PENDLETON, OR — August 19, 2026 — The Oregon UAS Accelerator is thrilled to announce the 17 companies joining its Fall 2026 Cohort, kicking off a 12-week hybrid program built to move uncrewed aerial, ground, and maritime systems companies from prototype to pilots, partnerships, and capital. This new class brings together founders from Oregon, across the United States, and South Korea, working on everything from counter-drone lasers and life-saving medical delivery drones to AI-driven flight software and next-generation manufacturing.
If you want to meet these founders in person, mark your calendar: the Cohort Kickoff Reception is Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 6 PM, and you're invited. Keep reading for the full company lineup, the program's key dates, and how to RSVP.
Who's Joining: The Fall 2026 Cohort at a Glance
This cohort is one of the most geographically and technically diverse groups the Accelerator has assembled. Nine companies, just over half the cohort, are based right here in Oregon, with four more from other U.S. states and four joining from South Korea to build their U.S. and Oregon footprint. Together, they span nearly every major category in the unmanned systems industry: airframes and platforms, payloads and sensors, counter-UAS, flight and AI software, ground control and communications, and mission-critical services.
That range matters. It means the cohort isn't just building drones — it's building the sensors that detect threats, the software that makes autonomy trustworthy, the communications links that keep operations connected in the field, and the manufacturing processes that make all of it affordable at scale. Here's a closer look at who's building what.
Meet the Companies
- TAV Drones — Austin, TX. Building affordable, American-made quadcopters for law enforcement, using patented modular hardware and an in-house software stack to undercut drones that sell for over $15,000.
- ReliaSystems LLC — Portland, OR. Developing WIEVLE, a low-cost spherical unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) for inspection and reconnaissance in confined, GPS-denied maritime environments.
- PerimeterAI Group — Haymarket, VA. Maker of the PerimeterAI Puck, a passive acoustic sensor node that detects and classifies small drone threats at the tactical edge without relying on the cloud.
- Vexil Systems — Corvallis, OR. Building UAV-deployed radio repeaters that restore communications for search-and-rescue, wildland fire, and disaster response teams operating where radios fail.
- Datium Corp. — Seoul, South Korea (with a U.S. presence). Turning field maintenance records into AI that reasons over repair data, now extending its proven platform to UAS fleet maintenance and repair-or-reprint decisions.
- NuCode — Seoul, South Korea (Irvine, CA office). Manufacturer of ultra-low-power BLE 6.0 and Wi-Fi modules with on-module Edge AI, delivering sub-meter positioning for drones operating in GPS-denied environments.
- Tactical Laser Defense Systems Inc. — Seal Rock, OR. Designs handheld directed-energy systems that defeat drones using patent-pending rastered laser technology — a lightweight, individual-carry alternative to RF jamming.
- AdvisorLauren — Seoul, South Korea. Developing TALON, trusted air-gapped AI and autonomy software for GPS-denied navigation, mission planning, and digital-twin simulation in defense and industrial settings.
- Empyrean Defense Inc. — Bend, OR. Builder of the Decision Dominance Engine, a multi-domain sensor fusion and command-and-control platform that gives operators one shared operational picture across air, ground, and maritime domains.
- SUPPORTY — Goyang-si, South Korea. Developing high-reliability cellular-based remote control modules that enable one-to-many operation of drones and unmanned ground vehicles.
- TKG Security — Battle Ground, WA. Creator of CoreCommand, a sensor-fusion command-and-control platform with AI video analytics that integrates third-party radar, RF/DF, and EO/IR sensors into one operational system.
- Needltail — Portland, OR. Building a high-speed autonomous drone system capable of over 100 mph to deliver AEDs and other life-saving equipment in Drone-as-First-Responder missions for cardiac arrest and other emergencies.
- EnCor Industries Inc. — Tulsa, OK. Manufacturing low-cost, NDAA-compliant quadcopters for dual-use inspection missions, filling the market gap left by the FCC's ban on Chinese-made drones.
- HindSight VIP Inc. — Boardman, OR. Developer of LedgerScope, a platform that simplifies blockchain and operational data to support verification, traceability, and compliance across the UAS supply chain.
- AIRA USA Inc. — Portland, OR. Deploys general-purpose mobile robots into live manufacturing environments for machine tending and material handling, offered as a managed "work as a service" model.
- Bantam Aero, LLC — Bingen, WA. Commercializing FormCor, a new plastic thermoforming process aimed at the low-cost mass manufacture of military UAS airframes.
- Atlas AI — Tigard, OR. Building a supplemental computer-vision traffic awareness system that helps general aviation pilots see and avoid nearby aircraft without relying on other pilots' equipment.
From counter-drone lasers to cardiac-arrest response drones, this cohort reflects exactly the kind of dual-use, commercially-minded innovation the Oregon UAS Accelerator was built to support.
Key Dates for the Fall 2026 Program
The Fall 2026 Cohort runs as a 12-week hybrid program from August through November 2026, designed to help these early-stage companies accelerate commercialization, strengthen their investor and grant readiness, and plug into Oregon's growing UAS ecosystem. Here are the milestones to know:
| Date | Milestone | Details |
|---|---|---|
| August 26–28, 2026 | Orientation | In person in Pendleton, OR — cohort launch, Accelerator overview, introductions with staff, partners, and mentors, plus Oregon Military Department briefings and a Pendleton UAS Range tour. |
| October 14–15, 2026 | OMIC R&D Visit | In person in Scappoose, OR — facility tours, partner and seed-fund briefings, and prototype-to-production pathway discussions. |
| November 9–13, 2026 | Pitch Review Week | Hybrid — dedicated pitch review and feedback sessions for each company ahead of the Innovation Showcase. |
| November 18, 2026 | Oregon UAS Innovation Showcase | In Pendleton, OR — the cohort's capstone pitch event, where founders present to investors, judges, and ecosystem partners. |
In between these milestones, cohort companies work through a structured weekly curriculum covering topics like SBIR/STTR fundamentals and grant strategy, CMMC 2.0 and NIST 800-171 compliance, business model and unit economics, financial projections and capital stack planning, brand and marketing positioning for defense and public-safety buyers, and pitch narrative and storytelling — supported by guest sessions from partners like Bank of America and independent legal and finance experts. It's a demanding pace, but it's designed to get founders investor- and contract-ready by the time they hit the Showcase stage in November.
Meet the Cohort in Person: Cohort Kickoff Reception
Want to put faces to these companies? Join us for the Cohort Kickoff Reception on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 6 PM, where the Fall 2026 Cohort will be officially welcomed to the Oregon UAS Accelerator community. This is your chance to:
- Meet the 17 founders and hear directly about the technology they're building
- Connect with mentors, investors, and ecosystem partners already engaged with the Accelerator
- Get a first look at how Oregon's UAS ecosystem, from the Pendleton UAS Range to the Oregon Military Department, is supporting this new class of companies
Whether you're a potential investor, a mentor, a fellow founder, or simply curious about where unmanned systems innovation is headed next, this reception is open to anyone who wants to be part of the conversation.
Event Details
- Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2026
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Where to register: oregonuas.org/aug26
Seats and networking time are limited, so reserve your spot in advance through the link above.
Why This Cohort Matters for Oregon's UAS Ecosystem
Every cohort the Oregon UAS Accelerator brings in adds another layer to the state's growing reputation as a hub for uncrewed systems commercialization. This Fall 2026 class continues that momentum, with more than half the companies already calling Oregon home and the rest actively building an Oregon presence through the program. Their work touches public safety, defense readiness, rural healthcare access, aviation safety, and advanced manufacturing — sectors where Oregon's testing infrastructure, workforce, and state-level partnerships (including a formal collaboration with the Oregon Military Department) give founders a real advantage in getting from prototype to paying customer.
For a state betting on unmanned systems as a driver of economic growth, cohorts like this one are the proof point: real companies, real technology, and a real pathway to commercialization, right here in Oregon.
Get Involved
This is just the beginning of the Fall 2026 Cohort's journey — over the next 12 weeks, expect founder spotlights, program updates, and a front-row seat to how these 17 companies progress toward the November Innovation Showcase.
Here's how you can be part of it:
- RSVP for the Cohort Kickoff Reception on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 6 PM: oregonuas.org/aug26
- Explore the Fall 2026 program and see what it takes to join a future cohort: oregonuas.org's Fall 2026 Cohort page
- Have questions? Reach out to the Oregon UAS Accelerator team at info@oregonuas.org
We can't wait to introduce you to this incredible group of founders in person. See you on August 26.
Media Contact: Chris Ponzillo, COO/CMO, Oregon UAS Accelerator — info@oregonuas.org
