ZenaTech: Building the Infrastructure for the Autonomous Drone Economy

An Impact Wealth Magazine Interview with Linda Montgomery and Jim Sherman

As drones evolve from experimental tools into mission-critical infrastructure, the companies shaping their real-world deployment are increasingly defined not by hardware alone, but by execution, integration, and scale.

In this in-depth conversation, ZenaTech executives Linda Montgomery, Head of Corporate Development and Investor Relations, and Jim Sherman discuss how the company is building a diversified drone platform—spanning manufacturing, Drone-as-a-Service, and enterprise software—while positioning for long-term growth across commercial, government, and defense markets.

Impact Wealth: Linda, before we dive into the business, what drew you to ZenaTech, and what excites you most about where the company is heading right now?

Linda Montgomery: What drew me to ZenaTech was the clarity of vision at a very pivotal moment for the industry. I joined about a year and a half ago, shortly before the company went public, and it was immediately clear that the strategy was well-defined and grounded in real market opportunity.

We’re seeing drones move into applications that are no longer experimental—they’re replacing or enhancing manual, lower-tech processes and making work safer, more precise, and more data-driven. At the same time, regulation is evolving in a way that supports broader adoption. When you combine that with advances in AI, data processing, and autonomous systems, it creates a very compelling growth environment.

What excites me most is that all aspects of the company—technology, operations, acquisitions, and talent—are coming together very quickly to meet what we believe is a very large and still underpenetrated market.

IW: Can you give us a recap of what ZenaTech does today and what truly differentiates the company in the drone and AI ecosystem?

Linda Montgomery: ZenaTech operates across three integrated business areas.

First, we design and manufacture drones through our ZenaDrone division. Second, we are building a Drone-as-a-Service business with both national and international ambitions. And third, we have an enterprise SaaS software business that has been operating for years and continues to generate revenue.

What differentiates us is how these elements work together. Our software development capabilities aren’t just a legacy business—they’re central to how our drones operate, how data is captured, and how insights are delivered. We’re applying those skills directly to drone solutions, which is relatively unique in the industry.

In addition, very few companies are attempting to build a large-scale, geographically distributed Drone-as-a-Service platform the way we are, particularly one that serves both commercial and government customers.

IW: If investors remember only three things about ZenaTech, what should they be?

Jim Sherman: The first is that we’re adapting drone technology to do real, practical jobs in industry. Many companies focus on selling drones, but we’re focused on delivering solutions, using drones to transform how work actually gets done.

Second, Drone-as-a-Service is fundamentally changing traditional industries by introducing automation and data where it hasn’t existed before, and we’re early leaders in that approach.

Linda Montgomery: And third, diversification. Some of our peers focus exclusively on defense, which can involve long development and procurement cycles. We’re active in defense, but we’re also generating revenue today through Drone-as-a-Service and enterprise software. That diversified model allows us to grow while we pursue longer-term opportunities.

IW: Looking at your drone business segments, what are the primary applications and customer profiles, and how do you view growth prospects across those verticals?

Linda Montgomery: Drone-as-a-Service is a major growth driver for us. Many businesses don’t want to manage the upfront cost, training, maintenance, or regulatory complexity of owning drones, so we provide a turnkey service.

We’ve built this business by acquiring land survey and engineering firms and integrating drones into their workflows. This dramatically improves speed, accuracy, and safety, particularly for industries that rely heavily on inspections and surveys.

Our customers include construction and infrastructure firms, utilities, telecommunications companies, and government agencies. Beyond land surveying, we’re expanding into power line inspections, cell tower maintenance, power washing, forestry management, and additional industrial services.

Geographically, we’re building Drone-as-a-Service locations across Canada, the UK, Ireland, and the Middle East, alongside our North American footprint.

IW: You recently released Q3 results. What were the key highlights, and what should investors focus on beyond the headline numbers?

Jim Sherman: The most important highlight is revenue growth. If you look at our performance quarter over quarter and year over year, revenue is increasing meaningfully, and the plan we announced last year is working.

Linda Montgomery: To put that into context, our total revenue last year was approximately $2 million, all of it from enterprise software. In the first three quarters of this year, revenue reached nearly $8 million, and more than 60% of that came from our drone segment.

That shift reflects real execution and shows that our transformation into a drone-focused platform is already delivering tangible results.

IW: You’ve made several acquisitions to support Drone-as-a-Service. How are you integrating these businesses, and what do the timelines look like?

Jim Sherman: We announced a plan to acquire 25 land surveying firms, and we’re about halfway through that process. We expect to complete it by mid-2026.

The integration is very practical. Licensed engineers already have years of training. By adding drone operation training—often just a few months—we significantly increase their productivity. In many cases, a licensed engineer using drones can effectively double their capacity on commercial surveys.

IW: How scalable is this model geographically and across industries?

Jim Sherman: Very scalable. Land surveying is just the first vertical. We’re already expanding into power washing, inspections, telecommunications, forestry, logistics, and refinery work.

We also have an indoor drone designed for warehouse inventory management, which interacts directly with our software platform. That’s something many competitors don’t offer. Our focus is not simply on flying drones—it’s about collecting data, integrating it with databases, and creating operational value. That’s where the technology becomes truly impactful.

IW: Looking ahead to 2026, what do you hope to achieve overall, and what benchmarks should investors watch?

Jim Sherman: Continued revenue growth is key, along with expansion into additional industries. We’re also focused on growing subscription-based software revenue, which creates recurring value year over year.

Linda Montgomery: We plan to complete all 25 acquisitions by June 30, 2026, continue expanding our Drone-as-a-Service footprint, and improve margins by integrating drones into existing businesses.

On the defense side, we’re engaging with military program managers and expect to announce demonstrations and field trials in early 2026. Those are critical steps toward long-term defense contracts.

IW: Can you tell us more about your R&D initiatives, particularly around drone swarms and quantum technologies?

Linda Montgomery: We have a large R&D team focused on next-generation solutions. Drone swarms are a major area of focus, particularly for applications like wildfire management, traffic monitoring, extreme weather detection, and environmental data collection.

These applications generate enormous volumes of real-time data, which is where quantum computing becomes relevant. We’re exploring how quantum technologies can process complex datasets more efficiently and enhance real-time decision-making as these systems scale.

IW: ZenaTech is growing across engineering, AI, and operations. What makes your leadership team effective, and where are you investing most in talent?

Linda Montgomery: Our founder and CEO, Sean Passley, brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise and strategic vision. That clarity sets the tone for the organization.

Our CFO and CTO bring extensive experience in public-company leadership, engineering, and manufacturing. Many senior team members have worked together for more than a decade, even before ZenaTech was founded in 2017. That continuity allows us to execute quickly and navigate complex challenges effectively.

IW: Finally, where can investors and partners best follow your progress?

Linda Montgomery: They can visit zenatech.com, zenadrone.com, or droneasaservice.com, and follow us on Nasdaq under the ticker ZENA.

Closing Remarks

With accelerating revenue, an expanding Drone-as-a-Service footprint, and advanced R&D initiatives underway, ZenaTech is building far more than drones. It is creating the infrastructure that allows autonomous systems to integrate seamlessly into real-world industries.

By combining diversified revenue streams, disciplined execution, and a leadership team focused on practical deployment, ZenaTech is positioning itself as a long-term platform company in the rapidly evolving autonomous technology landscape.

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