revenue
consists primarily of product sales, fees for consulting services, licensing revenue, warranty sales and after sale services. A majority
of our revenue is derived from the Drones segment. To date, our Electric Air Mobility segment has not generated material revenue.
Cost
of Revenue
Cost
of revenue includes direct labor (including salary, benefits and taxes), material costs and indirect production costs. Indirect production
costs include indirect labor, purchasing, quality and manufacturing leadership, consumables, freight, charges for inventory reserves
and amortization of intangible assets. We expect our cost of revenue to fluctuate based on a number of factors including, among others,
availability and ability to obtain suitable aircraft, availability and cost of raw materials, such as lithium, and fluctuations in the
labor market, in particular with respect to individuals who are highly skilled and specialized, such as pilots, and foreign currency
exchange rates.
Operating
Expenses
Research
and Development
Research
and development (“R&D”) expenses consist primarily of personnel expenses, including salaries, benefits, costs of consulting,
equipment and materials, direct allocable overhead costs, including staff development cost, travel costs and technology costs, and amortization
of intangible assets. We expect our R&D expenses to increase as we continue to invest in our infrastructure and technology and seek
to develop new products and services.
Sales
and Marketing
Sales
and marketing expenses include salary, benefits and taxes, commissions, travel, costs of leased airplanes, advertising, trade shows and
amortization of intangible assets. We expect our sales and marketing expenses to increase as we seek to build out our capabilities in
these areas to acquire new customers.
65
General
and Administrative
General
and administrative expenses include costs of executive leadership, corporate governance, consulting fees, accounting and finance operations,
travel, and support functions, including human resources and information technology. We expect our general and administrative expenses
to increase as we incur additional costs associated with being a public company and certain terms of our consulting and incentive agreements
become effective.
Goodwill
Impairment
Goodwill
represents the excess of the aggregate purchase price over the fair value of net identifiable assets acquired in a business combination.
We manage our business primarily based upon four operating segments: (i) Drones, (ii) Avionics, (iii) Training and (iv) Electric Air
Mobility, each of which represents a reportable segment. See “—Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates—Goodwill”
for additional information.
Other
Income (Expense)
Interest
Expense, Net
Interest
expense, net consists primarily of the interest expense from borrowings relating to revolving lines of credit with external banks and
third-party notes, net of interest income earned on invested cash balances.
Gain
(Loss) on Debt Extinguishment, Net
Gain
(loss) on debt extinguishment, net includes gains and losses on debt extinguishments.
Other
Income (Expense), Net
Other
income (expense), net includes changes in fair value on contingent consideration obligations and foreign currency exchange adjustments
based on the terms of payments related an earnout obligation.
Income Tax Expense
Income tax expense primarily consists of income taxes in certain foreign jurisdictions in which we conduct business.
Non-GAAP
Financial Measures
To
supplement our consolidated financial statements prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA
and Adjusted EBITDA margin, as described below, to facilitate analysis of our financial and business trends and for internal planning
and forecasting purposes.
We
define (1) EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest expense, income tax expense or provision, depreciation and amortization, (2)
Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest expense, income tax expense or provision, depreciation and amortization, gain
(loss) on extinguishment of debt, stock-based compensation, contingent consideration and warrant fair value adjustments, goodwill
impairments, and other one-time adjustments related to the IPO, and (3) Adjusted EBITDA margin as Adjusted EBITDA divided by
revenue. The above items are excluded from our Adjusted EBITDA measure because these items are either non-cash in nature, or because
the amount and timing of these items is unpredictable, or because they are not driven by core results of operations, thereby
rendering comparisons with prior periods and competitors less meaningful. We believe Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to
investors and others in understanding and evaluating our results of operations, as well as provides a useful measure for
period-to-period comparisons of our business performance. Moreover, we have included Adjusted EBITDA in this Annual Report on Form
10-K because it is a key measurement used by our management internally to make operating decisions, including those related to
analyzing operating expenses, evaluating performance, and performing strategic planning and annual budgeting.
66
These
non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. Our presentation
of these non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed to imply that our future results will be unaffected by items that are excluded
from these metrics. In addition, our definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures may be different from similarly titled non-GAAP
measures used by other companies. These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider
any of these non-GAAP financial measures in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of
these limitations are that our non-GAAP financial measures:
●
do
not reflect our interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debt;
●
exclude
depreciation and amortization expense, and although these are non-cash expenses, the assets being depreciated may have to be replaced
in the future, increasing our cash requirements; and
●
do
not reflect provision for or benefit from income taxes that reduces cash available to us.
Because
of these limitations, we consider, and you should consider, the non-GAAP financial measures alongside other financial performance measures,
including net income (loss) and our other GAAP results. A reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss), and Adjusted
EBITDA Margin to net income (loss) margin, the most directly comparable financial measures stated in accordance with GAAP, is provided
below. Investors are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure
to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
Year
Ended
(in thousands, except percentages)
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Net loss
$ (4,104 )
$ (38,694 )
Depreciation and amortization
12,009
12,640
Income tax expense
7,043
9,209
Interest
expense, net 1
9,800
3,764
EBITDA
24,748
(13,081 )
(Gain) loss on
extinguishment 1
(15,559 )
10,461
Stock-based compensation
19,906
716
Contingent consideration
fair value adjustments
(20,272 )
(2,400 )
Warrant fair value adjustment
(1,843 )
-
Goodwill impairment
-
37,994
IPO contingencies 2
(1,322 )
-
Adjusted EBITDA
$ 5,658
$ 33,690
Net loss margin
(4.5 )%
(44.5 )%
Adjusted EBITDA Margin
6.2 %
38.8 %
1 The Company reclassified $10.5 million
of loss on debt extinguishment previously included in interest expense, net to a separate line item, gain (loss) on extinguishment of
debt, in the consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 to conform to the 2025 presentation. This reclassification
had no impact on net loss for the year ended December 31, 2024, but resulted in a corresponding change to EBITDA for the prior year.
2
IPO contingencies for the year ended December 31, 2025 are $1.0 million related to Kipps, $0.8 million related to the legal settlement,
$0.5 million legal accrual, $0.2 million for NGA, $0.3 million bonus, $0.6 million Aspen contingent debt, $1.2 million charge related
to the Libertas warrants, $0.1 million cash portion of the Aspen carve-out, net of a $5.9 million gain on deferred compensation.
67
Results
of Operations
Years
Ended December 31, 2025 and 2024
The
following table shows our consolidated financial results for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:
Year ended
December 31,
Period over period change
(in thousands, except percentages)
2025
2024
$
%
Revenue
$ 90,907
$ 86,935
$ 3,972
4.6 %
Cost of revenue
36,492
28,618
7,874
27.5 %
Gross profit
54,415
58,317
(3,902 )
(6.7 )%
Operating expenses:
Research and development
17,918
13,133
4,785
36.4 %
Sales and marketing
6,618
6,422
196
3.1 %
General and administrative
58,644
18,201
40,443
222.2 %
Goodwill impairment
-
37,994
(37,994 )
(100.0 )%
Total operating expenses
83,180
75,750
7,430
9.8 %
Loss from operations
(28,765 )
(17,433 )
(11,332 )
(65.0 )%
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net
(9,800 )
(3,764 )
(6,036 )
(160.4 )%
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt
15,559
(10,461 )
26,020
248.7 %
Other income, net
25,945
2,173
23,772
N.m.
Total other income (expense)
31,704
(12,052 )
43,756
363.1 %
Income (loss) before income tax expense
2,939
(29,485 )
32,424
110.0 %
Income tax expense
(7,043 )
(9,209 )
2,166
23.5 %
Net loss
$ (4,104 )
$ (38,694 )
$ 34,590
89.4 %
N.m. - Not meaningful
Revenue
For the year ended December 31, 2025
compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, the $4.0 million increase in revenue was due to a $4.4 million increase in the Drones
segment and a $1.3 million increase in the Training segment partially offset by a $1.7 million decrease in the Avionics segment. The
increase in revenue in the Drones segment was due to the continued success of market entry strategies that target NATO member
countries that have resulted in increased shipments. Training revenue continues to reflect deferred aircraft acquisitions; the
segment benefited from a biennial government contract with higher margins associated with ground target vehicle programs. Avionics
revenue reflects deliberate sequencing of R&D and commercialization activities during the period to prioritize drone production
in the Drones segment. Following the Company’s completed equity offerings, we have begun reinitiating targeted investments in Training and
Avionics.
Cost
of Revenue
For the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December
31, 2024, cost of revenue increased by $7.9 million primarily due to a $8.2 million and a $0.9 million increase in cost of revenue within
the Drones and Training segments, respectively, offset by a decrease of $1.3 million within the Avionics segment. Gross margin decreased
from 67.1% to 59.9% during the year ended December 31, 2025, with a 9.0% decrease in the Drones segment margin
partially offset by increases in margins within the Training and Avionics segments. The decrease in margin within the Drones segment
was primarily due to product discounting and the mix of products sold during the period. The Training segment margin increased 3.8% due
to the higher profitability of the ground target vehicles contract and the Avionics segment had a 2.1% increase in margin due to favorable
operating variances.
Operating
Expenses
Research
and Development
For the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December
31, 2024, R&D expense increased $4.8 million primarily due to a $3.8 million increase and a $0.8 million increase within the Drones
segment and Avionics segment, respectively. Increases within the Drones segment were primarily due to increased personnel and other costs
while the increases in Avionics represents targeted investments within the Avionics platform.
Sales
and Marketing
For the year ended December 31, 2025
compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, sales and marketing expense increased $0.2 million primarily due to a $0.3 million
increase within the Drones segment offset by immaterial decreases in other segments. Increases within the Drones segment were primarily due to increased personnel costs.
68
General
and Administrative
For the year ended December 31, 2025
compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, general and administrative expense increased $40.4 million primarily due to a $25.3
million increase in corporate costs which included $7.7 million of equity compensation, $0.5 million of bonus compensation, $1.0
million of advisory services, and $1.3 million of legal settlement accruals, all of which were previously contingent upon the IPO.
The remaining increase was driven by a $6.5 million increase in incentive and consulting fees related to the expansion of the Drones
segment, $1.7 million of higher bonus compensation, and $6.6 million of other corporate costs, mainly due to increased
personnel-related expenses. There was also a $3.2 million increase within the Drones segment, an $11.1 million increase within the
Training segment, and a $1.7 million increase within the Avionics segment partially offset by a $0.9 million decrease within the
Electric Air Mobility segment. Increases within the Drones segment were primarily due to increases in personnel and other costs.
Increases within the Avionics segment and Training segment were primarily attributable to equity compensation. The $0.9 million
decrease within the Electric Air Mobility segment was due to cost reduction initiatives in the business.
Goodwill
Impairment
For
the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded $38.0 million of goodwill impairment. Primary factors leading to the impairment were the
continuation of funding delays which resulted in the change of projected cash flows within the Training and Electric Air Mobility segments.
There was no goodwill impairment for the year ended December 31, 2025. See “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates—Goodwill”
for additional information.
Interest
Expense, Net
For the year ended December 31, 2025
and 2024, we had interest expense, net, of $9.8 million and $3.8 million, respectively. The interest for year ended December 31,
2025 was primarily attributable to the interest paid in shares on the investor notes which totaled $6.7 million and additional
interest paid on borrowings with WebBank and Libertas. The interest for year ended December 31, 2024 primarily related to a contingent payment arrangement and accrued interest
associated with a promissory note and earnout obligations.
Gain
(loss) on extinguishment of debt, net
For
the year ended December 31, 2025, we had a gain on debt extinguishment, net of $15.6 million which was the result of the partial
settlement in equity of the Aspen bridge notes which resulted in a $13.1 million gain and a $5.7 million gain on settlement of
certain investor notes at fair value, partially offset by losses on debt extinguishment of a combined $3.2 million for WebBank and
Libertas. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recognized a $10.5 million loss on debt extinguishment resulting
from amendments to certain Investor Notes.
Other
Income (Expense), Net
For the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December
31, 2024, we had $25.9 million of other income, primarily due to $20.3 million of income from fair value adjustments on contingent consideration,
$1.8 million of income from a fair value adjustment on the Libertas warrants and $4.5 million of income from the settlement of deferred
compensation offset by a $1.2 million charge related to Libertas warrants and a $0.6 million contingency recorded related to the Aspen
contingent debt as compared to $2.2 million of other income during the year ended December 31, 2024, which was primarily due to the decrease
in the fair value of the Jaunt Contingent Arrangement.
Income
Tax Expense
For
the year ended December 31, 2025, our income tax expense was $7.0 million and our effective tax rate was 239.6%. Income tax expense for the
year ended December 31, 2025 was primarily attributable to Sky-Watch generating positive pre-tax income and its inability to claim high-tax exception for the 2025 tax year. For the year ended
December 31, 2024, our income tax expense was $9.2 million and our effective tax rate was 31.2%. The $9.2 million tax expense for
the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily attributable to Sky-Watch generating positive pre-tax income. The primary drivers of
our effective tax rate consisted of the full valuation allowance positions taken by our U.S. and Canadian entities and the profit
generated by our entities in other jurisdictions, mainly Denmark. On a worldwide basis, while our profit before tax was minimal, it
represented significant losses in the United States and significant profits in Denmark, resulting in a high effective tax
rate.
69
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2025, we had cash
and restricted cash of $74.6 million, of which $0.2 million was either restricted or was designated exclusively for Sky-Watch
operations, and working capital of $75.6 million.
Based
on its current operating plan and available liquidity, management believes that the Company has sufficient cash and resources to meet
its obligations and continue its operations for at least the next 12 months from the date of issuance of the financial statements.
The
Company is evaluating opportunistic debt financing to support growth initiatives; any proceeds, if obtained, would be used to expand
our market position, pursue strategic opportunities, and support revenue growth and long-term profitability.
Investor
Notes
As
of December 31, 2025, the Investor Notes described within Note 2 and Note 18 to our consolidated financial statements were fully settled,
and we had no remaining Investor Note obligations.
Dangroup
Incentive Agreement
In June 2024, we entered the Dangroup Incentive Agreement with Dangroup,
whereby we agreed to pay Dangroup 20% of Sky-Watch’s EBITDA as an incentive bonus for their continued involvement in Sky-Watch’s
governance, management and/or other operations, commencing on January 1, 2025 for an initial term of five years, which shall renew upon
mutual agreement of the parties. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recorded $5.7 million of expense related to this
agreement which was classified as a related party payable as of December 31, 2025. In December 2024, we amended the Dangroup Incentive
Agreement, whereby we agreed to transfer to Dangroup shares of our common stock immediately prior to the completion of the IPO such that
Dangroup’s ownership would be increased to 5% of our capital stock on a fully diluted basis. During the year ended December 31,
2025, we issued 0.5 million shares to Dangroup in satisfaction of this agreement.
Cash
Flows
The
following summarizes our cash flows for the periods indicated:
Year
Ended
(in thousands)
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Net cash (used in) provided by
operating activities
$ (32,432 )
21,485
Net cash used in investing activities
(3,074 )
(789 )
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
86,413
(10,583 )
Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Operating Activities
Net
cash used in operations for the year ended December 31, 2025 totaled $32.4 million, and was primarily due to $19.2 million in
settled accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other long-term liabilities, $6.9 million decrease in deferred revenue, and other working
capital adjustments. Net cash provided by operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 totaled $21.5 million which was primarily
due to positive non-cash adjustments, including goodwill impairment, depreciation and amortization, non-cash loss on debt
extinguishment, and stock-based compensation, net of a negative non-cash adjustment for change in fair value of contingent
consideration, offset by working capital adjustments, primarily consisting of the changes in accounts receivable, inventory, prepaid
expenses, net of changes in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other long-term liabilities and deferred compensation partially
offset by a net loss of $38.7 million
70
Net
Cash Used in Investing Activities
Cash
of $3.1 million and $0.8 million was used in investing activities during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, to
purchase property and equipment and intangible assets.
Net
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Net
cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2025 was $86.4 million primarily due to $58.3 million of proceeds
from the IPO net of issuance costs, $82.6 million of proceeds from the Follow-on Offering net of issuance costs, $8.5 million of proceeds
from the Libertas warrants and WebBank loans that were partially offset by $19.4 million of stock repurchases, $30.5 million of debt
repayments on borrowings and related borrowings, $8.5 million of contingent consideration payments, and $3.2 million in payments due
to seller. Net cash used in financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2024 was $10.6 million, primarily due to payments
made to the sellers of Sky-Watch that were partially offset primarily by the proceeds from borrowings (including related party borrowings),
net of repayments.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our
consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.
The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported
amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs and expenses, and related disclosures. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates
and assumptions. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We believe that of our
significant accounting policies, which are described in Note 1. The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to
our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the following accounting policies
and specific estimates involve a greater degree of judgment and complexity. Accordingly, these are the policies and estimates we believe
are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our consolidated financial condition and results of operations:
●
the
standalone selling price (“SSP”) of performance obligations for revenue contracts with multiple performance obligations;
●
goodwill
impairment;
●
impairment
of indefinite lived and long-lived assets;
●
valuation
of debt;
●
stock-based
compensation;
●
inventory
valuation; and
●
the
recognition, measurement and valuation of current and deferred income taxes and uncertain tax positions.
As
described more fully below, these estimates bear the risk of change due to the inherent uncertainty of the estimate. We base our estimates
and judgments on historical experience, industry benchmarking information, and on various other factors that we believe to be reasonable
under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities
that are not readily apparent from other sources.
71
These
estimates may change, as new events occur and additional information is obtained, and such changes will be recognized in the
consolidated financial statements as soon as they become known. Actual results could differ from these estimates and any such differences
may be material to our consolidated financial statements.
Revenue
Recognition
We
recognize revenue when, or as, we satisfy performance obligations by transferring promised products or services to our customers in an
amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive. We apply the following five steps: (i) identify the contract with a customer,
(ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price
to the performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognize revenue when a performance obligation is satisfied. We account for
a contract with a customer when there is a legally enforceable contract, the rights of the parties are identified, the contract has commercial
terms, and collectability of the contract consideration is probable.
For
certain sales, we have contracts with customers that include multiple performance obligations. For these contracts, we account for individual
performance obligations separately, by allocating the contract’s total transaction price to each performance obligation in an amount
based on the relative SSP of each distinct good or service in the contract. We determine the SSP based on our overall pricing objectives,
taking into consideration market conditions. Determining whether products or services are considered distinct performance obligations
that should be accounted for separately versus together may require significant judgment. A contract’s transaction price is allocated
to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. Revenue is recognized
when control of the promised services is transferred to the customer in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled
to receive in exchange for those services. Our contracts do not include highly variable components. The timing of revenue recognition,
billings, and cash collections can result in billed accounts receivable, unbilled receivables (contract assets), and deferred revenue
(contract liabilities). The costs to obtain contracts, primarily commission expenses, are expensed when incurred.
Amounts
that are invoiced are recorded in accounts receivable and revenue or deferred revenue, depending on whether the revenue recognition criteria
have been met. A large portion of our sales result in partial prepayments prior to shipment from customers. Otherwise, customer invoices
generally have payment terms of net 30 days and do not have a significant financing component.
Our
revenue is derived from various sources: (i) avionics products consisting primarily of hardware with embedded firmware sold to an authorized
dealer network and avionics and GNSS products sold to OEMs, (ii) R&D projects, (iii) sales-based royalties related to GNSS technology
licensed to OEMs, (iv) consultation and training services related to aerial integration and close air support providing the latest tactics,
technique, and procedures to incorporate contract close air support/intelligence surveillance reconnaissance with video downlink systems
into tactical operations, (v) technology and equipment sales (vi) mUAS, commonly referred to as “commercial drones,” sales,
including hardware, software, training, support and product service, and (vii) drone services, including surveys, imaging, security,
and other drone applications.
72
Goodwill
Goodwill
represents the excess of the aggregate purchase price over the fair value of net identifiable assets acquired in a business combination.
We manage our business primarily based upon four operating segments: (i) Drones, (ii) Avionics, (iii) Training and (iv) Electric Air
Mobility, each of which represents a reportable segment. We have determined that each reportable segment represents a reporting unit
and, in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”), each reporting unit requires an allocation
of goodwill. We will continue to reevaluate reportable and operating segments.
Goodwill
is not amortized and is tested at the reporting unit level for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances
indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. We have selected October 1 st as the date to perform our annual impairment
test. In the valuation of goodwill, management must make assumptions regarding estimated future cash flows to be derived from our business.
If these estimates or their related assumptions change in the future, we may be required to record an impairment for these assets. Management
may first evaluate qualitative factors to assess if it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its
carrying amount and to determine if an impairment test is necessary. Management may choose to proceed directly to the evaluation, bypassing
the initial qualitative assessment. The impairment test involves comparing the fair value of the reporting unit to which goodwill is
allocated to its net book value, including goodwill. A goodwill impairment loss would be the amount by which a reporting unit’s
carrying value exceeds its fair value, however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that
reporting unit. No goodwill impairment charges were recorded for the year ended December 31, 2025. We recorded goodwill
impairment charges of $38.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2024.
2025
Goodwill Impairment Test
On
October 1, 2025, our annual goodwill impairment testing date, the Company determined it appropriate to test the fair value of each reporting
unit for goodwill impairment for all of its reporting units except Avionics as no goodwill had been allocated to this reporting unit.
Management determined that the fair value of the reporting units exceeded their respective carrying value as detailed below.
Drones
Electric Air
Mobility
Training
Goodwill carrying value as of October 1, 2025
$ 121.7 million
$ 434.3 million
$ 15.5 million
Fair value of reporting unit as of October 1, 2025
$ 190.0 million
$ 529.6 million
$ 21.2 million
Carrying value of reporting unit as of October 1, 2025
$ 144.3 million
$ 499.1 million
$ 20.4 million
Impairment as of October 1, 2025
$ -
$ -
$ -
Estimates and assumptions varied between each reporting unit depending
on the facts and circumstances specific to that reporting unit. The discount rate for each reporting unit is influenced by general market
conditions as well as factors specific to the reporting unit. The fair value of the reporting units for which we performed quantitative
impairment tests was estimated using an income approach, which incorporates the use of the discounted cash flow method. The projections
used required the use of significant estimates and assumptions specific to the reporting unit as well as those based on general economic
conditions. Factors specific to each reporting unit include revenue growth, profit margins, terminal value growth rates, capital expenditure
projections, assumed tax rates, discount rates, and other assumptions deemed reasonable by management. For the 2025 impairment test, the
weighted average cost of capital (“WACC”) discount rates we used for its reporting units was 31%-40% and the terminal value
growth rate was 4%. The terminal value growth rate represents the expected long-term growth rate for the Company’s industry, which
incorporates the type of services each reporting unit provides as well as the global economy. Other factors influencing the revenue growth
rates include the nature of the services the reporting unit provides to its clients, the geographic locations in which the reporting unit
conducts business and the maturity of the reporting unit.
Specific to the Electric Air Mobility segment’s projections as of
October 1, 2025, projected revenue reflects management’s continued prioritization of its cargo unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”)
program due to improved market visibility and lower regulatory complexity relative to passenger aircraft. Management continues to expect
commercialization of the cargo UAV to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027, followed by the Jaunt Journey passenger aircraft in late 2031.
Revenue projections assume increasing production volumes over time, reaching long-term capacity of approximately 400 units per year for
the cargo UAV and 3,000 units per year for the Jaunt Journey at a single production facility. Projected selling prices include a 1.5%
annual escalation rate and remain generally consistent with prior year assumptions.
Earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) projections as of October 1, 2025 were developed using estimates of
manufacturing costs, production hours per unit, learning curves and subsequent efficiencies with operating losses expected to
continue through the end of fiscal year 2031. The forecast assumes cost of revenue improves as volumes scale, stabilizing at
approximately 74% of revenues over the longer term, and operating expenses as a percentage of revenue peak in 2027 at approximately
62% before trending down and stabilizing near 3% of revenue after 2033. Long-term EBITDA margins are estimated at approximately 22%.
Projected EBITDA as of October 1, 2025 gave effect to net research and development costs expected to be incurred (i) between 2026
and 2028 leading up to the commercialization of the cargo UAV and (ii) between 2029 and 2031 leading up to the commercialization of
the Jaunt Journey and assumed positive EBITDA during the two years following commercialization. Manufacturing cost estimates and
estimated efficiencies as well as mid-term and long-term EBITDA projections at maximum capacity have not significantly changed
compared to the Company’s prior year testing. We continue to anticipate profitability in the Electric Air Mobility segment
commencing in year two following commercialization of the cargo UAV. As to the degree of uncertainty associated with our
assumptions, we believe our long-term projected revenue is reasonable given a sales price supported by non-binding letters
of intent and a relatively small number of units. There is a higher degree of uncertainty in projected EBITDA as compared to
projected revenue as projected EBITDA includes estimates as to future labor and material costs, efficiency rates as to the number of
production hours required over time, and synergies.
The
discounted cash flow analysis as of October 1, 2025 indicated no impairment of the Electric Air Mobility reporting unit’s
goodwill. The most sensitive factor in our analysis was the discount rate. As of October 1, 2025, a 34.0% WACC rate
was applied. This represents a 100-basis points increase compared to the prior valuation, which was considered appropriate in light
of our IPO-related developments and management’s outlook as well as the current stage of the development
process. As to the sensitivity of the WACC rate, another hypothetical 100-basis-point increase in the WACC discount rate would have
yielded $13.0 million in goodwill impairment. We believe the factors considered in the impairment analysis are reasonable;
however, significant changes in any one of our assumptions could produce a different result and result in future impairment charges
that could be material to our consolidated financial statements.
73
Specific to the Training segment’s projections as of October 1, 2025,
projected revenue, margins and EBITDA have not significantly changed compared to prior year testing. As to the degree of uncertainty associated
with our assumptions, we believe our short-term projected revenue is reasonable given our history with military
contract practices and the historical results of flight schools, while long-term projected revenue is subject to a higher degree of uncertainty.
To mitigate this risk, a 31% WACC discount rate was applied to these projections which reflected a 100-basis points increase compared
with the prior year testing date of October 1, 2024. As to the sensitivity of the WACC rate, another hypothetical 100-basis-point increase
in the WACC discount rate would have yielded $2.4 million in goodwill impairment.
In addition to the income approach
described above, we considered our observable market capitalization when assessing the reasonableness of the estimated fair values
of our reporting units as of the valuation date. We reconciled the aggregate estimated fair value of our reporting units,
inclusive of corporate assets and liabilities and after consideration of outstanding debt, to our market
capitalization as of the testing date. The aggregate estimated fair value exceeded our observable market
capitalization. This difference reflects that the estimated fair values of the reporting units represent values on a controlling
interest basis, whereas our market capitalization reflects the trading value of minority shares. Accordingly, the
difference represents an implied control premium. The reasonableness of the implied control premium was evaluated with reference to
observable market data, including published control premium studies and other evidence of premiums paid in transactions in relevant
sectors, and was determined to be consistent with assumptions that market participants would use in estimating fair value.
We believe the factors considered in
the impairment analysis are reasonable; however, significant changes in any one of the assumptions discussed above could produce a
different result and result in additional impairment charges that could be material to the consolidated financial statements. For
example, the fair value of the Training segment could be adversely affected and may result in an additional impairment of goodwill
if this reporting unit is not able to purchase the needed aircraft, if the estimated costs for managing the flight schools are
significantly higher than estimated or if the WACC discount rate is increased.
2024
Goodwill Impairment Test
As
a result of the termination of our Business Combination Agreement and related transactions (the “BCA Transactions”) in August
2024 and the continued delays in securing financing, we determined it appropriate to test the fair value of each reporting unit for goodwill
impairment as of September 30, 2024 for all of our reporting units except Avionics as no goodwill had been allocated to this reporting
unit. We determined that the fair value of the Drones reporting unit substantially exceeded its respective carrying value. The Electric
Air Mobility and Training reporting unit fair values indicated goodwill impairment as detailed below.
Drones
Electric
Air Mobility
Training
Goodwill carrying value as of September 30, 2024
$ 115.8
million
$ 451.4
million
$ 36.5
million
Fair value of reporting unit as of September 30, 2024
$ 185.1
million
$ 510.2
million
$ 25.1
million
Carrying value of reporting unit as of September 30, 2024
$ 133.5
million
$ 527.2
million
$ 46.1
million
Impairment as of September 30, 2024
$ —
$ 17.0
million
$ 21.0
million
Estimates
and assumptions varied between each reporting unit depending on the facts and circumstances specific to that reporting unit. The discount
rate for each reporting unit is influenced by general market conditions as well as factors specific to the reporting unit. The fair value
of the reporting units for which we performed quantitative impairment tests was estimated using an income approach, which incorporates
the use of the discounted cash flow method. Projections used require the use of significant estimates and assumptions specific to the
reporting unit as well as those based on general economic conditions. Factors specific to each reporting unit include revenue growth,
profit margins, terminal value growth rates, capital expenditures projections, assumed tax rates, discount rates and other assumptions
deemed reasonable by management. For the 2024 impairment test, the WACC discount rates we used for our reporting units was 30%-35% and
the terminal value growth rate was 4%. The terminal value growth rate represents the expected long-term growth rate for our industry,
which incorporates the type of services each reporting unit provides as well as the global economy. Other factors influencing the revenue
growth rates include the nature of the services the reporting unit provides for its clients, the geographic locations in which the reporting
unit conducts business and the maturity of the reporting unit.
74
Specific
to the Electric Air Mobility segment’s projections as of September 30, 2024, projected revenue was revised to include projected
aircraft production timing for the Jaunt Journey in 2031 as compared to a previous estimate of 2028 and further incorporated production
of a cargo UAV in 2027. Projected revenue in years 1 and 2 of commercialization of
the cargo UAV as of September 30, 2024 were added to our September 30, 2024 projections based on an estimated assumed selling price and
expected production levels of approximately 240 units over the two-year period. Projected revenue in years 1 and 2 of commercialization
( i.e., 2028 and 2029 ) of the Jaunt Journey as of October 1, 2023 was based on a sales price that was in line with the negotiated
pricing contained in our non-binding letters of intent and projected volume of 630 units over the same two-year period. Following the
revision of the estimated commercialization date to 2031, the escalation rate utilized in our original projections continued to be consistently
applied. Accordingly, such escalation rate was applied to the original estimated selling price in 2028 for a period of three additional
years (i.e., 2028 to 2031). As a result, the sales price in the revised estimated first year of commercialization (2031) increased compared
to prior projections. Revenue projections for both programs were based on increasing production quantities year-over-year that max out
at approximately 400 units per year for the cargo UAV and 3,000 units per year for the Jaunt Journey at a single production facility,
and a per-unit sales price that increases over time assuming a 1.5% escalation rate. The foregoing escalation rate and production volume
of the Jaunt Journey remained consistent with prior year projections.
EBITDA
projections as of September 30, 2024 were developed using estimates of manufacturing costs, production hours per unit, learning curves
and subsequent efficiencies, and operating costs. While mid-term and long-term EBITDA projections at maximum capacity have not significantly
changed compared to our prior year testing date of October 1, 2023, the impact of delaying the projected cash flows from the Jaunt Journey
as a result of a later expected commercialization date resulted in a decrease in the fair value of the Electric Air Mobility segment,
which indicated impairment. Projected EBITDA as of October 1, 2023 gave effect to net research and development costs expected to be incurred
between 2024 and 2027 leading up to the commercialization of the Jaunt Journey aircraft and assumed positive EBITDA during the two years
following commercialization. Projected EBITDA as of September 30, 2024 gave effect to net research and development costs expected to
be incurred (i) between 2025 and 2028 leading up to the commercialization of the cargo UAV and (ii) between 2029 and 2031 leading up
to the commercialization of the Jaunt Journey and assumed positive EBITDA during the two years following commercialization. Mid-term
and long-term EBITDA margin projections at full rate production were reduced slightly (1-2%) compared to our prior year testing date
of October 1, 2023.
EBITDA
projections as of September 30, 2024 were also revised to incorporate estimates of manufacturing costs of the cargo UAV, which reduced
mid-term and long-term gross margins by approximately 2% at full rate production, as well as estimated efficiencies, which resulted in
reduced operating expenses slightly (0.5%-1%) as a percentage of revenue as compared to the October 1, 2023 projections.
While
the timing of projected cash flows from the Jaunt Journey has been delayed and as operations now include a plan to produce a cargo UAV,
profitability of the Electric Air Mobility segment post-commercialization of the Jaunt Journey has always been part of our projections.
We anticipate profitability in the Electric Air Mobility segment commencing in year two following commercialization of the cargo UAV.
As to the degree of uncertainty associated with our assumptions, we believe our long-term projected revenue is reasonable given a sales
price supported by non-binding letters of intent and a relatively small number of units in comparison to an anticipated global market ranging between an expected $1 trillion and with an upside $4.4 trillion by 2040. There is a higher
degree of uncertainty in projected EBITDA, as compared to projected revenue as projected EBITDA includes estimates as to future labor
and material costs, efficiency rates as to the number of production hours required over time, and synergies.
75
The
most sensitive factor in our analysis was the WACC discount rate. As of September 30, 2024, a 33% WACC discount rate was applied to the
Electric Air Mobility segment, which is fairly consistent with the 35% WACC discount rate used as of our prior year testing date of October
1, 2023. The 200 basis-point decrease from prior year was deemed appropriate due to more conservative projected long term EBITDA margins
as compared to sales in the prior year, regulatory harmonization that has occurred for the industry between the FAA, TCCA, and EASA,
advances in electric propulsion, battery density, and autonomous systems which lower remaining technical development risk. While these
factors reduce risk to the Electric Air Mobility segment, a larger decrease in the WACC was not deemed appropriate due to delays in funding
for development efforts and overall implementation risk that remains similar to October 1, 2023. As to the sensitivity of the WACC rate,
another hypothetical 100 basis-point increase in the WACC discount rate would have yielded an additional $46.0 million in goodwill impairment.
We
believe the factors considered in the impairment analysis are reasonable; however, significant changes in any one of our assumptions
could produce a different result and result in additional impairment charges that could be material to our consolidated financial
statements. For example, the fair value of the Electric Air Mobility segment could be adversely affected and may result in an additional
impairment of goodwill if this reporting unit is not able to advance the development of our aircraft and other products, obtain regulatory
approvals, and launch and commercialize our products at scale, if the estimated production costs are significantly higher than estimated
or if the WACC discount rate is increased.
Specific
to the Training segment’s projections as of September 30, 2024, we noted a significant decrease in sales and gross margins as a
result of not being able to meet contractual demands due to delays in the funding of aircraft. In prior years, government ISR aircraft
contracts did not require that the aircraft be able to employ weapons. As those contracts have aged-out, the new requirements for the
re-competitions require assets that have the ability to employ training munitions and have been approved by the government to do so.
CDI does not possess aircraft that can achieve this requirement; thus, we have either not been awarded or chose not to bid on certain
contracts. The projected revenue and margins were revised to include the timing of projected aircraft and investments to be made in flight
schools in the short-term (between 2025 and 2028) and then the acquisition of additional aircraft beginning in years after 2029.
EBITDA
projections as of September 30, 2024 have not significantly changed compared to our prior year testing date of October 1, 2023, and we
do not anticipate any changes until we are able to make more significant investments in aircraft, and at which time we can better leverage
our operating expenses. At that point, we anticipate that mid-term and long-term EBITDA margins would increase. The shifting and corresponding
discounting of these projections resulted in a significant decrease in the fair value of the Training segment, which indicated impairment.
As
to the degree of uncertainty associated with our assumptions, we believe our short-term projected revenue is reasonable given our history
with military contract practices and the historical results of flight schools, while our long-term projected revenue is subject to a
higher degree of uncertainty. To mitigate this risk, a 30% WACC discount rate was applied to these projections which was consistent with
our prior year testing date of October 1, 2023. As to the sensitivity of the WACC rate, another hypothetical 100-basis-point increase
in the WACC discount rate would have yielded an additional $3.4 million in goodwill impairment.
We
believe the factors considered in the impairment analysis are reasonable; however, significant changes in any one of our assumptions
could produce a different result and result in additional impairment charges that could be material to our consolidated financial
statements. For example, the fair value of the Training segment could be adversely affected and may result in an additional impairment
of goodwill if this reporting unit is not able to purchase the needed aircraft, if the estimated costs for managing the flight schools
are significantly higher than estimated or if the WACC discount rate is increased.
Intangible
Assets
We
perform valuations of assets acquired and liabilities assumed on each acquisition accounted for as a business combination and allocates
the purchase price of the acquired business to the respective net tangible and intangible assets. We determine the appropriate useful
life by performing an analysis of expected cash flows based on historical experience of the acquired businesses. Intangible assets are
amortized over their estimated useful lives using the straight-line method which approximates the pattern in which the economic benefits
are consumed. We capitalize third-party legal costs and filing fees, if any, associated with obtaining patents. Once the patent asset
has been placed in service, we amortize these costs over the shorter of the asset’s legal life, generally 20 years from the initial
filing date, or its estimated economic life using the straight-line method.
76
The
estimated useful lives for our intangible assets are as follows:
Estimated
useful
life
Developed technology
8
to 13 years
Tradenames – definite-lived
4
to 8 years
Customer relationships
3
to 7 years
Patents
up
to 20 years
In
addition to the long-lived intangible assets, we also had $8.8 million of indefinite lived intangible assets which is primarily the $8.7
million tradename obtained in conjunction with the Jaunt acquisition.
Impairment
of Indefinite Lived Assets
Under
ASC 350-30-35-18, an intangible asset that is not subject to amortization shall be tested for impairment annually and more frequently
if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired. In testing for impairment,
we define our Asset Groups at the reporting unit level. Under ASC 360-10-35-26 when an asset group is a reporting unit, the asset group
includes goodwill. When goodwill and indefinite lived intangibles are included in the long-lived asset group being tested for impairment,
the indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment in accordance with ASC 350-30 first, then the long-lived assets (groups)
are tested for impairment in accordance with ASC 360-10, and goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level in accordance
with ASC 350-20 last.
ASC
350-30-35-18A specifies that an entity may first perform a qualitative assessment, as described in this paragraph and paragraphs 350-30-35-18B
through 35-18F, to determine whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative impairment test.
As
a result of the termination of our Business Combination Agreement in August 2024 and the continued delays in financing, we determined
it appropriate to perform a qualitative assessment considering factors listed in ASC 350, which includes cost factors, financial performance,
legal, regulatory, contractual, political, business, or other factors. Based on our review of these factors, there was no indication
of impairment for the Avionics or Drones segments. However, we determined it appropriate to perform a quantitative analysis on intangible
and long-lived assets within the Electric Air Mobility and Training segments. The fair value of the undiscounted cashflows of both the
Electric Air Mobility and Training segments was significantly higher than the respective asset group’s carrying value and therefore
no impairment charges were required to be recorded for the year ended December 31, 2024.
No
impairment charges were recorded during the year ended December 31, 2025.
Impairment
of Long-Lived Assets
We
evaluate long-lived assets, including property and equipment and intangible assets, for impairment in accordance with ASC 360 whenever
events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets held
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