# Adam Bry

> Adam Bry is co-founder and CEO of Skydio, the leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight. A childhood R/C aerobatics national champion turned MIT robotics researcher, he turned down a DJI acquisition in 2014 to bet everything on autonomy — and won. Today Skydio has deployed over 60,000 drones to every branch of the U.S. military, 1,200+ public safety agencies, and 45 of 51 state transportation departments, with a $4.4 billion valuation and $3.5 billion U.S. manufacturing expansion underway.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO at Skydio
- **Organizations:** Skydio, FAA Drone Advisory Committee, MIT CSAIL / Robust Robotics Group, Google X (Project Wing)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BS in Mechanical Engineering, Franklin Olin College of Engineering, SM in Aeronautics and Astronautics (Computer Science & AI), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- **Known for:** Two-time national champion in R/C airplane aerobatics (by age 18), Co-captain of MIT Cycling Team; led team to 2012 national championship, Named to MIT Technology Review TR35 (35 Innovators Under 35) in 2016

## Career timeline

- **2007** — Interned at Air Force Research Laboratory, researching flight path planning and serving as autopilot test pilot
- **2008-2010** — Robotics engineer at ROCONA for ~18 months, developing autonomous robotic tractors
- **2010-2012** — Graduate research at MIT's Robust Robotics Group, pioneering autonomous flight for drones; Best Paper Finalist at ICRA
- **2012-2014** — Joined Google X, co-founded Project Wing (Google's autonomous drone delivery program)
- **2014** — Co-founded Skydio with Abe Bachrach and Matt Donahoe; declined acquisition offer from DJI
- **2018** — Launched Skydio R1, the first fully autonomous consumer drone
- **2019** — Launched Skydio R2
- **2020** — Launched Skydio X2 for enterprise and military; advanced to U.S. Army procurement finals
- **2021** — Skydio raises $170M Series D; achieves unicorn status at $1B+ valuation; Bry appointed to FAA Drone Advisory Committee
- **2023** — Raises $230M Series E at $2.2B valuation; exits consumer market to focus on defense, public safety, and enterprise
- **2024** — Beijing sanctions Skydio after company supplies Taiwan's National Fire Agency; Bry testifies before U.S. Congress on drone policy
- **2026** — Raises $110M Series F at $4.4B valuation; announces $3.5B U.S. manufacturing expansion (Skyforge); production tripled

## Achievements

- Two-time national champion in R/C airplane aerobatics (by age 18)
- Co-captain of MIT Cycling Team; led team to 2012 national championship
- Named to MIT Technology Review TR35 (35 Innovators Under 35) in 2016
- Named to Smithsonian's 8 Innovators to Watch in 2017
- Best Paper Finalist at International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)
- Co-founded Google's Project Wing drone delivery program
- Built Skydio from a 3-person startup to a $4.4B company with 850+ employees
- Deployed 60,000+ autonomous drones to 4,000+ enterprise customers worldwide
- Secured contracts with every branch of the U.S. military
- Testified before U.S. Congress on drone technology and national security
- Member of FAA Drone Advisory Committee (since 2021)
- Rebuilt Skydio's supply chain outside China after Beijing sanctions

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Skydio raises $110M Series F at $4.4B valuation; announces $3.5B U.S. manufacturing expansion called Skyforge, with a new facility 5x larger than current production space
- **2026-04** — Skydio reports tripled production in 2026, with $52M single orders becoming routine; company serves 4,000+ enterprise customers including every U.S. military branch
- **2026-03** — Adam Bry delivers Fireside Chat at MIT LIDS on autonomous flight, AI, and Skydio's role in national security
- **2024-10** — Beijing sanctions Skydio after company supplies Taiwan's National Fire Agency; Bry rebuilds supply chain outside China
- **2024-06** — Adam Bry testifies before U.S. Congress on autonomous drones and national security

## Links

- Website: https://skydio.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-bry-a5788582
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/adampbry

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/adam-bry
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-13