XTI Aerospace Taps Drone Expert for Board, Deepening Unmanned Focus

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – January 22, 2026 – XTI Aerospace, Inc. (Nasdaq: XTIA) has signaled a decisive deepening of its commitment to the unmanned aircraft market with the election of drone and geospatial intelligence executive Clinton J. Weber to its Board of Directors. The move, announced today, follows the company's transformative acquisition of Drone Nerds in late 2025 and marks a significant strategic pivot for the firm, which has historically been known for its ambitious TriFan 600 vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft program.

Weber's appointment, confirmed at the company's annual shareholder meeting on December 30, 2025, equips the board with a leader whose experience is directly aligned with XTI's new primary focus: scaling its unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) platform for enterprise and government customers.

A Strategic Appointment for a New Era

Clinton J. Weber brings a unique and timely blend of operational, financial, and specialized drone industry expertise to XTI's leadership. His background is seen as critical for guiding the company as it navigates the rapidly expanding and fiercely competitive drone sector.

Currently, Weber serves as the Chief Financial Officer for both Prius Intelli, LLC, an aerial imagery and geospatial intelligence firm, and its subsidiary, Synetos Aerospace. In these capacities, he is deeply involved in business development and financial strategy for technologies at the forefront of the UAS industry. Synetos Aerospace, for instance, is developing "MedullOS," an AI-driven flight augmentation system designed to enhance uncrewed aircraft safety, a project that recently secured a $1.25 million contract from the U.S. Air Force's AFWERX program. His work provides him with direct experience in drone-based data acquisition and advanced aerospace applications.

"As we continue to sharpen our focus on the drone and unmanned aircraft markets, Clinton's experience operating within drone-enabled aerospace platforms and geospatial intelligence businesses is exceptionally valuable," said Scott Pomeroy, Chief Executive Officer of XTI Aerospace, in a statement. "He understands both civilian and defense-related aviation environments. This expertise, combined with his background in finance and investments, will support our strategic decision-making as we navigate a rapidly evolving UAS landscape."

Weber's career path reflects a rare convergence of skills. He began his professional life as a tactical jet pilot in the United States Marine Corps, giving him foundational knowledge of mission-critical aviation operations. He later transitioned to the world of finance, holding senior investment roles at Trinity Investment Management and Corbett Capital, where he focused on capital allocation, private equity, and complex investment structures. This dual expertise in the cockpit and the boardroom provides a comprehensive perspective on both the technological potential and financial realities of the aerospace industry.

The Drone Nerds Acquisition: A Foundational Pivot

Weber's appointment is best understood in the context of XTI's most significant strategic move to date: the acquisition of Drone Nerds, LLC in November 2025. The deal, valued at approximately $40 million, fundamentally reshaped XTI from a pre-revenue research and development firm into a major player in the drone solutions market.

Drone Nerds, a profitable company with reported revenues exceeding $100 million in 2024, is one of the largest enterprise drone solutions providers in North America. The acquisition provided XTI with an immediate, substantial revenue stream, a seasoned team with deep UAS knowledge, and a decade-long track record of success across sectors like public safety, energy, construction, and agriculture.

Financially, the acquisition was transformative. Prior to the deal, XTI's twelve-month revenue was approximately $4.6 million. With Drone Nerds integrated, analysts now forecast a revenue increase of over 400% for the 2025 fiscal year. The purchase was funded through a combination of cash, promissory notes, and equity, and was immediately followed by a $25 million strategic investment from Unusual Machines Inc. (UMAC), a manufacturer of NDAA-compliant drone components.

This strategic pivot provides XTI with the financial stability and market presence needed to compete effectively, a stark contrast to the capital-intensive, long-horizon development of its VTOL aircraft.

Navigating a Shifting Regulatory Landscape

The timing of XTI's pivot appears particularly astute. The U.S. drone market is undergoing a seismic shift driven by new federal regulations. On December 22, 2025, a new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule took effect, prohibiting the authorization of new equipment from foreign drone manufacturers deemed a national security risk. This action, targeting future hardware, effectively blocks many foreign-made drones from being legally sold in the U.S.

This regulatory change, combined with a White House executive order promoting domestic drone development, is creating a significant tailwind for U.S.-based and NDAA-compliant drone solution providers. XTI, through its Drone Nerds subsidiary, is well-positioned to capitalize on this shift. Drone Nerds has an OEM-agnostic approach and has been actively cultivating relationships with domestic manufacturers, including its strategic investor UMAC, to offer compliant alternatives to its enterprise and government clients.

The company is planning to host an investor town hall on February 5, 2026, to detail its UAS growth roadmap and plans to expand further into the defense and national security sectors, directly addressing the market opportunities created by these new regulations.

The Future of the TriFan 600

While the company's immediate focus and resources are now directed toward the drone market, XTI has not abandoned its long-term vision for vertical flight. The XTI Aircraft division continues to house the development of the TriFan 600, a six-seat VTOL aircraft designed to fly with the speed and range of a business jet.

Throughout 2025, the TriFan 600 program achieved several key milestones, including the formal acceptance of its Type Certification application by the FAA, the finalization of its digital structural model, and the successful flight testing of multiple subscale prototypes. The company holds over 700 conditional pre-orders for the aircraft, representing a potential value of approximately $7 billion.

However, in a move reflecting financial discipline, XTI has announced it is reducing spending on the TriFan 600 program to its "lowest practical level." The company's leadership has framed this as a strategic prioritization. By building a strong financial foundation with the profitable and growing Drone Nerds business, XTI aims to preserve the TriFan 600's intellectual property and certification progress while seeking non-dilutive funding and strategic partnerships to advance the capital-intensive project in the future. This dual-track strategy allows the company to pursue immediate market opportunities in the UAS space while keeping its revolutionary VTOL ambitions viable for the long term.