Space-Eyes

Space-Eyes is a Miami-based developer of artificial intelligence technologies focused on countering drone warfare and geospatial intelligence systems marketed to governments and militaries, according to SiliconANGLE's report on the company's planned SPAC merger. SiliconANGLE describes Space-Eyes as a software company that combines data from satellites, radio-frequency sensors, radar and other sources to detect, track and respond to drone-related threats and provide geospatial intelligence in real time.^[1]

Space-Eyes' main products include SeaWatch, a maritime intelligence platform that tracks vessels using satellite and sensor data, and Morpheus, an AI-powered counter-drone platform focused on mitigating autonomous aerial threats, according to SiliconANGLE, which cites Reuters reporting on the company.^[1]

Space-Eyes plans to go public through a merger with special purpose acquisition company McKinley Acquisition Corp., a deal that Reuters reported would value the combined businesses at around $638 million, according to SiliconANGLE's citation of that reporting. The transaction is expected to generate around $251.7 million in gross proceeds, including funds held in McKinley's trust account and a planned private investment in public equity financing.^[1]

Space-Eyes' deal to go public is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, and the combined company will then trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol CUAS, a reference to the term counter-unmanned aerial systems, according to SiliconANGLE's report of Reuters' reporting.^[1]

Eric Trump, son of U.S. President Donald Trump, recently became the third-largest private investor in Space-Eyes, according to SiliconANGLE's citation of Reuters, which spoke to four people familiar with the business. Following the transaction's completion, Eric Trump will serve as a strategic adviser to the combined business, having already introduced prospective board candidates to the company's management; one source told Reuters that he is an adviser who connects the company to people and opportunities and brings intelligence.^[1]

Space-Eyes has so far operated primarily as a research and development company, generating around $1 million in annual revenue, according to the four people familiar with the business whom Reuters spoke to, as cited by SiliconANGLE. The sources opened for this profile do not give a founding date for Space-Eyes, so none is given here.^[1]

Space-Eyes intends to scale up its business after the SPAC transaction by using third-party manufacturers, which SiliconANGLE's cited reporting says would let it compete for government contracts in multiple countries and also target corporate clients ranging from data center operators to cruise companies.^[1]

Jatin Bains is Space-Eyes' founder and chief executive officer, and Dylan Monroe is its chief operating officer, according to SiliconANGLE's report, which cites Reuters' reporting on the SPAC deal.^[1]

Space-Eyes is currently negotiating contracts worth around $35 million over a five-year period, while its existing contracts reportedly bring in around $300,000 to $400,000 annually, according to the sources Reuters cited, as reported by SiliconANGLE. Those existing contracts involve deploying its software to monitor drug trafficking in the Caribbean, power defense applications in the Middle East, and help prevent contraband from being smuggled into U.S. prisons via drones.^[1]

Space-Eyes was inspired by Palantir Technologies, the software and data analytics firm and major U.S. government contractor, according to Reuters reporting cited by SiliconANGLE. The report notes Palantir reported an adjusted operating margin of more than 60% in its most recent earnings call at the time, which SiliconANGLE's cited reporting contrasts with the single-digit margins of traditional defense companies, framing the opportunity Space-Eyes is pursuing in AI-driven defense technology.^[1]