Birdstop Opens Detroit Headquarters
Birdstop, a leader in autonomous aviation, today announced the opening of its new headquarters and manufacturing facility in Detroit - cementing Michigan’s role as the epicenter of the emerging American drone industry.
America leads the world in autonomy software, yet produces less than 1% of the world’s drones. American-made drones today cost more than a car and still underperform their foreign counterparts. With drone technology now reshaping battlefields abroad and saving lives at home, rebuilding America’s ability to manufacture this technology has never been more urgent.
Birdstop Ribbon Cutting at The ICON
Standing on the shoulders of Detroit’s manufacturing heritage, Birdstop aims to rewrite the story of domestic drone production. The United States still manufactures more than ten million automobiles each year - each a complex system of hardware and software not unlike a drone. Far from losing its manufacturing edge, Detroit holds the many parts needed to construct a new American drone industry.
“Take cameras, for example - every drone has at least one, and most have several,” said Jatin Kolekar, Vice President of Engineering at Birdstop. “If the drone industry could tap into the automotive supply chain, all the cameras needed for America’s annual drone output could be produced in just two days.”
Birdstop drones on display while perched on their beacons
In addition to drone manufacturing, a new body of FAA regulation is poised to open US skies to much broader commercial drone operations. Over the past six years, Birdstop has worked closely with the FAA, providing real-world data to define the future of low altitude airspace. The company now holds nine of the most advanced FAA approvals ever granted, enabling complex operations conducted safely and remotely across the national airspace.
Birdstop’s new home at The Icon - a landmark on the Detroit Riverfront once home to General Motors and the UAW - will soon begin producing drones, components, airspace safety systems, and the machine intelligence software that ties them together. This month, Birdstop welcomed team members from California, Alabama, and Texas to Detroit and hired its first ten local employees.
Birdstop employees listening to opening remarks at ribbon cutting
“Detroit has become the destination for those who want to bring Silicon Valley’s speed and innovation into a new era of manufacturing,” said Keith Miao, CEO of Birdstop. “It’s time to combine America’s leadership in software and AI with the building of real things at scale.”
On October 29, Birdstop hosted an inauguration event at The Icon, gathering partners from across the country to celebrate Detroit’s continued industrial renaissance and the next chapter of American-made drones.