35. Aeryon Labs – Canada
Aeryon Labs, a Canadian company founded in 2007 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, was a pioneering developer and manufacturer of high-performance small unmanned aerial systems.
The company gained significant recognition for its robust, reliable, and easy-to-use vertical take-off and landing quadcopters, which were designed for mission-critical applications across military, public safety, and commercial sectors.
In 2019, Aeryon Labs was acquired by FLIR Systems, and its products and expertise have since been integrated into FLIR’s Government and Defense Business Unit.
For defense applications, Aeryon Labs’ flagship products, particularly the SkyRanger series (including the SkyRanger R60, R70, and R80/R80D SkyRaider), were widely adopted. These man-portable sUAS are renowned for their ability to operate in demanding environments and harsh weather conditions, including high winds and extreme temperatures.
They are equipped with advanced electro-optical/infrared gimbals for real-time, secure intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and can carry various custom payloads for specialized missions such as chemical/radiological detection, communications relay, and even precision delivery.
Aeryon drones have been deployed with over 20 militaries and in use with customers in over 30 countries globally, with the Canadian government recently donating SkyRanger R70s to Ukraine, highlighting their battle-proven effectiveness.
