{"id":34382,"date":"2026-02-21T13:18:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T21:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/eric-trump-invests-in-1-5b-drone-manufacturer-construction-merger\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T13:18:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T21:18:43","slug":"eric-trump-invests-in-1-5b-drone-manufacturer-construction-merger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/eric-trump-invests-in-1-5b-drone-manufacturer-construction-merger\/","title":{"rendered":"Eric Trump invests in $1.5B drone manufacturer, construction merger"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<h3>Dive Brief:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Eric Trump is one of a handful of investors backing drone manufacturer Xtend and real estate development and construction company JFB Construction Holdings\u2019 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/investors.jfbconstruction.net\/pr\/jfb-and-xtend-announce-15b-business-combination-to-establish-a-nasdaqlisted-us-leader-in-aidriven-autonomous-defense-robotics\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>$1.5 billion merger agreement<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, according to a press release on Tuesday.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Investors include drone maker Unusual Machines. Eric\u2019s brother, Donald Trump Jr., is a stakeholder and serves on <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/sec.irpass.cc\/2958\/0001683168-24-008412.htm#:~:text=Donald%20Trump%20Jr.%20Joins%20Unusual%20Machines%20as%20an%20Advisor\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Unusual Machines\u2019 advisory board<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The deal includes a $152 million investment commitment, $42 million of which was agreed to fund at signing, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/app.quotemedia.com\/data\/downloadFiling?webmasterId=130286&amp;ref=319784012&amp;type=PDF&amp;cdn=48404fd45db5dac5b923f1cc63bc89c0&amp;formType=425&amp;formDescription=Prospectuses+and+communications%2C+business+combinations&amp;dateFiled=2026-02-17&amp;cik=2024306#page=50\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>according to a securities filing<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. The pending merger is anticipated to close in mid-2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Dive Insight:<\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Other investors backing the merger include real estate and investment firm American Ventures, Israel-based defense private equity company Protego Ventures, investment management firm Aliya Capital, and investment firm Agostinelli Group.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Once the transaction closes, the joint company will be renamed Xtend AI Robotics and listed on Nasdaq under the ticker XTND, per the press release.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The merger plan will also expand its global drone footprint in India, Mexico, Germany, the<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>United Arab Emirates, and Japan, according to the securities filing.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Xtend was established in 2018 and is based in Tel Aviv, Israel. The company produces autonomous drones using artificial intelligence software for the defense and security industries.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Israel\u2019s military uses Xtend\u2019s drones for various purposes in Gaza, such as exploring inside buildings or using robotic arms to carry an adhesive explosive to blow open doors and drop grenades, CEO and co-founder <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/middle-east\/small-drones-are-helping-israel-navigate-the-urban-battlefield-in-gaza-293b1de4?mod=article_inline#:~:text=Aviv%20Shapira%2C%20the%20Israeli%20co%2Dfounder%20and%20CEO%20of%20drone%20company%20XTEND%2C\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Aviv Shapira told the Wall Street Journal<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> in December 2023.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The manufacturer established a U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/il\/news-releases\/xtend-reality-inc-debuts-new-us-headquarters-and-drone-production-facility-in-tampa-driving-innovation-and-national-security-302496242.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>in Tampa, Florida, in July 2025<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> to support the U.S. defense sector and growing demand.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The company had a partnership with Israel\u2019s Ministry of Defense, according to a <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20251213185043\/https:\/\/www.xtend.me\/resources\/xtend-why-we-invested-and-the\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>now-deleted page<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> on the company\u2019s website. Through the partnership, Xtend provided its Skylord drone model as part of an initiative to assist the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.xtend.me\/resources\/in-partnership-with-israels-ministry-of-defense-the-department-of-defense-has-contracted-with-xtend-for-a-new-small-unmanned-aircraft-system-suas\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>U.S. Army Special Forces Operations in 2020<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.xtend.me\/resources\/xtend-wins-a-multi-million-dollar-u-s-department-of-war-dow-contract-to-develop-and-deliver-ai-enabled-affordable-close-quarter-modular-one-way-attack-drone-owa-kit\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Department of Defense also awarded Xtend<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> an undisclosed multimillion-dollar, firm-fixed-price contract in November 2025. This type of contract places the maximum risk and responsibility for all costs on the company and minimizes the administrative burden on the U.S. government, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dau.edu\/glossary\/firm-fixed-price-contracts\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>according to the Defense Acquisition University.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Xtend will supply DOD\u2019s small tactical team operators with \u201clethal\u201d unarmed aerial drones to assist in precision strikes and survivability amid \u201cirregular\u201d warfare operations in complex terrain and rural confined spaces, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.xtend.me\/resources\/xtend-wins-a-multi-million-dollar-u-s-department-of-war-dow-contract-to-develop-and-deliver-ai-enabled-affordable-close-quarter-modular-one-way-attack-drone-owa-kit\" target=\"_blank\">per the company\u2019s press release<\/a>. Xtend will also provide training, spares, maintenance and production from its Tampa facility.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The DOD contract aligns with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth\u2019s drone directive issued in July 2025, aiming to provide the agency \u201clethality at low cost-per-kill,\u201d the drone maker said in the release.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Additionally, Hegseth\u2019s directive supports President Donald Trump\u2019s executive order to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/06\/unleashing-american-drone-dominance\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>expedite domestic drone production<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, strengthen the supply chain and reduce the United States\u2019 reliance on foreign countries.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Furthermore, Xtend is <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.war.gov\/News\/Releases\/Release\/Article\/4396462\/war-department-announces-vendors-invited-to-compete-in-phase-i-of-the-drone-dom\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>one of 25 vendors that DOD<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> selected to participate in the agency\u2019s Drone Dominance Program, an acquisition reform effort aimed at accelerating the scaling of attack drones at low cost. The program also supports the \u201cArsenal of Freedom,\u201d a blueprint to rebuild the defense industrial base under DOD\u2019s New Acquisition Transformation strategy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWhat drew us to XTEND is the strength and scalability of its AI-driven operating system,\u201d JFB CEO Joseph Basile III said in a statement. \u201cBy pairing Xtend\u2019s operating system and advanced AI capabilities with JFB\u2019s execution, infrastructure, and buildout expertise, we see a clear opportunity to accelerate US manufacturing, scale production responsibly, and support a next-generation defense technology platform built in America and ready for the public markets.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In addition to the Trump brothers\u2019 involvement, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/app.quotemedia.com\/data\/downloadFiling?webmasterId=130286&amp;ref=319783067&amp;type=HTML&amp;cdn=be1b4a1aef5ef835d5f3a8cda49c57e1&amp;formType=8-K&amp;formDescription=Current+report+pursuant+to+Section+13+or+15%28d%29&amp;dateFiled=2026-02-17&amp;cik=2024306\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>JFB appointed Stefan Passantino<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u00a0to serve as a board member, according to a Feb. 13 securities filing. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/millerstrategies.com\/who-we-are\/stefan-passantino\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Passantino served <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>as deputy assistant to the president and deputy counsel during Trump\u2019s first term in the White House.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/eric-trump-15-billion-jfb-xtend-ai-merger-construction-drone-defense\/812676\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Dive Brief: Eric Trump is one of a handful of investors backing drone manufacturer Xtend and real estate development &#8230; <a title=\"Eric Trump invests in $1.5B drone manufacturer, construction merger\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/eric-trump-invests-in-1-5b-drone-manufacturer-construction-merger\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Eric Trump invests in $1.5B drone manufacturer, construction merger\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[457],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-dive","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34382\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}