Neros: low-cost FPV drones, built at volume
COMPANY
Neros Technologies (U.S. first-person-view drone maker, founded 2023 per the company)
LANES
Blue List (ch 01), allies, Drone Dominance (ch 03)
BIGGEST MOVE
Drone Dominance Gauntlet 2 close-quarters #1
BUYER
Coalition buyers for Ukraine; Marine Corps; DIU program
Starting point
A young company building cheap first-person-view (FPV) attack drones, built without Chinese components and fielded early in Ukraine (per the company).
Path through the lanes
FEB 2025 Wins a contract to send 6,000 drones to Ukraine through a coalition buy (press reports).
NOV 3, 2025 Marine Corps delivery order for Archer FPV drones plus operator training; the company says the drones are Blue UAS certified (per the company).
SEP 2026 Ranks first in close-quarters battle and third in deep strike at Drone Dominance Gauntlet 2 (press reports, citing the program website).
What a founder can copy
Build for volume and price from day one, prove it in real use, and bundle training with the drones. Fixed-price, test-then-buy programs reward exactly that.
What this means for you
Production rate and price won the tests, not a feature list.
Next step: Fill in Template H (delivery evidence pack) with real monthly output before you enter a Gauntlet.
Sources: Forbes, Feb 21, 2025 (press reports) · Neros, Nov 3, 2025 (per the company) · DefenseScoop, Sep 18, 2026 (press reports)