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Companies Accelerated
OREGON UAS ACCELERATOR
Built for Founders. Backed by Results.
A state-aligned platform helping uncrewed systems companies move from prototype to pilots, partnerships, and capital.
WHY OREGON — WHY NOW
Oregon offers more than mentorship. It offers a real-world commercialization environment.
Founders gain access to a growing unmanned systems ecosystem anchored by the Pendleton UAS Range, OMIC R&D, state-backed innovation support, and collaboration pathways tied to defense, public safety, infrastructure, and advanced mobility. The Accelerator sits at that intersection and helps startups turn testing, validation, and ecosystem access into real commercial momentum.
Dual‑Use and Defense Collaboration With the Oregon Military Department
Through a formal Memorandum of Understanding with the Oregon Military Department, the Oregon UAS Accelerator collaborates with the Oregon National Guard’s Drone Dominance efforts to advance UAS and Counter‑UAS innovation. This gives startups a clearer pathway to understand defense requirements, training needs, and dual‑use opportunities.
Joint activities may include access to select installations through separate agreements, defense-focused competitions and challenges, and coordinated pursuit of federal funding programs connected to UAS and C‑UAS. For founders, this means your drone or autonomy startup can align product development with real mission and training needs.
What this can mean for founders:
- Better visibility into defense and homeland security use cases.
- More informed product alignment with mission and training needs.
- Exposure to challenge programs and defense-oriented innovation opportunities.
- Stronger positioning for federal UAS and Counter-UAS funding pathways.
OREGON UAS ACCELERATOR
Backed by Results
A state-aligned platform helping uncrewed systems companies move from prototype to pilots, partnerships, and capital.
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OREGON UAS ACCELERATOR
Founders, Mentors, and Partners: Choose Your Path
The Oregon UAS Accelerator connects founders, mentors, and partners inside a growing unmanned systems ecosystem built for commercialization, collaboration, and impact.
Founders
Apply if you are building uncrewed systems, robotics, or autonomy technologies and need testing access, commercialization support, and stronger capital readiness.
Mentors
Guide high-potential founders on strategy, technical decisions, regulatory complexity, and public-sector positioning across a focused accelerator experience.
Partners & Sponsors
Support the Oregon UAS Accelerator through sponsorship, strategic collaboration, in-kind support, or ecosystem partnership opportunities.
OREGON UAS ACCELERATOR
Why Founders Choose the Oregon UAS Accelerator
Building an uncrewed systems, robotics, or autonomy startup is different from building a typical software company. The Oregon UAS Accelerator is tailored to the realities of uncrewed systems, technical risk, regulatory complexity, dual‑use markets, and non‑dilutive funding, and provides a structured, high‑touch environment to help you execute.
Specialized UAS and Drone Accelerator
A focused accelerator program built specifically for uncrewed systems, robotics, and autonomy, not a generic, cross‑industry bootcamp, so every session, mentor, and connection is relevant to what you are building.
Access to Real Testing Environments
Pathways into the Pendleton UAS Range, OMD Training & Testing Centers, and regional partners so you can test, validate, and demonstrate your systems in real‑world conditions, from controlled airspace to operationally realistic scenarios.
Defense and Public‑Sector Pathways
Alignment with defense and public safety needs, including a formal collaboration with the Oregon Military Department, to help you understand mission requirements, navigate procurement, and unlock dual‑use opportunities.
Investor and SBIR/STTR Readiness
Support to build investor‑ready pitches and grant‑ready concepts, with specific focus on SBIR/STTR and other non‑dilutive funding strategies that fit dual‑use and government-facing technologies.
Industry, Government, and Ecosystem Connections
Access to industry, academic, and public‑sector partners across Oregon’s unmanned systems ecosystem who can open doors to pilots, challenge programs, manufacturing pathways, and strategic collaborations.
A Proven, State‑Aligned Platform for Growth
Operate within a state‑recognized Center of Innovation Excellence that tracks jobs, capital, grants, and innovation outputs, reinforcing your credibility with customers, investors, agencies, and future funders.
OREGON UAS ACCELERATOR
Latest News and Updates
Follow the latest cohort announcements, founder wins, event recaps, ecosystem developments, and opportunities shaping Oregon's unmanned systems and robotics landscape.
- by Chris Ponzillo
Applications for Fall 2026 Cohort, Offering 12-Week Hybrid Program and Structured Testing Pathways
Oregon UAS Accelerator opens Fall 2026 applications — 12‑week hybrid program, mentorship, $5K grant, and pathways to commercial and defense testing access for UAS startups.
- by Chris Ponzillo
2026 Oregon UAS Innovation Showcase Winners
Outer Rim Exploration (Judges’ Choice) and American Tenet (People’s Choice) topped a 12‑company finals field at the 2026 Oregon UAS Innovation Showcase in Pendleton.
- by Chris Ponzillo
Oregon UAS Accelerator Announces Top 12 Finalists for 2026 Oregon UAS Innovation Showcase
The Oregon UAS Accelerator reveals its most competitive cohort yet. Discover the 12 startups shaping the future of autonomy at the 2026 Showcase Finals.
- by Chris Ponzillo
AUVSI Cascade Chapter, Oregon UAS Accelerator, and Pendleton UAS Range Host Two-Day Symposium
Discover how the 2026 AUVSI Cascade Spring Symposium in Pendleton is uniting investors, innovators, and defense leaders for two days of UAS demos, pitches, and networking.
- by Chris Ponzillo
Oregon UAS Accelerator and Numurus Partner to Bring Edge‑AI Power to UAS and Robotics Startups
The Oregon UAS Accelerator has announced a new strategic partnership with Numurus, the company behind the NEPI edge‑AI software engine, to help unmanned systems startups move from prototype to field‑ready deployments faster and with less risk. As the state’s Center...
- by Chris Ponzillo
The Oregon Military Department and Oregon UAS Accelerator have signed a new MOU to advance uncrewed systems innovation, training, and workforce development across Oregon, connecting real-world UAS and C-UAS testing at OMD installations with the Accelerator’s startup ecosystem and talent pipelines.
- by Chris Ponzillo
Oregon UAS Accelerator Welcomes 34 Companies to Its Largest Innovation Cohort Yet
The Oregon UAS Accelerator selects 34 startups for its third and largest Innovation Challenge cohort, accelerating breakthroughs in defense, logistics, agriculture, and advanced air mobility.
Read moreabout Oregon UAS Accelerator Welcomes 34 Companies to Its Largest Innovation Cohort Yet
- by Oregon UAS Accelerator
Oregon UAS Accelerator Unveils Game-Changing Summer 2025 Cohort:
Four game-changing UAS startups join Oregon UAS Accelerator’s Summer 2025 cohort, revolutionizing wildfire response, mineral exploration, and airspace security.
Read moreabout Oregon UAS Accelerator Unveils Game-Changing Summer 2025 Cohort:
- by Oregon UAS Accelerator
Oregon UAS Accelerator Celebrates Success of 2025 Pendleton Innovator Showcase:
See who won at the 2025 Pendleton Innovator Showcase! Explore top UAS startups, event highlights, and how Oregon is shaping the future of unmanned aerial systems.
Read moreabout Oregon UAS Accelerator Celebrates Success of 2025 Pendleton Innovator Showcase:
- by Oregon UAS Accelerator
Oregon UAS Accelerator Announces 2025 Pendleton Innovator Showcase
Join us at the 2025 Pendleton Innovator Showcase to witness five groundbreaking UAS startups pitch live, network with industry leaders, and explore the future of drone technology.
Read moreabout Oregon UAS Accelerator Announces 2025 Pendleton Innovator Showcase
- by Dan Fuller
Building successful partnerships between UAS startups and established companies
Explore how UAS startups and established firms form powerful partnerships to scale innovation, share resources, and unlock new market opportunities in the drone industry.
Read moreabout Building successful partnerships between UAS startups and established companies
- by Oregon UAS Accelerator
2025 Proven in Pendleton Counter-UAS Challenge: Winners, Innovations & Event Recap
Discover the standout technologies and winners from the 2025 Proven in Pendleton Counter-UAS Challenge-where the future of drone defense took center stage.
Read moreabout 2025 Proven in Pendleton Counter-UAS Challenge: Winners, Innovations & Event Recap
Become a Mentor to UAS, Robotics, and Dual-Use Founders
The Oregon UAS Accelerator is building a mentor network of technical experts, operators, investors, and experienced founders who understand uncrewed systems, autonomy, defense, public safety, and critical infrastructure markets. If you want to help startups navigate complexity and make better decisions, we would like to connect.
Partner with the Oregon UAS Accelerator
Support founder growth through sponsorship, strategic collaboration, in-kind support, or broader ecosystem partnership opportunities. Help strengthen Oregon’s innovation pipeline while building meaningful visibility and relationships across the unmanned systems ecosystem.