LightPath Technologies has secured $8 million in strategic funding from two major drone industry players — Ondas Holdings and Unusual Machines — to accelerate development of its optics and thermal imaging systems for drone applications, including use in ecommerce logistics networks.

The private placement calls for each investor to purchase $4 million of LightPath’s Class A common stock, totaling 1.6 million shares, at $5.00 per share. It expects the transaction to close around Sept. 17, pending customary conditions. LightPath said it will use the proceeds to:

• Fund commercialization initiatives.
• Support working capital.
• Expand production of lightweight, lower-cost thermal camera systems for drones.

LightPath is a business-to-business (B2B) company. It provides specialized optical and thermal imaging solutions to defense, aerospace, medical, and industrial customers. It does not operate as a consumer-facing ecommerce retailer. Instead, it sells directly to other businesses — often designing custom optical components and assemblies to meet original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) specifications.

While LightPath does not run a traditional consumer ecommerce site, it maintains a professional online presence highlighting its product lines and capabilities. That includes contact channels for business inquiries. Some subsidiaries, such as ISP Optics, operate specialized sales platforms for purchasing niche products. But these are targeted at professional buyers rather than general retail consumers. The company also regularly engages in strategic business transactions and partnerships, as demonstrated by this new private placement deal with Ondas and Unusual Machines.

How LightPath will use its new funding

LightPath is positioning its proprietary BlackDiamond glass as a U.S.-made alternative to Germanium, a material widely used in infrared camera lenses that has been subject to export restrictions from China. The company says its technology can reduce the size, weight, and cost of drone-mounted cameras. It says that would enable wider use in commercial and government settings — from inspecting warehouses and logistics hubs to supporting autonomous delivery networks.

Eric Brock, chairman and CEO of Ondas, said LightPath’s technology could expand the capabilities of the autonomous drone and counter-drone systems Ondas provides to customers in rail, energy, public safety, and government markets.

“LightPath’s innovative offering enables reduction in size, weight, and cost of camera systems, which ultimately provide new capabilities that expand the use case for our products,” Brock said.

Allan Evans, CEO of Unusual Machines, said demand for drones is rising across sectors. The defense sector it driving much of the growth, he said. He noted that Germanium supply constraints are pushing the industry toward alternative materials and domestic manufacturing.

“Our focus on U.S. drone manufacturing complements LightPath’s proprietary BlackDiamond Glass, a made-in-the-USA, cost-effective alternative to Germanium,” Evans said. “And we look forward to growing this partnership.”

LightPath CEO Sam Rubin called the investments a “strategic milestone.” The company moves to expand its presence in the fast-growing drone sector, he said.

“Through these partnerships, we will leverage our complementary strengths to advance the use of infrared cameras for customers in commercial, defense and government sectors,” Rubin said. He added that drone-mounted cameras offer “powerful capabilities” for locating people, inspecting infrastructure, and supporting industrial and logistics operations.

LightPath said it plans to discuss the new partnerships and broader commercialization efforts during its upcoming earnings call.

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