Terra Drone Corporation, a leading Japanese provider of drone and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technology, has recently invested in Aloft Technologies, a U.S. company specializing in UTM development and a leader in drone fleet and airspace management. This investment has made Terra Drone the largest shareholder in Aloft, with Aloft now an affiliate company of Terra Drone. Additionally, Yuki Ueno, Terra Drone’s executive officer responsible for domestic and international Unmanned Aerial System Traffic Management (UTM) business, has joined the board of directors at Aloft.
This partnership marks Terra Drone’s official entry into the U.S. market, recognized as the world’s largest for drones and AAMs. With Aloft and Unifly, a Belgian UTM provider acquired by Terra Drone in July 2023, Terra Drone aims to contribute significantly to the global UTM ecosystem.
Terra Drone’s Grand Vision
Toru Tokushige, Founder and CEO of Terra Drone, expressed the company’s vision, stating, “We envision a future where drones and AAMs are seamlessly integrated into our daily lives. Establishing and maintaining a seamless UTM system is crucial to realizing this vision. We have been dedicated to UTM technology since the early days of drones, with our initial investment in Unifly dating back to 2016. As drones and AAMs enter a new phase of development, UTM has become a top priority for aviation authorities worldwide. Through our investment in Aloft and our role as its largest shareholder, we aim to further advance UTM on a global scale. We also plan to aggressively expand in the U.S., which is the largest market for drones and AAMs.”
Jon Hegranes, Founder and CEO of Aloft, emphasized the importance of UTM integration, stating, “Integrating UTM systems is crucial for expanding, scaling, and sustaining global drone operations. Our collaboration with Terra Drone positions us at the forefront of this evolution, providing us with a unique opportunity to standardize operational practices and leverage technology to enhance the efficiency and reach of drone flights on an international scale.”
Compared to Japan, the U.S. has approximately 2.4 times as many registered drones and 62 times as many registered manned aircraft. Additionally, several U.S. companies are actively developing and manufacturing drones and UAMs. In July 2023, the FAA released an implementation plan, “Innovate 2028,” outlining the steps needed to safely enable advanced air mobility operations in the near term.
Toru Tokushige
About Aloft Corporations
Founded in 2015, Aloft has received investments from Boeing’s Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) and Travelers Insurance, among others. Aloft is a leading provider of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-certified UAS services, powering over 84% of all airspace authorizations as of October 2022, and has surpassed 1 million Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) requests. Aloft also offers a cloud-based drone fleet management system that enables centralized management of aircraft and pilot information, supporting end-to-end drone operations, including pre-flight and post-flight workflows, automation, and compliance. The platform is widely adopted across industries such as energy, utilities, oil and gas, media, construction, insurance, and public safety. Additionally, Aloft is SOC2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified for security.
