With more than $3 million in total funding from their Startengine campaigns, xCraft is gaining traction in a variety of industries from defense and mining to mapping and surveying. The history of the company tells a story beyond American-made unmanned aerial vehicles. It shares the passion behind the project – a childhood dream of co-founder JD Claridge.
The Early Years
From a very early age, JD Claridge had his head in the clouds. With a passion for flight and flying things, JD was building model aircraft and affixing wings to his toys as early as 5 years old! His passion led him to study Aerospace and Electrical engineering in college. In elementary school, JD would sell candy to classmates to earn money to support his aircraft hobby. This led him to discovering his second life long passion – entrepreneurship.
After more than a decade working in and on airplanes, xCraft was born out of passion for flight and a desire to change the world.
Disrupting The Current Market
Together with co-founder Charles Manning, JD has worked to develop innovative vehicles for the UAV market. Aside from conducting all the research and development in America, JD is proud to manufacture these drones locally in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. With a skilled staff and a successful Startengine Campaign, xCraft is poised to be the industry leader for American-made UAV.
JD approached his business the same way he approaches his personal decisions – with a deep integrity and a perseverance.
“I always remind my team, the only failure is to quit, and they’ve taken that upon themselves to never stop developing our products and creating the best solutions for our customers. I’m continually humbled and honored to get to work with this team.”
The Future of xCraft
Much like the caliber of his childhood inventions, JD set his sights high for xCraft’s future. He believes that the future of the drone industry can be found within the four walls of the xCraft laboratory. With a passion for quiet, flying cars while allowing true competition with existing ground-based transportation approaches. The future holds limitless potential when it comes to UAV’s. With strong leadership and a clear mission, xCraft plans to capitalize on that.
Stay Informed As xCraft Grows
Since its inception, xCraft has been on the front lines of development and integration between drones and the commercial sector. They continue to advance the drone industry when it comes to solving issues around flight-time, payload, autonomy, and surveillance capabilities.
America’s Drone Company is rapidly staking its claim on the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Industry! Stay up to date on the latest developments in the company and the industry here.
