Chicago – May 28, 2026
The Trump administration is in talks to provide funding to some drone companies, including Unusual Machines and Sequoia Capital-backed Neros, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Drone dominance was described as a “presidential priority” in President Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense budget request for fiscal year 2027.
Months-long discussions between private sector firms and the Pentagon have included the Office of Strategic Capital, a Biden-era lending unit focused on companies critical to national security supply chains, the Journal reported.
Unusual Machines is a drone components maker that counts Donald Trump Jr. as an adviser, while Neros is a startup specializing in autonomous drones.
Performance Drone Works, which won a contract to supply the U.S. Army with reconnaissance drones, is also under consideration for possible funding, the report added.
