A tethered inspection drone hovers beside a curved glass roof of a modern building, conducting maintenance and window cleaning under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds, urban drone technology.


Lucid Bots, the Charlotte-based manufacturer of the Sherpa Drone, announced its official sponsorship of Vets to Drones (V2D), a veteran-led nonprofit dedicated to transitioning military service members into careers in the commercial drone cleaning industry. The partnership connects V2D members with a proven path to business ownership using the Sherpa Drone platform, one of the most accessible entry points into the drone cleaning market.

Founded in 2023 and led by Marine Corps Veteran Chris Lewis, V2D provides free Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 certification training, advanced training in mapping, public safety, infrastructure inspection, agriculture, NIST-standard flight education, mentorship, and job placement support to thousands of veterans nationwide. Members can enter the workforce with their FAA Part 107 license if they choose, and are ready for deployment across a wide range of industries.

"Veterans bring discipline, precision, and mission focus—exactly what it takes to run a successful drone cleaning operation," says Matt Lowen, Senior Alliance Manager, Lucid Bots. "Vets to Drones is building an exceptional pipeline of certified pilots, and we're proud to be part of the infrastructure that helps them build real businesses when they come home."

The sponsorship reflects Lucid Bots' broader commitment to expanding access to the commercial drone cleaning industry. For veterans entering the exterior services sector, the Sherpa Drone eliminates the need for ladders, lifts, ropes, and scaffolding on exterior window cleaning, facade washing, solar panel maintenance, and building wash-down work. Since its introduction, the drone has logged over 6,500 jobs and more than 22 million square feet of cleaned surface area in one year.

"The transition out of service is hard, and the hardest part is often just finding direction. Partnering with Lucid Bots gives our members a concrete path forward into an in-demand field where the drive they built in uniform carries straight into commercial work," shares Chris Lewis, Founder and CEO of Vets to Drones.

Membership and training are free to all interested veterans. Learn more about the V2D program here.