The consumer drone market in China is growing and companies like Yuneec, Ehang, DJI, and Aheadx have scooped up significant venture capital funding. As per a CB Insights report, drone companies have managed to raise $172 million in May 2015, more than the last 3 years combined. Here is a quick roundup of startups who have recently raised funding, and at the same time will have to focus on honing UAVs (commonly knows as a drone) and software for business users.
Yuneec
US technology company Intel has invested $60 million series B funding in Shanghai-based Yuneec, that makes a range of drones built for aerial photography and imaging. Both, Intel and Yuneec plan to collaborate on projects, but it is still undisclosed what they are going to develop. This is the third startup in which Intel has made investment. The other two include Airware, which makes commercial drone software, and PrecisionHawk, a sensor hardware maker and data analysis platform.
Here is a video in which Yuneec’s Founder Tian Yu talks about his company’s drones.
Aheadx
Aheadx, a Beijing-based consumer drone manufacturing startup which was founded in 2014, has raised a seed round of $2 million from Shenzhen- and Beijing-based VC firm AV Capital. The latest model is called the TransDrone A4 which is named after its ability to fold up into something the size of an A4 piece of paper. The company is currently taking pre-orders for its drone via JD.com’s crowdfunding platform. For the duration of its crowdfunding campaign, which will come to a close next month, the TransDrone A4 is available for just $434 or $482 with a camera included.
The video shows the structure of TransDrone A4.
