SAN FRANCISCO & COLUMBUS, Ohio – Dedrone, the market leader in counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) technology, today announced the purchase of DroneDefender from Battelle. This purchase includes all assets and intellectual property associated with DroneDefender. With this acquisition, Dedrone has launched a new consultancy, Dedrone Defense, specializing in services and solutions for U.S. federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, and providing a proven, end-to-end solution that detects and classifies airspace activity, protects assets from drone threats, and defeats adversary drones.
Dedrone’s counter-sUAS platform is a complete technology solution which collects and aggregates drone activity data through sensors, and that data is then automatically analyzed by DroneTracker software. DroneTracker recognizes and classifies radio frequency (RF), WiFi, and non-WiFi sUAS, transmits data to command and control centers, and can be programmed to automatically trigger alerts and countermeasures when a sUAS threat is confirmed. DroneDefender uses radio control frequency disruption and is a lightweight, point-and-shoot system with a demonstrated range of 400 meters.
“When it comes to creating an airspace security program, detection and defeat go hand-in-hand,” said Joerg Lamprecht, CEO and co-founder of Dedrone. “DroneDefender is an exceptional technology which Dedrone is proud to incorporate into our counter-sUAS ecosystem. In order to best serve our customers in the Department of Defense and in the U.S. federal space, Dedrone Defense is available to provide the essential tools to assess airspace activity, protect civilians and critical assets, and eliminate unauthorized sUAS-based threats.”
DroneDefender and all operations associated with the technology will be led from the company’s Washington, D.C.-area office, under the new entity, Dedrone Defense. Dedrone Defense provides federal departments and agencies with the tools and solutions needed to protect against all sUAS threats. All current customers of DroneDefender will have access to acquire Dedrone’s drone detection software and hardware solution to complete their counter-sUAS programs.
“Today’s announcement of this sale is a success story for both Battelle and Dedrone,” said Battelle President and CEO Lou Von Thaer. “The DroneDefender was an innovation developed by our researchers to meet an urgent need. We developed it and delivered it to our customers rapidly, where it was deployed in the field proving very effective in countering nefarious drone activity. We are proud to see it being integrated into Dedrone’s systems.”
Part of Battelle’s mission is to develop technology and to ensure that it is commercialized and deployed as quickly as possible to help society.
Battelle and Dedrone began working together in August 2017 to develop a collaborative solution to provide airspace security for militaries and critical infrastructure. In June 2018, Dedrone successfully demonstrated the capabilities of DroneTracker and DroneDefender at ThunderDrone, a U.S. Special Operations Command and SOFWERX rapid prototyping event, ranking first place out of 45 other counter-sUAS companies. DroneDefender units are currently in use by the U.S. Departments of Defense and Department of Homeland Security and other federal entities and will continue to be manufactured in the United States by Dedrone.
About Dedrone
Dedrone is the market and technology leader in airspace security. The Dedrone counter-sUAS platform combines hardware sensors and machine-learning software, providing early warning, classification of, and mitigation against all drone threats. Based in San Francisco, Dedrone was founded in 2014 and is backed by investors including Felicis Ventures, Menlo Ventures, and John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus of Cisco Systems and founder of JC2 Ventures.
About Dedrone Defense
Dedrone Defense is a complete counter-sUAS technology consultancy, providing customized, end-to-end sUAS threat detection and mitigation solutions for U.S. federal departments and agencies as well as U.S. government integrators and contractors. Dedrone Defense was established in 2019 and is a subsidiary of Dedrone Holdings Inc., the market and technology leader in airspace security. Based in Sterling, VA, Dedrone Defense is the global provider of the award-winning sUAS mitigation technology, DroneDefender, a non-kinetic solution for protecting airspace without compromising safety or risking collateral damage.
About Battelle
Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle serves the national security, health and life sciences, and energy and environmental industries. For more information, visit www.battelle.org.
