NorthStrive Defense Tech has finalized an exclusive licensing agreement with the Florida State University Research Foundation (FSURF) for patented drone technology capable of transporting payloads across both air and water.
The arrangement grants NorthStrive exclusive and sublicensable rights within the aerospace and defense sectors to US Patent No. 12,291,334 and its related know-how.
The patented technology enables an unmanned aerial system to tow a cable-suspended payload through water while remaining airborne, using buoyancy to improve payload efficiency over conventional air-only drone operations.
The agreement completes a licensing process that began with an exclusive option in April, followed by a binding term sheet in June.
Pioneering Multi-Domain Solution
As part of the agreement, NorthStrive and FSURF will initiate a sponsored research program using a small-payload model.
The effort will evaluate towing dynamics, hydrodynamic stability, flight energy consumption, and payload performance to advance the technology from a working prototype toward a commercial-grade system.
The work could further support future defense and dual-use missions, including maritime logistics, underwater object detection and recovery, and autonomous payload transport.
The consortium highlighted that the payload technology aligns with growing defense demand for unmanned systems and cutting-edge solutions capable of operating across multiple domains, including aerial and maritime environments.
“Florida State University faculty produce game-changing research in areas of defense challenges, and this licensing agreement expands the reach of that work through development and translation through this new start-up,” said Valerie McDevitt, associate vice president of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at FSU.
