A company statement said the transaction will create a publicly listed firm, also called Powerus, focused on producing unmanned aerial systems for military and commercial operations in high-risk environments. The merger combines Powerus’ drone technology with Aureus Greenway’s corporate structure, which previously managed golf courses across Florida.

Matthew Sacker, chairman of Aureus Greenway Holdings, said rising geopolitical tensions are accelerating demand for autonomous systems. "The need for autonomous technologies and their applications, such as those produced by Powerus, is making headlines given ongoing developments in the Middle East and other regions,” Sacker said in the announcement. He added that the merger gains urgency amid what he described as "current geopolitical uncertainty.”

The investment has drawn scrutiny from ethics advocates because it coincides with heightened U.S. military involvement in the Middle East. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a non-profit watchdog group, said the development raises questions about potential conflicts of interest involving the president’s family.

Jordan Libowitz, the organization’s vice president, described the project as troubling. "It comes at a moment when there is reported demand for large numbers of drones because of a war partly initiated by the president,” Libowitz said, adding that the overlap between government policy and private investment could warrant closer oversight.

The company’s plans were discussed Monday at a small investor briefing in West Palm Beach, where financial advisers and prospective shareholders reviewed technical diagrams of the proposed drone platforms displayed on large digital screens. One attendee, local technology consultant Daniel Ortiz, said investors appeared focused on the rapidly expanding defense-technology sector. "People here see drones as the next major industrial shift,” Ortiz told reporters outside the venue. "Everyone wants to understand who will control the technology.”

Donald Trump Jr. has previously invested in Unusual Machines, another drone-related startup referenced in the company’s statement as a supporter of the Powerus project.

Analysts say the venture reflects broader momentum in the defense technology industry, where private investors increasingly back drone manufacturers as governments expand procurement of unmanned systems for surveillance, logistics, and battlefield operations. The project also highlights persistent debates in Washington about the separation between political leadership and family business interests as emerging technologies reshape defense spending priorities.