South Korea’s Vololand Signs Strategic R&D Agreement with U.S. Agricultural Drone Leader Hylio at AUVSI Xponential 2025

South Korea’s technology sourcing firm Vololand Co., Ltd. has signed a strategic joint research and development agreement with Hylio, the largest agricultural drone company in the United States, to collaborate on drone systems for agricultural and defense applications. The agreement was signed during AUVSI Xponential 2025, the world’s largest unmanned systems exhibition, held in Houston, Texas.

Through this partnership, the two companies aim to accelerate the development of innovative drone systems for both agricultural and defense sectors. As part of the agreement, Hylio is expected to place an order worth approximately $1 million for Korean-made drone components through Vololand. These components include flight controllers (FC), GPS modules, electronic speed controllers (ESC), motors, propellers, batteries, and ground control systems (GCS), contributing to the advancement of Korea’s drone industry.

In addition, Hylio plans to adopt Korean FPV (First Person View) drone systems supplied by Vololand to enhance operational efficiency.

Vololand, which was awarded the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award in 2024 for its contributions to Korea’s drone delivery sector, holds more than 20 patents across Korea and the U.S. The company is also developing next-generation K-motors and battery management systems (BMS) aimed at improving the flight performance and efficiency of medium-to-large drones.

Vololand recently earned a TCB T3 technology credit rating from Korea Enterprise Data (KODATA) and secured investment from deep-tech venture capital firm BLT & Partners inc., as it moves forward with plans for a NASDAQ IPO. The agreement was largely facilitated by Daniel Laburda, Chief Marketing Officer of Vololand USA, the company’s U.S. subsidiary.