Youngstown defense technology startup Agilis Air is tapping Ohio’s aerospace, manufacturing, and innovation ecosystem to build affordable American-made drones for military and government customers.

Agilis Air Inc. has raised $1.4 million in early funding to expand production of its next-generation drones and autonomy technologies in Northeast Ohio. The Youngstown-based startup is being positioned to participate in a rapidly expanding U.S. market for domestically manufactured unmanned aircraft systems.

AgEagle Aerial Systems, North Coast Ventures, Vici Capital, the Ohio Innovation Fund, and angel investors supported the financing. Among the company’s strategic supporters is retired Gen. John “Mike” Murray, the first commanding general of U.S. Army Futures Command, who serves as a strategic advisor.

The funding comes as Agilis Air’s Remora drone has been accepted into the U.S. Army’s UAS Marketplace. This makes the aircraft available for direct purchase by Army units, other U.S. government organizations, and allied customers.

Agilis is also seeking to participate in upcoming phases of the Department of Defense’s $1.1 billion Drone Dominance Program, an initiative aimed at dramatically expanding the number of affordable, American-made small drones available to the military.

Agilis Air Builds $1,250 Remora Drone in Ohio

Agilis Air’s flagship Remora ARQ is a Group 1 first-person-view aircraft designed for reconnaissance and tactical missions.

Priced at $1,250 per unit, the aircraft is designed to provide the military with a lower-cost alternative to many existing tactical drone systems. The company says Remora can ship within three weeks of an order and is manufactured in Ohio using a 100% U.S.-based, NDAA-compliant supply chain.

That price could provide Agilis with an advantage as the Department of War seeks to acquire unmanned systems at significantly greater scale. Remora’s $1,250 cost is below the Drone Dominance Program’s $2,300 affordability target.

“America invented flight in Ohio, and Ohio is where America’s drone industrial base should be rebuilt,” said Agilis Air co-founder and Executive Chairman Yon Raz-Fridman.

Agilis is building that manufacturing capacity within a state that already has extensive aerospace infrastructure.

Ohio is home to thousands of aerospace suppliers and an aerospace workforce of more than 100,000. Companies such as Agilis are able to gain access to engineering expertise, manufacturing capabilities, and an established supply chain.

A Growing Ohio Innovation Ecosystem

Agilis Air also shows how Ohio’s broader innovation ecosystem supports companies at the intersection of advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and defense technology.

The company’s early development was supported by the Youngstown Business Incubator’s ENGINE technology incubator and the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace & Defense. These two organizations are working to build a stronger technology and advanced-manufacturing economy in Northeast Ohio.

Its investor base further connects the startup to Ohio’s innovation and venture capital community. North Coast Ventures has a long history of investing in Midwest technology companies. The funding round also includes Vici Capital, the family office of retired Ohio Innovation Fund CEO Kevin Stein, and the Ohio Innovation Fund.

Together, the combination of capital, incubator support, aerospace expertise, and regional manufacturing capabilities illustrates an important part of Ohio’s evolving innovation strategy.  The state’s industrial foundation supports emerging technology companies that can manufacture products domestically at commercial scale.

Agilis Air offers a potential advantage as national security policy increasingly emphasizes rebuilding U.S. drone manufacturing capacity and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains.

Experienced Drone and Technology Founders

CEO Shawn Theiss and Raz-Fridman co-founded Agilis Air.

Theiss brings more than 40 years of aviation experience and approximately three decades developing uncrewed aircraft for U.S. defense customers. Through his previous company, Theiss UAV Solutions, he delivered more than 40 federal programs and fielded more than 600 specialized drones.

Raz-Fridman is a serial technology entrepreneur with 15 years of experience building venture-backed software and hardware companies, including one acquired in 2025.

“I’ve spent nearly 30 years building drones for defense customers and learning what works in the field,” Theiss said. “Remora is the result—a rugged, affordable $1,250 platform that’s intuitive to fly, rapidly repairable, and engineered to deliver dependable performance when it matters most.”

The company’s ambitions extend beyond manufacturing drone airframes.

Agilis is developing onboard autonomy technology that allows aircraft to operate in GPS-denied environments. It is also building an intelligence software stack intended to integrate with the Army’s broader unmanned-systems network.

That strategy could position Agilis as an autonomy and defense technology company rather than simply a drone manufacturer.

Youngstown Facility to Ramp Production

Agilis Air plans to use its new funding to increase Remora production at its Youngstown facility, complete additional certifications and fulfill opportunities emerging from its Army sales pipeline.

North Coast Ventures Managing Director Todd Federman pointed to the combination of affordability, manufacturing capacity and location as important factors behind the investment.

“The Pentagon has been clear about what it needs: affordable, attritable drones made in America, at scale,” Federman said.

The emergence of Agilis Air adds another company to Ohio’s growing network of startups applying advanced technology to aerospace, defense and manufacturing.

As the U.S. government accelerates efforts to build a domestic drone industrial base, Agilis is betting that Northeast Ohio’s combination of aerospace talent, manufacturing infrastructure, venture investment and innovation organizations can help it produce the next generation of autonomous aircraft at scale.