You Rang the Nasdaq Bell. Now Every Late Bracket Shows Up on the Earnings Call.
Three Acquisitions Became One Company. The Supply Chains Didn’t Merge With Them.
In 2026, Powerus folded Tandem, Kaizen and Agile into one operator pipeline, then listed on Nasdaq. Each business brought its own payload mounts, interface plates, enclosures and suppliers. Now a 1,500-aircraft FPV order, Guardian-2 interceptor work and the Dragon heavy-lift line all draw on that mix at the same time.
It shows up as duplicate part numbers for brackets that should be common, interface ECOs that ripple through three vendors instead of one, and technicians hand-fitting covers while spares kits ship short. Expedite fees eat the margin the market is now watching. And when one partner can’t produce clean NDAA or revision paperwork, a surprise requalification lands squarely on the delivery date.
That’s where Fathom takes the pressure off. We’re the multi-process U.S. manufacturing partner that turns the mechanical details around Powerus aircraft and vessels into repeatable, documented hardware delivered in kits, while Powerus keeps ownership of autonomy, electronics and system qualification.
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Ship every aircraft with every part. Brackets, guards, spacers, battery covers and spares-kit content arrive released and labeled by Matrix or Guardian variant, so the smallest part never sets the delivery date.
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Make one platform look like one platform. Revision-controlled common interface plates, modular payload brackets and field-change kits give Tandem, Kaizen and Agile products shared physical interfaces without erasing mission-specific differences.
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Shrink the partner list instead of managing it. CNC machining, sheet metal, precision turning, photochemical machining, additive, molding, finishing and fixtures come from one accountable partner across seven U.S. facilities.
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Pass the compliance review the first time. Domestic production, dimensional records and controlled build releases give supplier quality the traceability that NDAA-sensitive and ITAR-controlled programs demand.
The Responsiveness of a Quick-Turn Shop With the Configuration Control a Public Company Needs
Most suppliers make you pick one. Quick-turn shops move fast but leave thin documentation, while traditional defense suppliers bring the paperwork and lose weeks on every revision.
Fathom gives Powerus both from one domestic source, so builds keep moving while the vendor list gets shorter.
Four things make it work:
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100% domestic manufacturing across selected ITAR-registered U.S. facilities, giving U.S.-controlled work a documented domestic home
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DFM, DFQ and DFE review before the quote, with experienced engineers checking fit, load paths, fastener access and inspection approach at print review instead of first-article rejection.
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More than 30 manufacturing technologies under one roof, coordinated as a single program instead of a fragmented vendor chain.
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White-glove service as the default, with the same named team running the first fit-check prototype and the repeat low-rate kit.
6,300+
30+
AS9100D
ITAR
Meet Your White Glove Team
Trey Harper
Your Autonomy Is Only as Tough as the Hardware Carrying It
See how air, land and sea environments shape the mechanical layer of autonomous systems with our new one-page visual guide, Autonomy Leaves the Lab. Now What?
Repeat FPV and Interceptor Builds, With Every Kit Complete.
Powerus Defense and Tandem build Matrix tactical FPV aircraft and Guardian interceptors in Charlotte, where a 1,500-aircraft order and Guardian-2 Air Force work are pushing configuration-heavy builds toward repeatable rate.
Fathom supports the full range: payload mounts, sensor brackets, protective guards, battery and avionics covers, turned spacers and standoffs, spares-kit parts, flight-line assembly fixtures and inspection nests.
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Hartland, WI: Additive fit checks, fixture tooling, pilot molded covers and light assembly.
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Austin, TX / Minneapolis, MN: CNC brackets, interface plates, mounting blocks and inspection nests.
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Elk Grove, IL: High-precision turned spacers, bushings and standoffs.
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Denver, CO / Ithaca, NY / Newark, NY: Guards, panels, support trays and small brackets, plus burr-free flat shims and precision shields.
Heavy-Lift Mission Kits That Change Fast and Hold Up Under Load
Kaizen Aerospace’s Dragon H100, H500 and H1000 platforms carry cargo, ISR and mission payloads across variable arm configurations, so every interface has to stay dimensionally repeatable and field-serviceable through demanding duty cycles.
Powerus keeps ownership of qualified flight structures; Fathom builds the layer around them: cargo and sling interface plates, battery and avionics mounting, service panels, sensor mounts, protective housings, fit-check prototypes, fold-mechanism inspection fixtures and ground-support tooling.
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Austin, TX / Minneapolis, MN: Precision CNC payload interfaces, battery mounts and load-path-adjacent fixtures.
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Hartland, WI: Additive fit-check tooling, CNC fixtures, protective covers and finishing.
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Elk Grove, IL / Denver, CO: Turned alignment hardware, plus access panels, guards, trays and attachment brackets.
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Global Network: Eligible non-sensitive molded covers and extrusions once designs stabilize.
Every Hull Is Different. Your Retrofit Kit Shouldn’t Have to Start Over.
Agile Autonomy’s Blue Sky converts existing 16–24 ft workboats, patrol craft and government hulls to remote or autonomous operation, and no two vessels offer the same mounting geometry, cable access or corrosion exposure.
Fathom builds repeatable retrofit kits around that variability: sensor mast brackets, electronics enclosures, vessel-specific interface plates, cable-routing guards, console panels, docking aids and installation templates.
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Denver, CO: Deck-adjacent housings, sheet-metal sensor guards and console panels.
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Austin, TX / Minneapolis, MN: CNC sensor mounts, electronics housings and marine installation fixtures.
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Ithaca, NY / Newark, NY: Small precision brackets and prototype panels, plus burr-free shims and shielding details.
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Hartland, WI: Hull-specific fit-check fixtures, positioning templates and protective prototypes.
One Autonomy Backbone Deserves Mechanical Interfaces That Match
xFold Spy and Reach ISR aircraft and the shared xNav ground-control architecture span air and surface lines, and every payload swap or connector change generates new mounts, enclosures and alignment details.
Fathom standardizes that hardware even as platforms evolve: Gimbal and sensor plates, antenna brackets, camera guards, controller enclosures, thermal plates, card guides, battery docking details, calibration aids and assembly nests.
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Minneapolis, MN / Austin, TX: CNC sensor mounts, thermal plates and equipment frames.
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Newark, NY: Precision shims and RF / EMI-adjacent flat shields.
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Denver, CO / Ithaca, NY: Control-station panels, consoles and rugged enclosures.
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Hartland, WI: Additive flight-fit prototypes, molded guards, jigs and pilot assembly aids.
Seasonal Mission Kits on the Shelf Before the Season Starts.
Powerus is taking Dragon into agricultural spray and spread work and Firebreak wildfire suppression while positioning Guardian for critical-infrastructure site defense. Each mission adds its own tanks, guards, hose brackets and launch or docking hardware.
Fathom delivers those kits without pulling engineering off the base airframe: mission kit housings, accessory mounting plates, hose and cable guides, field-replacement guards, launch and service equipment and assembly fixtures.
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Denver, CO: Fabricated guards, spray-equipment brackets and charging / launch-station panels.
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Austin, TX / Minneapolis, MN: CNC pump, hose and sensor mounting hardware.
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Hartland, WI: Prototype chemical-splash guards and assembly fixtures.
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Global Network: Non-sensitive molded and extruded service parts as recurring demand builds.
10x the Volume. Half the Unit Cost
Rate contracts do not just ask for more aircraft. See how the processes, materials and lightweighting strategy change for all seven systems when a drone program moves from LRIP to full production.
We’re Already Building the Mechanical Layer for Programs That Look Like Yours
Fathom already manufactures mechanical hardware for aerospace and defense programs that demand the same repeat-build discipline Powerus now needs, including DoD-adjacent autonomous systems, Bell Textron flight programs, Northrop Grumman targeting systems and Able Aerospace MRO work.
We don’t build autonomy software, flight-critical structures or payloads. We’re the responsive mechanical and production-enablement layer around them, and the part types on your next release are ones we already make:
CNC Machining
CNC-machined aluminum and titanium brackets, mounts and interface plates for autonomous-systems and flight programs.
Additive Manufacturing
Additive-manufactured tooling, jigs, fixtures and inspection nests for multiple defense prime programs.
Sheet Metal Fabrication
Precision sheet-metal guards, panels, consoles and enclosures, finished and inspected for field-deployed hardware.
Photochemical Machining
Photochemically machined shields, shims and burr-free flat parts for RF / EMI-adjacent electronics packaging.
Case Studies
How Defense Programs Stay on Schedule With Fathom
Engineers Who Pick Up the Phone When the ECO Drops
Fathom isn’t a transactional machine shop, and on a portfolio built from four product organizations, that difference matters. Every Powerus job runs through DFM, DFQ and DFE engagement before quoting, with real engineers reviewing prints for load paths, fastener retention, vibration, sealing, galvanic compatibility and inspection approach.
As a result, manufacturability issues surface at print review, not at first article or on a vessel deck.
You get a named program contact instead of a ticketing queue and an engineer on the phone the same day. Revision management, first-article documentation and inspection packages are built into the flow, so when a common interface plate changes, it changes once and every variant kit follows.
That’s white-glove service applied to defense-grade manufacturing, and it’s why fast-scaling hardware teams keep coming back to Fathom.
Fathom Edgeworks: Built to Support Multiple Programs
Our global sourcing solution provides Powerus with access to an extended network of U.S. sourcing options through one accountable Fathom team. Our domestic manufacturing capabilities are built to support the ramp of multiple drone and USV programs.
That includes everything from precision internal components to ruggedized housings and structural parts, all matched to the right U.S. source. Fathom Edgeworks also offers affordable overseas sourcing options, which include a guarantee of the lowest landed cost.
Is Your Drone Program Ready to Scale?
The right manufacturing process for prototyping is rarely the right one for rate production. Our new guide helps you choose the technologies that fit each stage, and recognize when to make the transition.
What Every Powerus Manufacturing Engineer, Sourcing Lead & Program Manager Gets With Fathom
ITAR-Registered, U.S.-Made
100% domestic manufacturing across 10 U.S. facilities. Selected locations are ITAR registered.
30+ Manufacturing Technologies
Consolidate your approved vendor list instead of growing it as programs scale.
DFM Before Quote
Engineers review load paths, fastener access, sealing and inspection approach before pricing.
Configuration Control Built In
Revision-controlled releases, dimensional records and lot traceability by variant.
Prototype-to-Bridge Continuity
One team from first fit check to repeat low-rate kits. No supplier reset when an ECO drops.
Fixtures and Tooling, Not Just Parts
Assembly nests, inspection gauges and install templates that cut manual fitting on the line.