Why It Matters

The aerospace startup Grid Aero terminated its lobbying engagement with Velocity Government Relations effective Jan. 31, according to a termination amendment filed in August. Grid Aero, a San Leandro-based startup developing autonomous cargo aircraft, had retained Velocity Government Relations to advocate on advanced air mobility, defense appropriations and the National Defense Authorization Act. The startup subsequently retained J.A. Green & Co., paying the firm $60,000 for first-quarter lobbying services.

Grid Aero represented a relatively modest portion of Velocity Government Relations' client base. The firm reported $24,888 in lobbying income from Grid Aero across the filings reviewed, below several of its other aerospace and defense clients.

The startup reported $147,544 in lobbying expenditures over the past four quarters. Grid Aero emerged from stealth in August 2025 after raising $6 million in seed funding, co-led by Calibrate Ventures and Ubiquity Ventures, while developing its Lifter-Lite autonomous cargo aircraft.

Grid Aero has since raised significantly more private capital. In January, the company announced a $20 million Series A financing round to support testing and production of its autonomous cargo aircraft.

The company's move to J.A. Green & Co. also represents an increase in disclosed quarterly lobbying spending compared with the amounts reported for its Velocity Government Relations engagement.

Broader Context

Grid Aero's lobbying through Velocity Government Relations focused on three core areas, including advanced air mobility ecosystem development, defense appropriations and the National Defense Authorization Act.

In June 2025, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14307 directing the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration to take action on advanced air mobility certification. The order directed federal officials to accelerate the safe commercialization and integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the National Airspace System and called for an integration pilot program involving electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and other advanced air mobility technologies.

The FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act authorized approximately $900.6 billion for national defense programs and passed both chambers with substantial bipartisan support. The House approved the measure 312-112, while the Senate approved it 77-20. President Trump signed the legislation in December 2025.

Grid Aero had lobbied on the NDAA through Velocity Government Relations in the third and fourth quarters of 2025 and into early 2026, according to the filings reviewed.

Advanced air mobility and autonomous aircraft remain emerging areas of federal aviation and defense policy. Grid Aero's lobbying on defense appropriations and the NDAA coincided with the company's effort to develop autonomous cargo aircraft for military logistics. The company also received a Direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract from AFWERX, the Air Force's innovation arm, after emerging from stealth.

The Bottom Line

Grid Aero describes its Lifter-Lite autonomous cargo aircraft as the "pickup truck of the skies." CEO Arthur Dubois has said the aircraft is intended to carry thousands of pounds over thousands of miles, with military applications focused on delivering supplies in contested environments.

The company has also pursued commercial applications for its autonomous cargo technology. Its newsroom lists work involving Everts Air and other partners as Grid Aero seeks applications for its aircraft beyond military logistics.

The lobbying shift comes as Grid Aero moves beyond its initial seed-stage development. After raising $6 million in seed financing in August 2025, the company raised another $20 million in January to advance testing and production of the Lifter-Lite.

---

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article