Saildrone vs Skydio
Side-by-side equity comparison for employees weighing offers at Saildrone or Skydio. Valuations, funding history, headcount growth, and secondary-market context.
| Saildrone | Skydio | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest valuation | Not publicly disclosed | $2B |
| Latest round | Series D | Series E |
| Round date | June 2024 | June 2024 |
| Total raised | $350M | $740M |
| Founded | 2012 | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Alameda, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Employees | 245 | 902 |
| Employee YoY growth | +7% | +12% |
| Primary industry | Aerospace & Defense | Robotics & Automation |
| Secondary-market price | — | $8.41 |
| Base-case equity multiple | 1x | 1x |
| Upside equity multiple | 2x | 1x |
| Lead investors | Social Capital, Lux Capital | Andreessen Horowitz, IVP |
| Status | private | private |
Overview
Designs and operates autonomous surface vehicles (uncrewed sailboats) that collect ocean data for climate research, maritime security, and fisheries management.
Manufactures autonomous drones with AI-powered flight and obstacle avoidance for enterprise, public safety, and defense applications.
Why we compare these
Saildrone and Skydio both appear on Defense-tech unicorns .
If you're evaluating offers at either one, the equity math depends on more than the headline valuation — dilution, strike price, time to liquidity, and concentration risk all matter. Use our equity compensation calculator and exit calculator to model your own numbers.