Allen-based drone technology company EagleNXT is investing in Ohio-based Agilis Air Inc. The deal pairs the startup’s low-cost, modular quadcopter drones with EagleNXT’s long-endurance fixed-wing systems.

It is the company’s third strategic investment this year, CEO Bill Irby told Dallas Innovates.

“We’ve been looking at strategic expansion across technologies and product lines,” Irby said. “They’ve got patented designs and patented technology around how they do things. I think they’ve got a lot of potential.”

How the deal came together

EagleNXT is the trade name for AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc., which went public in 2019. The company’s connection to Agilis Air started with an introduction from an investor, Irby said.

That led to a conversation between Irby, EagleNXT CFO Alison Burgett and Agilis Air CEO Shawn Theiss. They quickly discovered a shared interest in what’s next for drone manufacturing.

EagleNXT CEO Bill Irby [Photo: EagleNXT]

“The reason it’s interesting from a technology perspective is that Agilis, from the ground up, started addressing how you manufacture these at scale,” Irby said. “How do you bring 3D printing into a drone body that you can manufacture for low cost and at scale to meet some of the defense needs that are coming out right now? Agilis has a unique approach. We love where they’re going.”

EagleNXT structured the investment as a convertible note, giving the company the option to turn it into equity ownership down the road, Irby said. “We look at doing business together as they grow,” he said.

About Agilis Air

Theiss cofounded Agilis in 2025 with serial tech entrepreneur Yon Raz-Fridman, who now serves as executive chairman. The startup is based in northeast Ohio, where it has been part of the Youngstown Business Incubator.

Agilis builds its drones on a 100% domestic supply chain. Its flagship product, the Remora, is a low-cost quadcopter built for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and tactical missions.

“We are thrilled with the investment from EagleNXT as we continue to engage in the UAS market, answering the tremendous demand for unmanned systems,” Raz-Fridman said in a statement announcing the deal. “Their proven expertise in Group 1 fixed-wing systems and established government relationships perfectly complement our low-cost quadcopter platforms.”

EagleNXT’s strategic investment strategy

The Agilis Air deal follows a pattern for EagleNXT. In March, it made a strategic investment in Aerodrome Group, an Israel-based developer of precision loitering munitions. And in April, it invested $10 million and established a counter-drone partnership with Israel-based ThirdEye Systems.

Irby said the approach lets EagleNXT expand its technology and product lines without the cost or risk of building from scratch or making an initial full acquisition.

“If you were to go from the ground up and start trying to design your own system, that’s a long road. It takes a lot of investment,” Irby said. “On the other hand, if you try to acquire an international company in its entirety, it’s a huge amount of money normally, which from a small company perspective, we don’t have those types of resources. A partial investment or joint venture is an excellent way to go to manage the balance between your path to success and your amount of investment.”

Irby said EagleNXT is evaluating two more potential deals, though he stressed the company is locked on its core mission.

“We’re staying very closely focused on drones, counter-drone and sensors,” he said. “That’s the totality of what we look for. We’re not doing crazy things.”

North Texas growth plans

EagleNXT’s primary drone facility is in Lausanne, Switzerland. Earlier this year, it moved its global headquarters from Wichita, Kansas, to a 36,000-square-foot facility in Allen.

Here, it is focused on assembly, testing and integration work for its eBee VISION drone, U.S. camera line and units that are part of its joint venture with ThirdEye.

So far, the company has five people working on-site in Allen and another handful employed across Texas. Irby said he expects to rapidly grow to at least 10 times that number.

“We have room to do more,” he said. “We’re looking at maxing out that space.”

Much of that growth will come on the engineering side, he said, pointing to North Texas’ university pipeline as a draw.

“What we’re looking to do is expand our engineering talent as well,” Irby said. “What is great about this area is you’ve got the University of North Texas, UT Dallas and lots of technical talent. It’s a great community from that perspective.”

Next-level technology

One long-term priority across its partnerships, Irby said, is pushing EagleNXT’s drones toward higher levels of autonomy. On a scale of one to five, with five being fully autonomous, the company currently operates at a two or three, he said. “Our goal over the next few years is to accelerate that and increase to level three, level four as far as we can.”

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