From Flight to Fabrication: XTI's Drone Nerds Bets on 3D Printing

MIAMI, FL – December 08, 2025 – In a market saturated with lookalike drone distributors, one company is making a calculated move beyond the aircraft itself. Drone Nerds, a subsidiary of the diversified technology firm XTI Aerospace (Nasdaq: XTIA), has just inked a strategic partnership with 3D printing giant Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology. While on the surface it appears to be a simple portfolio expansion, a deeper look reveals a shrewd maneuver to build an integrated ecosystem for creation, customization, and industrial problem-solving.

The deal brings Creality’s full suite of 3D printers, scanners, and laser engravers into the Drone Nerds fold. For a company that has built its reputation on distributing unmanned aerial systems (UAS), this pivot into digital fabrication is a significant signal. It suggests a strategic shift from simply selling flying hardware to empowering users to design, modify, and maintain it.

“3D printing and scanning represent a natural extension of the innovation ecosystem that Drone Nerds supports,” said Alex Nafissy, Co-Founder of Drone Nerds, in the official announcement. This partnership isn't just about adding new SKUs to an online store; it’s about fundamentally changing the relationship between the user and their technology.

Powering the Next Generation of Creators

The most immediate impact of this partnership will be felt in the consumer and prosumer markets. Creality commands a dominant 47% revenue share in the entry-level 3D printer space, making it a household name among hobbyists and makers. By offering accessible models like the Ender-3 V3 SE - a sub-$200 printer lauded for its beginner-friendly features - Drone Nerds is directly targeting the DIY drone community.

This community thrives on customization. From printing custom mounts for GoPro cameras and specialized sensors to fabricating stronger landing gear or protective propeller guards, the ability to create bespoke parts is a core part of the hobby. Previously, this required sourcing printers and materials from separate ecosystems. By integrating these tools, Drone Nerds creates a one-stop shop for drone enthusiasts who are, as Nafissy noted, “creators at heart.”

Beyond simple accessories, the partnership opens the door for cost-effective repairs and modifications. A crashed drone no longer means a costly order for proprietary replacement parts; it presents an opportunity to print a new arm or frame component, often for pennies on the dollar. This democratizes maintenance and extends the lifecycle of the hardware, fostering a more sustainable and engaged user base. The inclusion of high-performance multi-color printers like the Hi Combo and the flagship K2 series further allows serious makers to produce complex, professional-grade parts, blurring the line between hobbyist and small-scale entrepreneur.

Forging an Industrial Advantage

While the creator angle is compelling, the true strategic value for XTI Aerospace lies in the enterprise applications. Drone Nerds has established a strong foothold in industrial verticals including public safety, construction, agriculture, and energy. The Creality partnership equips these clients with powerful tools for rapid innovation and operational efficiency.

Consider a public safety agency using a drone for search and rescue. With a Creality printer like the K2 Pro, which features an actively heated chamber capable of handling engineering-grade filaments, the agency can rapidly prototype and produce a custom mount for a new thermal camera or a specialized payload drop mechanism. This in-house capability slashes development time from weeks or months to mere hours, enabling teams to adapt their equipment to mission-specific needs on the fly.

In construction and energy, where drones are used for inspections in remote and rugged environments, equipment downtime is costly. The ability to 3D print a replacement part on-site using a portable setup can be a game-changer, turning a multi-day delay into a minor inconvenience. Furthermore, Creality's Raptor Pro 3D scanner allows enterprises to capture precise digital models of existing parts for replication or of complex environments for creating custom-fit components, closing the loop from scanning to design to fabrication.

“This partnership expands the tools available to enterprise teams and enables them to design, replicate, and refine drone-related solutions with remarkable flexibility and speed,” noted Jeremy Schneiderman, CEO of Drone Nerds. This isn't just about selling more products; it's about embedding Drone Nerds deeper into the operational workflow of its most valuable clients, transforming it from a vendor into an indispensable innovation partner.

The View from XTI Aerospace

Zooming out, this deal is a key piece in the larger strategic puzzle being assembled by parent company XTI Aerospace. XTIA is not just a drone company; its portfolio includes the ambitious TriFan 600, a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) business aircraft, and Inpixon, a leader in Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) for industrial facilities. This partnership reinforces XTI's identity as a diversified technology holding company, not just an aerospace developer.

The TriFan 600 represents a long-term, high-capital, high-reward venture. In contrast, the Drone Nerds business, now enhanced with Creality's product line, provides a more immediate and stable revenue stream. It grounds the company's futuristic vision with a practical, cash-flowing operation that addresses current market needs. This balanced portfolio approach is crucial for investor confidence, demonstrating an ability to execute in the near term while pursuing moonshot projects.

There are also clear synergies. The expertise in digital fabrication and rapid prototyping gained through this partnership could provide invaluable insights and capabilities for the R&D efforts within XTI Aircraft. Furthermore, the combination of Inpixon's RTLS for tracking assets in a factory and Creality's printers for producing parts on demand sketches a vision of the smart, agile factory of the future - a concept that could be leveraged across XTI's entire industrial client base. By bringing digital fabrication into its ecosystem, XTI Aerospace is building a more resilient and interconnected technology platform, where innovations in one subsidiary can cross-pollinate and strengthen the others.