Harris Aerial, Skyline Nav AI, and UtopiaCompression win “Pitch the Press” at Commercial UAV Expo 2026
Top Products and Solutions Selected by Leading UAV Industry Journalists
Las Vegas, NV, September 3, 2026 – Harris Aerial, Skyline Nav AI, and UtopiaCompression have been named the three winners of the annual “Pitch the Press” competition at Commercial UAV Expo, the leading international trade show and conference focused on commercial drone technology.
Each year, Commercial UAV Expo hosts “Pitch the Press,” a unique opportunity for exhibitors to present their products to a group of editors and reporters looking for the most unique new technology being showcased at Commercial UAV Expo. Fourteen exhibitors were selected from a large pool of applicants to share their new product or service during the one-hour event. Each exhibitor gave a two-minute elevator pitch to members of the media, followed by a short Q&A.
This year’s judges included David Oakes, Editor at US Drone Review, Haye Kesteloo, Owner of DroneXL.CO, and Patrick Egan, CEO of sUAS News USA. During “Pitch the Press,” these judges listened to two-minute pitches from the company representative. They then evaluated the presentations, looking for innovation and potential for ROI, to select the top three.
The 2026 winners are:
- Harris Aerial
- Skyline Nav AI
- UtopiaCompression Corporation
“The presentations, and the buzz around them, at this year’s Pitch the Press was one of the highlights of the day,” said Matt Collins, Content Manager with Commercial UAV News, who served as the moderator for the event. “In particular, the technology showcased by the three winning companies were solutions filling real needs in the current market. It is inspiring to see where the technology is today, putting the entire industry in a position to thrive both in the present and into the future.”
What stood out to the judges most was Harris Aerial’s humble beginnings and current commitment to stateside manufacturing, noting that this represents a huge shift in the market. They also appreciated that the product was a complete system. The company presented their newest product to hit the market later this year, the H4C Quad: a compact, medium-lift drone that is NDAA compliant and payload agnostic at an affordable price. The judges pointed out the importance of the mission behind Skyline Nav AI’s Pathfinder Edge. This lightweight, plug-and-play hardware box provides precise, GPS-independent navigation for drones using advanced computer navigation will be an essential tool for public safety missions. The value that UtopiaCompression’s Aero Vision Detect to the greater innovation in the industry was clear, recognizing that as the amount of drone traffic increases, aircraft detection is critical.
Below is a complete list of companies that took part in Pitch the Press:
- Amazon
- EagleNXT
- EVBots
- GeoCue
- Infinite Electronics
- RIEGL
- TENSAR
- ThinkOrbital
- UAS Sentry
- Unmanned Safety Institute
- WEFLO
- Flyguys
About Commercial UAV Expo
Commercial UAV Expo, presented by Commercial UAV News, is an international conference and expo exclusively focused on commercial UAS integration and operation. The event will take place September 1-3, 2026, at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, NV. For more information, visit www.expouav.com.
Commercial UAV Expo is produced by Diversified’s technology portfolio, which also includes Commercial UAV News, Geo Week, Geo Week News, Geo Business (UK), and Digital Construction Week (UK).
For more information about exhibiting at Commercial UAV Expo, visit the exhibitor information page or contact Carmella Perrone, Sales Manager, at cperrone@divcom.com or +1-207-842-5646. For information on attending, visit www.expouav.com or email info@expouav.com.
Media Contact:
Jason Lavigne
Marketing Manager, Commercial UAV Expo jlavigne@divcom.com
