DroneShield opens new global HQ in Sydney

AI-based counter-drone technology provider DroneShield has this week opened its new global headquarters in Sydney, tripling its R&D and manufacturing capacity to more than $400 million in hardware and software sales annually. The new site in Pyrmont will be home to the company’s 120 Australian employees.

The 2000 m² facility includes a dedicated floor for R&D, engineering and manufacturing to fulfil orders from government, defence and commercial customers in 70 countries. It will also allow DroneShield to add 40 employees to its high-tech engineering and operations teams as the company accelerates development of fully sovereign, in-house artificial intelligence and machine learning engines for enhanced detection and response to drone threats.

DroneShield recently completed a $115 million capital raising, giving the company a market capitalisation of around $700 million, which makes it the second-largest publicly listed defence company in Australia after Austal. The company has a potential sales pipeline of over $500 million with more than 90 qualified projects at different stages and $27 million in orders currently being fulfilled.

DroneShield CEO Oleg Vornik said the interest in the company demonstrates that the threats that drones can pose are finally being taken seriously.

“Whether it’s due to the turmoil they can cause on the battlefield or the countless ways they can disrupt everyday life — at airports, prisons and public events, for example — drone deterrence is now a priority for government agencies and authorities, in Australia and abroad,” he said. “We are seeing a major push for comprehensive counter-drone and counter-UAS capabilities — predominately from the US, but broadly across Five Eyes and allies, and slowly but surely in Australia. However, our equipment is sophisticated, AI-based technology that can take up to four months to build, containing up to 200 components that must be manufactured, assembled and quality controlled.”

Vornik said the new facility will help the company meet demands from global customers that expect high-performance equipment to be available right away.

In March, DroneShield was awarded a repeat order of $4.3 million from the US government for its handheld counter unmanned aerial systems units. In April, the company revealed it had increased its revenue for the March quarter by tenfold compared to the same quarter in 2023, achieving total revenue for the quarter of $16.5 million.