Two people work together on assembling and adjusting a robotic hand at a desk covered with electronic components, wires, and circuit boards.
Business Programs

Robotics and Drones

Globally, the drone market is projected to grow to $340 billion and the robotics sector to $910 billion by 2040.

New York City is part of this growth story: in the period from 2016-2024, VCs invested nearly $2.5B into New York City-based robotics and drones companies.

With a robust innovation ecosystem, a dense urban environment, access to capital, and a diverse and highly skilled talent pool, New York City aims to ensure that the future of this technology isn’t just brought here—but built here.

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A person in a yellow hard hat and blue workwear holds a drone up toward the sky, standing near a large wind turbine on a clear day.
By The Numbers
$2.5B

VC Funding to NYC’s robotics and drones sector from 2016-2024

A man wearing a robotic exoskeleton suit bends forward while a woman in white medical attire assists him in a bright room with large windows.
By The Numbers
8+

Piloting programs for robotics and drone entrepreneurs in NYC

A Pliant underwater drone moves along the bottom of a clear swimming pool, with small debris and a drain cover visible on the pool floor. Sunlight creates rippling patterns on the water.
By The Numbers
10+

Engineering schools based in New York City

A person in a yellow hard hat and blue workwear holds a drone up toward the sky, standing near a large wind turbine on a clear day.
By The Numbers
8+

Piloting programs for robotics and drone entrepreneurs in NYC

By The Numbers
$2.5B

VC Funding to NYC’s robotics and drones sector from 2016-2024

A Pliant underwater drone moves along the bottom of a clear swimming pool, with small debris and a drain cover visible on the pool floor. Sunlight creates rippling patterns on the water.
A man wearing a robotic exoskeleton suit bends forward while a woman in white medical attire assists him in a bright room with large windows.
By The Numbers
10+

Engineering schools based in New York City

From autonomous aerial inspections to robotic systems in advanced manufacturing, we’re building the infrastructure and partnerships to make NYC a global leader in drones and robotics by:

  • Enabling pilot projects for aerial and water robotics in collaboration with city agencies through unique opportunities like Pilots at BAT.
  • Expanding access to robotics labs, fabrication tools, and industrial R&D space through investments in cutting-edge fabrication and lab spaces at locations like BATWorks.
  • Connecting startups with public sector challenges through partnerships with innovation platforms like Newlab’s DOT Partnership.
  • Investing in workforce development to train New Yorkers for high-growth careers in AI, and robotics through programming like the Startup Internship Program and Tech:NYC's Decoded Futures program.

Beyond developing the sector more broadly, the City itself was an early adopter of these new technologies. Drones and robotics have kept New Yorkers safer, from patrolling beaches for sharks (NYC Emergency Management) to managing crises like the 2024 Prospect Park Brush Fire (Fire Department New York) and enabling the inspection of building facades for structural integrity (Department of Buildings).

Programs

A sleek bike storage pod with a green bicycle symbol, Oonee Mini, is positioned under the large steel Manhattan Bridge at dusk. The sky is transitioning to night, with city lights illuminating the background. Benches and a streetlamp are nearby.
Pilot: New York City
Exterior rendering of BATWorks shows a white NYC Ferry with passengers sailing along the waterfront. Behind it, a large tan building labeled BATWorks stands, with a green lawn, people walking, and trees in front. The sky is partly cloudy.
BATWorks
Aerial view of Brooklyn Army Terminal, a large waterfront warehouse complex with numerous parking lots filled with cars. The area is surrounded by industrial buildings, green spaces, and docks extending into the water.
Pilots at BAT
Two men sit at a desk in a modern office, collaborating as they look at a computer screen filled with code. Papers, notebooks, and a water bottle are on the desk, and other people work in the background.
Greenlight Innovation Fund
A diverse group of 18 people, both men and women, stand together indoors, posing and smiling for a group photo. They are dressed in business and business-casual attire.
Founder Fellowship
Aerial rendering of Climate Innovation Hub at Brooklyn Army Terminal showing a waterfront area with boats docked, a parking lot, buildings, and a distant NYC skyline in the background.
Harbor Climate Collaborative

What’s Next?

To further support these sectors, NYCEDC wants to better understand the landscape of companies in this realm to accelerate corporate innovation and integrate cutting-edge technology into servicing the city's infrastructure. For example, using drones for structural inspections and climate resiliency monitoring, the City can enhance data collection and improve efficiency while ensuring the safety of workers and residents and cost effectiveness.

Join the NYCEDC Network

The next Interest Form Packet will be distributed in the spring of 2026.

Join the NYCEDC Network

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