Quantum-Systems and partner Auterion see increased demand for standardized VTOL drones in the U.S. leading to the establishment of Quantum-Systems Inc.
Moorpark, Calif., and Munich, and Zurich — November 2, 2021 – Quantum-Systems, innovative developer, designer, and producer of advanced eVTOL UAVs announced today the formation of a facility in the U.S. to meet the growing demand for Quantum-Systems products among U.S. defense and security customers, effective January 1, 2022.
Quantum-Systems VTOL drones Vector and Scorpion are powered by Auterion, the company building the connected drone operating system. In early 2020, Quantum-Systems partnered with Auterion Government Solutions (Auterion GS) to bring Vector, a 2-in-1 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone, into the U.S. defense and security markets. With the initial market entry a huge success, Quantum-Systems is expanding its operations to scale North America based production to meet increased demand within the U.S. government, including the military, defense and public security sectors, such as Special Operations Forces (SOF), as well as Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
“The Auterion team has done a fantastic job of taking our lineup to market in North America,” said Florian Seibel, CEO and co-founder of Quantum-Systems. “Moving to the U.S. is a logical next step for Quantum-Systems to grow as a global sUAS provider, attracting the best talent and moving closer to our biggest customers. Our focus in the first months will be to ramp up our U.S. production capabilities to be able to serve our customers directly from California.”
As part of the expansion, David Sharpin will join Quantum-Systems as the CEO of their new U.S. subsidiary. Over the past 18 months, Sharpin has represented Auterion in the United States, being the primary contact for all U.S. government procurement programs evaluating the Quantum-Systems drones equipped with the Auterion operating system.
“This is the fulfilment of a plan which we have put in place over the last 18 months,” said David Sharpin. “I have been blessed to work with Dr. Lorenz Meier who is standing up the U.S. business for Auterion here in the United States. This is changing the way drone systems are developed, produced and operated by government and commercial customers. I look forward to my new role working with Florian Seibel and the Quantum-Systems team to provide a family of eVTOLs to the U.S. market.”
The establishment of U.S.-based Quantum-Systems Inc. allows Auterion GS to focus on the common control infrastructure, including products like Skynav or QGC Gov that enable the government customer to deploy autonomous systems at scale. “With our work with the U.S. Department of Defense on common robotics control continuing to ramp up, the scheduled move of Quantum-Systems into the U.S. has come at the perfect time,” said Lorenz Meier, CEO of Auterion. “By taking the initial go-to-market lead for Quantum-Systems products into the U.S. in early 2020, we are positioned to quickly gain a foothold in the market for an Auterion-powered vehicle. It’s exciting to see Quantum-Systems executing on their global growth strategy and accelerating the use of the Quantum-Systems platforms, with the Auterion OS onboard and compliant with the U.S. DOD Blue sUAS Architecture and RAS-A government standard.”\
About Quantum-Systems
Quantum-Systems GmbH develops and deploys small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) for the geospatial community (commercial product line) and the defense, security, and intelligence community (governmental product line), providing unprecedented data quality, efficiency, and operational usability. The fully autonomous sUAS with AI edge computing capabilities enable its users to capitalise on the emerging megatrend of autonomous sUAS data acquisition solutions that will open entirely new markets and applications. All Quantum-Systems sUAS combine eVTOL (electrical vertical take-off and landing) capabilities with long-range utilising electrical and aerodynamic efficiency. The continuous integration of state-of-the-art sensors into the systems allows for increased aerial data intelligence.
About Auterion
Auterion is building the world’s leading operating system for drones so enterprise and government users can better capture data and carry out high-risk work remotely. The platform based on open-source standards gives operators greater choice, flexibility, and assurance, to improve their drone workflows, from mapping to inspection, cargo, and ISR. With 70+ employees across offices in California, Switzerland, and Germany, Auterion’s global customer base includes GE Aviation, Quantum-Systems, Freefly Systems, Avy, Watts Innovations, and the U.S. Government.
