The global drone market is experiencing a hyper-growth phase, fueled by rising defense spending and increased adoption in industrial automation. Military drone revenues are projected to reach between $80 billion and $90 billion by 2030, while the commercial drone market, valued at approximately $30 billion in 2024, is expected to exceed $54 billion by 2030. These trends are driven by the need for efficiency, cost reduction, and enhanced safety across defense, agriculture, and infrastructure sectors.

Defense and Military Expansion

Defense applications are a primary growth driver, with drones used for surveillance, border security, and logistics. Investments in AI-powered autonomous systems are accelerating, creating opportunities for companies like Leonardo DRS, Inc., which recently launched the Tenum® 640 Orbit™ thermal camera module for unmanned platforms. Ondas Inc. is also advancing defense capabilities with its LADOS system, a unified command-and-control architecture for autonomous operations.

Industrial and Agricultural Adoption

Industries such as energy, construction, and mining are leveraging drones for inspections and surveying, reducing labor costs and improving safety. In agriculture, drones are increasingly used for crop monitoring and precision farming, with the agricultural drone sector projected to surpass $20 billion annually by 2030. Red Cat Holdings, Inc. is ramping up production of its Variant 7 uncrewed surface vessel for maritime defense missions, reflecting broader industrial adoption.

Strategic Moves and Market Projections

ZenaTech, Inc. has signed an offer to acquire a Western Canadian land surveying company to expand its Drone as a Service (DaaS) offerings. The Canadian drone market is estimated at $4.5 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach over $11 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate of over 11%. Aureus Greenway Holdings Inc. announced a $50 million strategic investment in its merger target, Autonomous Power Corporation, to scale manufacturing of autonomous defense systems.

Key Market Drivers

• Lower operational costs compared to traditional methods
• Faster inspections and data collection
• Improved worker safety in hazardous environments
• AI and automation enhancing drone autonomy
• Growing military spending and precision agriculture adoption

The broader global drone market could exceed $150 billion by 2030, depending on adoption rates and segment growth. Companies are positioning themselves to capitalize on this expansion through acquisitions, product launches, and strategic investments.

ZenaTech, Inc. has been added to the Russell 3000 Index effective at market open on June 29, 2026, as part of the first 2026 Russell indexes reconstitution. This inclusion reflects ZenaTech's continued growth and market capitalization and is expected to broaden the company's credibility and exposure to investors, including institutional investors, ETFs, and index funds that track Russell small-cap companies. The company retains its membership in the Russell Microcap Index.

Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO, stated that being added to the Russell 3000 Index is a significant achievement and a reflection of the momentum built across the business. He noted that the milestone underscores successful execution in expanding AI drone and Drone as a Service platforms while increasing shareholder value and market recognition. Passley expects the inclusion to increase visibility among institutional investors and validate the strength of the company's strategy in markets for autonomous systems, defense technology, and artificial intelligence.

The June reconstitution of the Russell US indexes captures up to the 4,000 largest US stocks, ranking them by total market capitalization. FTSE Russell determines membership for its Russell indexes primarily by objective, market capitalization rankings, and style attributes. According to data as of the end of June 2025, about $12.2 trillion in assets are benchmarked against the Russell US indexes.

FTSE Russell is a global index leader providing innovative benchmarking, analytics, and data solutions for investors worldwide. The organization calculates thousands of indexes measuring and benchmarking markets and asset classes in more than 70 countries, covering 98% of the investable market globally. Leading asset owners, asset managers, ETF providers, and investment banks choose FTSE Russell indexes to benchmark investment performance and create ETFs, structured products, and index-based derivatives.

ZenaTech specializes in AI autonomy drone platforms to transform industrial, government, and defense sectors. Its subsidiaries include ZenaDrone, a global Drone as a Service business, and a separate enterprise SaaS division. The company is executing an acquisition-led DaaS roll-up strategy to digitize and automate legacy service industries like land surveys and inspections, driving drone-based scalable, recurring revenue growth.