St. Louis startup WingXpand, which has developed an expandable drone designed to fit inside a backpack, has been tapped to provide its technology to the U.S. Air Force.
WingXpand has secured a “seven-figure contract” with the Air Force, said co-founders James Barbieri and Michelle Madaras. The 18-month contract will include providing drone aircraft WingXpand says can “withstand more rigorous conditions” and includes software designed to detect and monitor wildfires.
Launched in 2022, WingXpand has created a drone it describes as a “plane in a pack,” with a portable design using patented technology that allows its wings to be stored in a backpack and expand to a 7-foot wingspan. It says its drone can fly autonomously for two-plus hours and include 2 pounds of sensors used to collect data. WingXpand has a team of about 15 between full- and part-time employees.
Barbieri, WingXpand’s CEO, said its aircraft provided to the Air Force will include artificial intelligence software that’s designed to autonomously detect and monitor wildfires and would alert officials when problems are spotted. The software doesn’t require use of the internet, allowing it to be used in remote locations, Barbieri said.
“We see ourselves as expanding what’s possible with aerial intelligence and having smart software on board a smart aircraft like ours is really a key for helping deliver critical insights faster and more efficiently,” Barbieri said.
In addition to the Air Force, WingXpand’s technology has also caught the attention of the U.S. Army. The company earlier this year was chosen as one of 20 finalists in the Army’s xTechSearch 7 technology competition. It is participating in the XTechSearch 7’s pitch competition for finalists this week in Washington, D.C.
While WingXpand has positioned its drone as a tool that can be used by defense entities to gather aerial intelligence, it’s also focused on commercial markets, including agriculture, public safety and insurance.
Madaras said she believes recent wildfires, and the recent smoky haze in the Northeast U.S. from Canadian wildfires, indicate the need for technology being developed by WingXpand.
“These are going to be problems that we all need to face,” said Madaras, president of WingXpand. “We’ve built out a pretty robust team to develop this technology and deliver that not only to military but other folks in the first responder space.”
As WingXpand seeks to increase adoption of its technology, Barbieri said working with a customer like the Air Force has helped to bolster its technology, while also lending credibility. She said its contract with the Air Force allows other potential customers to know they “can trust” WingXpand’s technology.
“It’s been critical for us to have the U.S. Department of Defense and Air Force support us,” he said. “The amount of benefits we have as a startup, being able to work with a customer like the U.S. Air Force, has been so important for us, not only because it’s so closely aligned with our mission to help the U.S. armed services, but that’s also able to allow us to really get some very enhanced technologies across the finish line."
