Drone Delivery Canada & Volatus Aerospace
The Next Evolution of Drone Operations
Just like the automobile industry went from many players to a select few in today’s market, the drone industry is undergoing a period of consolidation, with the goal of unlocking synergies, and leveraging each other’s strengths in the process. Knowing that we can be stronger together, Drone Delivery Canada and Volatus Aerospace are planning to join forces in a merger of equals expected to close in the third quarter of 2024.
By combining Drone Delivery Canada’s award-winning technologies with Volatus' proven commercial expertise, the merged company is expected to generate positive financial returns beginning in the first year through operational efficiencies and leveraging existing opportunities and capabilities.
While continuing to capitalize on drone cargo opportunities, which are expected to grow with regulatory and technical advancements in the coming years, the merged company will be able to leverage near-term opportunities through its Operations Control Centre by offering on-demand remote data intelligence to existing and emerging markets and clients in sectors such as oil and gas, power utilities, forestry and agriculture.
Summary
- 50/50 merger of equals, creating a global diversified drone technology and services leader.
- Combined company will be called “Volatus Aerospace Corp.”, leveraging the Volatus global name and brand, while maintaining Drone Delivery Canada’s name and brand for cargo operations.
- Shared management team led by Glen Lynch (CEO of Volatus) and Steve Magirias (CEO of Drone Delivery Canada) with current Volatus board chairman, Ian McDougall, to become chairman of the combined company’s board.
- Combined company anticipated to be cash flow neutral by the fourth quarter of 2024 and accelerate achievement of profitability goals in 2025, through a combination of immediate cost synergies and identified revenue opportunities.
- Transaction anticipated to close in the third quarter of 2024.
This page outlines the pivotal assets and business advantages driving this merger.
Merger Resources
Join Steve Magirias, CEO of Drone Delivery Canada, and Glen Lynch, CEO of Volatus Aerospace as they discuss the transformative merger of equals. During the event they will outline the specifics of the merger of equals and how this next evolutionary step for both companies will help revolutionize how drones are used for tasks like deliveries, inspections, and surveillance by shifting toward more advanced, beyond visual line of sight operations and the scalable management of drone fleets by remote pilots.
Play Video
About Volatus Aerospace
Volatus Aerospace has a strong commercial presence and experience operating larger piloted aircraft as a licensed operator and is one of the largest commercial companies in the industry. It earned approximately $35M in revenues in 2023 with the majority of revenue coming from their drone activities.
Commercial Expertise
Volatus Aerospace has a strong commercial team with about 28 sales and 5 marketing professionals spread across Canada, the U.S., and the UK. The company has prioritized a significant investment into a diversified marketing strategy consisting of digital marketing and in-person events, including participating in upwards of 30 trade shows in 2023 with 28 shows already slated for 2024.
Strong Market Presence
Volatus has strong commercial presence in the oil and gas, power utilities, and construction/engineering sectors as well as growing involvement in wildfire/forestry and agriculture, with significant sales activities and pipeline.
The Next Generation Of Cargo
Having secured the first production slot, the Natilus Kona is an aerodynamic blended-wing-body (BWB), remotely piloted aircraft designed for freight transport. This design allows for larger cargo volume (up to 60%) and reduced fuel consumption compared to traditional cargo aircraft and is set to disrupt the traditional air freight market by providing a more sustainable and economically viable option for freight carriers. This aircraft positions the combined company to be a global leader in the middle mile cargo business by replacing traditional aircraft with a more cost effective and environmentally friendly alternative. The Kona will be operated from the Drone Delivery Canada remote operations center once development and certification is completed.
Diversified Portfolio
Volatus has focused on diversifying its aerial intelligence capabilities and offerings, including drone sales, drone and piloted services, solutions engineering, advanced training, and education.
Aviation Expertise
In addition to drone specialization, Volatus is an experienced commercial airplane and helicopter operator, positioning them well to evolve with changing regulatory requirements. As drones are becoming larger and more capable, the regulations governing their operation align more closely with commercial aircraft and helicopter operations.
Global Presence
Volatus has a large geographic footprint with permanent staff and operations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
What's next?
This is only the beginning; several mid– to long-term opportunities will position us strategically in emerging markets, including:
FAQs
Have a question we haven’t addressed?
Both companies stand to benefit by leveraging each other’s strengths—a tech company looking to commercialize, and an established services company looking for technology—and growing as a combined entity with the goal of becoming one of the largest drone companies globally.
To the best of our knowledge, the merger between Volatus and Drone Delivery Canada is one of the first major public to public mergers within the drone industry. This is a new benchmark for the industry and is a sign of a maturing industry.
Both companies are at the point of being able to truly leverage each other’s strengths to reach the next phase of growth. From an industry perspective, the time is right in terms of technology, regulations, and demand.
We’re starting to see maturity in the industry, and part of that is strategic consolidation. If we look back at the auto industry, there were many players in the beginning, today there are a handful of global players in the market.
The benefit is creating a stable and well-rounded company. Volatus and Drone Delivery Canada are bringing technology and commercial services together for longevity and innovation. Now that we’ve created a company that offers a wide variety of solutions and services, we can offer a diverse range of benefits to customers, investors and the community.
