Ascend Engineering Doubles Down on Open Source, Employs Two PX4 Ecosystem Maintainers

Chicago-based drone integration firm strengthens commitment to open source development with strategic hires of core PX4 contributors

Chicago, IL - November 20, 2025 - Ascend Engineering, a leading drone integration provider, today announced the addition of its second PX4 ecosystem maintainer to its engineering team, reinforcing the company’s commitment to open source development and its position at the forefront of unmanned aerial systems technology. As current Dronecode Foundation Silver Members, and the official flight testing provider for the PX4 project, this investment strengthens their ties to open source aerial robotics.

The strategic hires, Andrew Brahim and Holden Ramsey, bring deep expertise in PX4 autopilot development and serve as active maintainers within the PX4 open source project. Brahim leads the Rover sub-group and contributes to the Driver/Sensors sub-group, while Ramsey co-leads the QGroundControl (QGC) Maintainers sub-group.

Strategic Investment in Open Source Infrastructure

The move reflects Ascend Engineering’s philosophy that investing in the open source ecosystem directly strengthens the foundation of its business and the broader drone industry.

“Supporting open source and PX4 has propelled our business to new heights, and we see the health of the open source ecosystem as integral to the future of the industry,” said Andrew Wilkins, Co-Founder of Ascend Engineering. “Hiring PX4 core maintainers allows us to contribute back at a higher level and provide unrivaled services to our clients with the best talent the industry has to offer.”

The announcement has drawn recognition from the Dronecode Foundation’s leadership. Ramón Roche, General Manager at the Dronecode Foundation, commends Ascend’s contributions to open source and holds them up as an example of meaningful PX4 ecosystem participation.

"Ascend Engineering is a great example of what real commitment to open source looks like. Hiring active PX4 and QGroundControl maintainers is not just good for their business; it directly strengthens the ecosystem the entire industry depends on," said Roche. "Their investment in upstream work means more reliable software for everyone, faster innovation, and a healthier community. We're proud to have them in the Dronecode Foundation and excited to see them continue raising the bar."

Advancing the Open Source Ecosystem Through Contract Work

Beyond employing maintainers, Ascend Engineering actively takes on contract work specifically focused on advancing PX4, QGroundControl, and other Dronecode-related repositories. By accepting contracts that contribute improvements back to the community repositories, Ascend Engineering ensures that its commercial work strengthens the foundation that all users of these open source projects depend on.

The announcement positions Ascend Engineering among a select group of drone development service companies actively employing open source maintainers, contributing upstream, and demonstrating a tangible commitment to the technologies that power modern autonomous flight systems.

Maintainer Perspectives on Open Source Development

Both engineers emphasized the reciprocal relationship between commercial application and community contribution.

“It would be hard to imagine a better opportunity to contribute back to PX4 than with my role at Ascend,” said Andrew Brahim, Engineer at Ascend Engineering. “By contributing to the infrastructure we all rely on, I get to make sure the ecosystem continues to grow.”

Holden Ramsey, Engineer at Ascend Engineering, highlighted the unique challenges of maintainer work: “Being a maintainer means you get to take pride in turning the hard problems that we all face in the field into something that simply just works for the end user. It’s a challenge that’s always evolving and shifting, so there’s always another hill to conquer.”

Impact on Client Services

The addition of PX4 maintainers enhances Ascend Engineering's capability to deliver specialized services across the PX4 ecosystem. Ascend provides PX4 firmware development, custom MAVLink and MAVSDK integration, and QGroundControl customization. Its services extend to sensor integration for LiDAR, radar, and other systems, onboard computer integration for platforms like ModalAI VOXL and Nvidia Jetson, ROS1 and ROS2 integration, communication system integration, GPS-denied navigation and obstacle avoidance solutions, and comprehensive testing and simulation services.

About the PX4 Ecosystem

PX4 is an open source flight control software for drones and other unmanned vehicles, hosted under the Dronecode Foundation, a nonprofit organization fostering open source projects for unmanned systems. The PX4 ecosystem includes PX4 Autopilot for advanced flight control supporting multicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, VTOL, and ground rovers; MAVLink, a lightweight messaging protocol for communicating with drones and between onboard components; MAVSDK, a collection of libraries providing a simple API for drone application development; QGroundControl, a cross-platform ground control station for flight planning and vehicle configuration; and Pixhawk, an open hardware standard for autopilot systems. These projects are supported by a global community of developers and are used in commercial products, research platforms, and custom applications worldwide.

About Ascend Engineering

Ascend Engineering is a Chicago-based software and engineering firm specializing in drone technology. As a group of UAV software engineering consultants, Ascend Engineering helps companies build and integrate UAV projects into their workflows. With expertise in PX4, QGroundControl, MAVSDK, MAVLink, and ROS2, the company offers comprehensive services from autopilot development to backend integration. Founded by industry experts, the company is committed to advancing UAV technology and providing tailored solutions for businesses looking to leverage drones in their operations.